Mamanuca Surf Guide

Cloudbreak 

 

Break Direction	Left-hander
Ability	Intermediate to Advanced
Best Tide	All, but best between low and mid

Along with Pipeline and Teahupoo, Cloudbreak is one of the most revered waves on Earth. A fast barrel breaking over shallow reef, it can hold swell between two and 20 feet, and you’ll get three separate sections of wave to find tube time in. Best between April and October and while it's often crowded, get just one wave on a good day and it’ll be the wave of your life. 

Restaurants
 

Break Direction	Left-hander
Ability	Intermediate to Advanced
Best Tide	All, but best at low

So named because it breaks directly in front of Tavarua Island Resort’s main eatery, Restaurants is actually considered by some surfers to be a superior wave to Cloudbreak. It doesn’t catch as much swell, but it breaks as perfectly as a wave pool (earning it the label ‘a skate park in water’). It’s hollow and fast – but if surfed at higher tides, it’ss not as scary as Cloudbreak. On a bigger day at a lower tide it doesn’t offer quite the same  sort of tube time.  
 

Desperations 
 

Break Direction	Right and left
Ability	Intermediate to advanced
Best Tide	Mid to high

There’s always a wave breaking here no matter how small the swell – hence the name. Located along the Mamanuca’s Malolo Barrier Reef, Desperations catches every part of even the smallest southerly swell. Located a few kilometres north-west of Namotu and Tavarua Islands, it’ll only get crowded when nowhere else is breaking. It’s one of the few reef breaks in Fiji offering left and right-handers breaking off a point in the reef, so you can ride front and backside. 
 

Tavarua Rights
 

Break Direction	Right-hander
Ability	Beginner to Advanced
Best Tide	Mid to high

Tavarua Rights epitomises the quality of waves in this very special part of Fiji. When it’s smaller, it’s a great place for everyone from beginners to SUP riders. But this is one heck of a wave – on a glassy day it looks like the waves you drew on your exercise books at school. It can be playful, but when the swell comes, Tavarua Rights sure packs a punch. Generally uncrowded, when it’s smaller, it’s a great wave to hone your reef surfing before Cloudbreak. 
 

Swimming Pools

 

Break Direction	Right-hander
Ability	Beginner to Intermediate
Best Tide	All, best at low to mid

With its iridescent blue hues(hence the name ’Swimming Pools’) and calmer waters, this is a great spot for beginners to learn the fundamentals of reef surfing. One of the closest spots to Namotu Island Resort, guests don’t need a boat to surf Swimming Pools. A rare treat for less experienced surfers amongst critical surf breaks, it’s still a fast and fun wave – and when the waves get big, you’ll get thick, perfect barrels as challenging (and fun) as Cloudbreak’s.  
 

Namotu Lefts
 

Break Direction	Left-hander
Ability	Beginner to Advanced
Best Tide	Any, best at mid

Think of Namotu Lefts as a mini-Cloudbreak that’s less likely to cost you skin. It offers one of the longest rides in Fiji at over 100 metres, and tends to be less crowded than Cloudbreak. It’ll still handle waves up to 15 feet, but Namotu Lefts is ideal from 2-8 feet. It’s a great wave year-round but best between November and April when there’s plenty of south-west ground swells. Get a barrel and you might get a cheer – it’s located in front of Namotu Island Resort’s restaurant. 
 

Wilkes Passage 
 

BREAK DIRECTION	Right-hander
ABILITY	Intermediate to Advanced
BEST TIDE	Mid to high

Breaking on the southern tip of a long barrier reef, surfing Wilkes Passage feels like you’re surfing in the middle of the ocean (though it’s only a short boat ride from Cloudbreak). Being on an open ocean pass, swell rises straight out of the deep ocean - so allow for mega-power. The wave is hollow and fast and can handle up to 10 feet. But on smaller days it’s a lot of fun, with many comparing it to Jeffrey’s Bay for its long rippable walls, paired with deep barrels.