Hi ya Muadib, you can do it with the angled take off drop but if you surf comfortably on something shorter it will fit the reefy hollow line better 4ft yeh, longboard, but biggerjust compare the hollow bigger days at home... fiji no continental shelf to slow the swells so much quicker paddle into the waves. I did OK on both long and short.Enjoy Jaffa

Hi Guys,

Wasn't sure if there may be a few others out there looking for a family surf holiday with the wife and kids. I just got back from one in Fiji - had a ball. The missus won't go back to Indo so I have been looking for an alternative. We stayed at Mana Island Resort. A 40 min boatride from Nadi and about the same distance from Wilkes Passage. Also has it's own breaks that you won't find on wannasurf as well. They work on any swell coming from the North West (Summer) and are offshore when the big SW winds are blowing and places like Namotu and Tavarua are crap. There is enough shape to the reef to bend the SW swell around to give you a 3-4 footer as well. Never more than 3 guys out. The tide window is a little fickle though. From what we observed over 10 days it is best around 2-3 hours prior to the High.

The locals call the spots Picnic Point - peak 3-4 foot (paddle from the beach)

Bird Rock - Sharky shifting reef in the channel between Manna and Castaway Island

The Edge - about 5 k's west from the Island on the outer reef. Same reef system that links up with Cloudbreak eventually. Has it's own shipwreck. 4 footer breaking into deep water / channel.

Boats are expensive though. They will charge you $150 to go to Wilkes but for every additional person they pay $50. So for three people you pay $75 a head. So save your Wilkes trip for when you know it's going to be good. The guy that runs the surf camp on the island is a local chief or something and when the guys take the boat out they have a photocopy of his credentials. This means you can surf Swimming Pools on Namotu but not Namotu left. Mana Island has places in the Tavaru lottery for surfing on Saturday during the changeover as well. Both Namotu and Tavaru were crap whilst we were there. Problem with them is that those island are so small that there isn't a lot to do if the surf is bad. Besides Namotu is booked out for at least 12 months in advance during Winter with US returning parties getting preference - despite what they will tell you.

The resort starts at about $300 per night whilst the backbackers - Mana Lodge starts at around $50. The resort is great for the wife and kids. Backpackers fine for a couple that don't mind roughing it a bit.

Personally I might try and stay somewhere south of the mainland next time and get out to Frigates. Anyone have any info or recomendations on where to stay with the family around that way?

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if anyone can give me some advice regarding longboarding in Fiji. Im heading over there late August for 10 days. Should be expecting 4-8 foot on the refbreaks. I have always had problems in really hollow surf on my board though. Just can't eem to get down the face quick enough before it's lights out. Am I wasting my time taking a 9 footer?

Any advice on techniques to focus on in hollow surf would be greatly appreciated.

I found Ian to be a shitfight to be honest. Thought I had a boat pick up organised yet on the day he didnt show - got some baloney story about ahh, you have to use the local boats on the island...they didnt take you? Fucking hated it and would NOT recommend him to anyone. That whole place needs a cleanup if they ever dream about the local population (apart from the American Resorts on Tavarua and Namotu) ever making a sustainable bucj out of surfing.

Yasawas a long way north, anyone surfed there?

Contact Ian from Fiji Surf and tell him you wanna surf somewhere elsebeside Namoyu and Wilkes...If you have the balls, try a wave called Kongs, mini Pipe but bloody shallow, high tide only but epic pits so I hear...Yasawa ????

they will steal your money any way they can.

Yeah, plenty of spots if you know where to look. They have updated the atlas with a few of the lesser known spots around the Mamanucas - check them out.

Right, sick to the back teeth of going to Fiji and surfing sideshore Wilkes Passage because I couldnt get a booking on Namotu or Tavarua. There must be other surf in Fiji surely? Is Frigates worth a surf trip in it's own right?