Hi, I am new here, but have been reading posts for a while. My husband and I both windsurf (he is much better and more experienced than me, but I am on a short board)...we are planning a trip to the Cook Islands next year and I know there is windsurfing there, but am not sure if you need to take your own gear, or what sort of gear is for hire etc. Any feedback on what it's like would be appreciated. If we don't end up windsurfing we will kick back and relax anyway!
Thanks

Thanks for the advice and info. I don't like the idea of crashing on shallow reef.

mineral1 said...

ClaireS, email Jez at 2nd wind in Perth, he runs a tour there every year. He knows best times, locations, gear and all the fruit on places to stay with, and so on.
www.2ndwind.com.au/
Mineral

You had me going there for a second. I am heading to the Cook islands in Aug next year and my eyes lit up when I looked at 2nd wind and saw clinics in Aug. But then I saw the Cocos Islands, not the Cook Islands.

Oh well,

Jb

Hi Claire,

I spent a couple of weeks on Rarotonga and Aitutaki in August.
It blows SE for half the year... as it did the whole time we were there.
Desperate for a sail i checked out all the hire joints and it sums up like this.

Aitutaki:
Only hire is at the Aitutaki lagoon resort we stayed there one night (crap rooms ripoff). The gear is only probably for resort residents but you can swim over to the island no worries and bluff it. They are friendly. Amazing lagoon for flat water sailing. They had heaps of kite surfing gear and lessons (for ****s :) but only two sails - one was 5.7m from memory and both were ripped by some snapper "just the week before". I was devastated. Offered my sewing skills but they didnt have a machine. Said they were ordering some more but I wouldnt count on it happening quick. $$ for air freight. They had maybe 6 boards, some wide go type boards and a couple you could get planning on (90L).

While were were there, 8 midlife crisis windsurf wannabe i-phoning teabaggers rocked up all organized from NZ and had hired a boat for 5 days at $50/day each person to kite anywhere in the lagoon. They were out each day…on the amazing one foot island etc etc.
Air raro limit luggage to 16kg to aitutaki ... strict too – don’t really think they would let you take sail.

Muri beach resort had catamarans (3) that i think were for hire. we didn’t have time but definitely try and get out on lagoon with them. Do the reef tour (teking was awesome)

Rarotonga
Muri beach is it… being on SE side with mountain in middle blocking wind from rest of island. Theres a stand alone hire joint and another linked with pacific hotel I think that rents one design beginner gear. The stand alone place had heaps of stuff. Plenty of sails and boards..I was eyeing out a 85L maui project for a blast on the bay with a 5.6m tushi sail for example but the “windsurfing guy” wasn’t there for the three days we were there. Some people were putting around on wally style setups from the pacific resort. Muri bay itself is pretty small between the wind shadows of the islands…

Theres definitely some wave spots but I didn’t find them. I paddled around SE raro and aitutaki but all seamed nasty reef dump .. locals surf somewhere though..


Bit long winded but hope that gets ya out sailing more than I did.

Kev.

Wow, thanks to you all for the helpful information. That's great! Sounds like we might get out if things roll in our favour at the time, which would be fun, even if it ends up being on older gear.


mineral- thanks for the link, will look it up

Scottda- will avoid those bommies!

kwagland- thanks also for the laugh: "While were were there, 8 midlife crisis windsurf wannabe i-phoning teabaggers rocked up all organized from NZ"

I was looking at the Aitutaki lagoon resort...but sound like its maybe not worth it there