Kadavu Passage Surfing

Until Cloudbreak made magazine cover shots, Fiji had been missing from the surfing map. Unlike French Polynesia, surfing wasn't traditional amongst fishermen. Surfing started in Suva in the early ?80s, then ex-pats searched an archipelago of 322 islands, starting in the Mamanucas with Tavarua/Namotu. The great distance to the breaks means spending more time in an outboard powered dingy than in a car. The Cloudbreak Syndrome refers to the way that waves appear as tiny smudges of whitewater on the horizon, making assessment difficult from the land and if it is visible, then it's probably too big. Powerful waves surging in from deep water, hitting shallow reef ledges that are very exposed to the main local problem- the wind. Being balanced between charter boats and surf camps, outboards in Fiji matter a lot. Departures times, rotation, schedules, carrying capacity, engine power, safety equipment, comfort factor and number of boats in operation are all important factors. Since most anticipate a rising wind, many surf in the morning, leaving the afternoon boats gambling on empty but rideable waves.