Just Dreaming is a 50-ft cutter-rigged ketch powered by a 98HP Ford diesel which can take up to a maximum of 8 surfers. She has a TV, Stereo (tape/radio/CD player), VCR, Shower & toilet, additional deck shower, snorkelling gear and fishing gear. Aussie owner & skipper, John – a great surfer himself – has been operating in West Java for around 10 years so knows the island and the surf conditions really well.
The swell reports was showing a consistent push of SW swell for the better part of the trip. We headed for the mainland spots with only a small push at the start of the trip. This worked out well with small, clean, warm-up waves for the boys to get comfortable with the reef. With the swell increasing, we moved out to the bay and surfed Pussy’s with some nice long ones and a few turns to be had.
With the olds trades up a bit, we moved around to the west side of the island. We rocked up with a nice surprise of head and a half lefts and rights offshore all day and all of us rotating between the left and the right and with some nice tubes to be had. We stayed and surfed over head lefts and rights over this side for a few days and waited for the next SW push.
We woke up in the morning and saw an increase of swell, so we had a good surf and moved around into the bay again. As we came in closer to One Palm, we had a double hit on the rods and then 2 of the boys proceeded to pull in two 10 kg+ yellow fin tuna. Sashimi was on the cards for that afternoon. We pulled up to One Palm with the odd 3-foot set rolling down the point so we ended up out there for look. We surfed until dark that afternoon with a couple of nice tubes ridden.
With a drop in the swell we moved back over to the mainland and surfed until the our 2nd last day, and then the call was made to check out Krakatoa. As we steamed up there, we landed a massive wahoo, 5 foot long and 20kg+. We got to Krakatoa that night and it was blowing its lid, shooting out red lava rock around every 10 minutes. Next day we had a brief walk on the island as it was very active we made it quick and only watched a few irruptions from the base of the mountain.
Waves every day this trip with some nice fish landed and Krakatoa doing its things, boys were super stoked. Then it was time to head to Jakarta, which is not always a bad thing.
The 'koburu' (surf season) ended in May which was a big success. After several years in the making, we opened our Solwata Surf Camp in the Lau Lagoon in December in partnership with John Maoma and his tribe. With super comfortable beds, solar powered fridge, an amazing verandah, a private boat landing area, an eco style compost toilet that does not requiring 'walking the plank', the Solwata camp steps up the standard of our surfing guests.
It was another season of world class surf with plenty of perfect waves to share. The trips were led by a combination of guides including Tony, Steve, Simon and Craig. A few trips had smaller waves - the luck of the draw with any surf trip. Unfortunately this seemed to happen whenever a professional photographer was around - Chris, Joel, David! But generally, there's been a lot on offer. Kilu, the right hander opposite Eidu, was surfed for the first time and offered some of the biggest waves yet. Other breaks surfed for the first time including 'Yam right'; a long right hander with fast bowling sections, and 'Up the waisies' a fast, fun left that sacrificed a few fins. We have yet to see its full potential which looks like it could be epic.
From Solwata, we ventured out to a new village-stay at a very beautiful small island surrounded by white sand beaches and located right next to Nines, which was consistent and hollow as ever. That brings our total village stay options to three on excursions from Solwata. We plan to develop at least one of these sites into self contained surf camps over the next couple of years. Our camp guests ranged from the young, the older and everything in-between. Also, we had several non-surfing guests this year who had as good of a time as those looking for perfect waves.
Surf club
A few boys and girls at Kwatonaere have formed the Eidu Boardriders Club with advice from visitors Bruce Fergie and Steve Evans. Bruce is having some t-shirts made up and next season the club is planning to formalize their operations to promote surfing among the local community. Wane, Charles, Kwai and others go from strength to strength with their surfing and the girls are slowly getting there when they get a chance. We are hoping to help them get their own boards.
Speaking of which, Joel from Saltmotion has kindly offered to take the lead in organising a shipping container of surfboards, surf gear and a bunch of supplies for local schools. The fundraising drive will start at the Manly Surf Festival in Sydney with the aim to send the gear out in late 2012.
We also recently had a publication in Smorgasboarder Magazine; check out the article HERE - page 54.
Community efforts...
John Maoma was able to provide some substantial assistance to his tribe after two years of helping to build the new surf camp as joint venture partners. Ten solar systems were provided to local families in the tribe and Surf Solomons made a valiant attempt to send Joseph Wane to a Melanesian surfing comp in New Caledonia but unfortunately, it did not quite work out.
New surf camps are coming; we will keep you posted as things develop. The Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission is actively promoting Surf Solomons to potential investors. We are open to new partnerships so feel free to get in touch if you have ideas or contacts...
Next season....
is getting close and bookings are rolling in. This past season was our most successful to date and we expect the upcoming season to be no different. The feedback has been consistently positive and we continue to evolve our model in terms both in terms of the product we offer, the waves and how we benefit the local community, with donations to a range of community groups.
With only few spots per trip available, make sure your spots do not get booked out!
Tony has been making some quiet scoping trips and we are now offering 3 additional exploration expeditions this coming season:
3-12 February: Remote Malaita. Shhh!... A new region of the Malaita coastline...
16-25 March: The mystical island of Makira
11-20 May: The Weather Coast. For the last couple of years in May we have quietly enjoyed long period south swells unloading on a very remote south facing coast. And in May there has been little or no trade wind activity set in yet - i.e. perfect conditions.
Join Us! Expect an adventure and the chance to surf waves never or rarely surfed before and visit areas rarely seen by outsiders. Be among the first in history to surf these coasts....
And lastly - Elia learned to walk on the stone island of Kwatonaere - she could not believe it when she experienced her first cement slab (flat surface) when she got back to Auki....she is doing very well and enjoying winter in Australia...
Tony, Cynthia, Steve & Simon....
Video
The Perfect Wave clients' testimonials - Surf Solomons:
Joel (April 2011)
The last ten days have been some of the most amazing of my surfing life. The Solomon Islands has thrown an entirely new angle into what is possible from a surf trip. We travel to find waves and occasionally, if you are willing to get a little sticky you can find so much more. Our guide Tony has been amazing. His knowledge of these islands is outstanding and his integration with the local people is 100%. For the intrepid traveller wanting to discover these parts alone it would be possible, but extremely difficult. Going with Tony ensured that the local villages benefit from visiting surfers and the visitors get to surf the best waves… Crowd numbers here are non-existent and will probably stay that way for a long time as you have to be willing to give up a few luxuries that other destinations can offer. The waves here can be perfect and there are so many breaks to choose from. But the best thing on offer here is the true experience of being invited into a pacific island village, even if it is only for a few days the place really is paradise. The only thing I can say that really puts the trip into perspective is that I would do it again tomorrow! In fact I have already started talking about booking again next year, want to come?… Thanks to ‘The Perfect Wave’ team and ‘Surf Solomon’s’ for making the trip possible. Thanks to the crew that came – there were a lot of laughs along the way…
Tim (December 2009)
Wow, where to begin? the adventure provided by Tony and Jon is one of the most memorable surfing trips I've ever had. It not often surfing trips enable you to immerse yourself in such an amazing culture. Though the waves do not quite rival that of indo they are perfect and pack a punch, but the best thing about the surfing is you are guaranteed not to see another surfer in the line up other then the guys you are on the trip with. This trip is for all those surfers out there looking to get off the beating track and gain an amazing experience. Would I go back? Absolutely!
Chris (January 2010)
I wanted to thank you and Steve... what an unbelievable experience I have had!! Whilst we scored such fun waves in world class surf, it was the way you run your operation and the people involved that made the trip. Joyce is amazing – she really seems to understand exactly what we would like and it made things so relaxing. Jack was a character – his organization getting me back to Honiara was perfect. Steve did a superb job ensuring everything continued on smoothly. My ability certainly didn’t do justice to the seemingly endless potential of the North Malaita region. Steve and I surfed The Mountain one afternoon and scored perfect little 2’ – 3’ lefts – just the two of us out... it was a special session as we had expected it to be too small to surf. Yesterday we had a great session at Charlie’s (both the right and the left) with all the boys getting a few crackers. In the afternoon, we surfed Fou-Fou (on the right) for my last surf... and again all the boys were into it getting some of the more solid waves we had seen! It was a great crew and I was really sorry to say goodbye.
Kieren (January 2010)
I was completely blown away with the trip! The people and surf are amazing along with every aspect of the trip. To be honest I didn't really know what to expect before I left so I decided to approach the trip with no expectations and just flow and I couldn't have imagined a more memorable time. I feel the work that you and Steve are doing there is very honorable which is rare these days.
Henry (January 2009)
'Highlight: not seeing a single other tourist for the two weeks we were there. The locals treat you like royalty and could not be friendlier. I'd imagine a similar experience would have been Indonesia 30 years ago. Tony gave us great insights into the fascinating cultural, political and social histories of each area we stayed. The best travel experience that I have had - and that is before mentioning the waves!' Henry Berresford, Jersey, U.K.
Rich (January 2009)
'Fantastic trip, everything I could have asked for and more! Surfed 6 different waves over a two week period all to ourselves. Waves ranged from playful to boardbreaking. The village stays were an amazing experience meeting so many friendly locals and sharing the Solomons culture. Great cooking from Cynthia and thanks to Tony for making the trip run so smoothly considering no tourists ever come to Malaita!' Rich, Jersey, C.I., U.K.
New Zealand is a real surfers paradise with a huge coastline to explore offering numerous secret spots, and vast areas of wilderness where you’ll find beaches with nobody else in the water. The surfing near the main urban areas and the more famous spots such as Raglan and Piha can have crowds. New Zealand has two very different coastlines the West Coast and East Coast, each having their own different characteristics. The West is reputed to be rough and wild, the East calmer and more picturesque, however Piha can produce pristine clean surf and Gisborne is renowned for powerful heavy waves.
New Zealand has quality surf year round, however, there is a large difference between the seasons. During the summer months New Zealand experiences calmer conditions with predominant north easterly weather creating consistent north-east swell for the north-east coast and smaller offshore clean conditions for the west coast. Between the months of December through April, New Zealand also receives tropical storms from the Pacific producing epic cyclone swell lighting up many areas that lay dormant for the majority of the year. Winter is a different proposition alltogether, where huge southerly storms in Antarctica produce large long period ground swells that wrap into protected points and reefs along both east and west coasts.
All of the New Zealand Surfing Adventures are 100% customised to the clients' wants that determine the type of waves and amount of travel involved. Ultimately, the direction of the surf trip is governed by the weather and the swell.
Base camp is at Piha Beach 50 minutes from Auckland International airport situated a 5-minute walk to one of the most consistent beach breaks in the world. The Piha eco-surf lodge is a refurbished simple but clean house with several sleep-outs situated in a pristine natural bush setting. Bedrooms and sleep-outs have shared bathrooms with hot water.
Shared kitchen and lounge area has cable TV and DVD as well as WI-FI internet. You can cruise down to the large garden pick some vegetables for the salad, get the organic chicken eggs and stroll backup to the lodge listening to the sound of beautiful native bird song. All other accommodation options booked in advance will be of high quality. There will be several exceptions due to remote locations of some of the surf breaks, in this situation your guides will always try for the best option. In remote areas one or two days may be spent in tents due to the geographic isolation, however all arrangements will be made to ensure you have a comfortable and pleasant sleep.
Food
There is no set menu on the surf adventures and the food is generally customised to the clients wishes. They try and keep meals comprised of fresh naturally grown produce full of both carbohydrates and protein to get you through a massive day of surfing.
Surf Breaks
North Island
Far North
The winterless north as it’s more commonly known is the ultimate surf destination offering New Zealand’s warmest and most humid climate, where boardshorts caneasily be worn throughout the summer months. With the east and west coasts being only 15 minutes apart, you double your chances of scoring waves. If the Pacific coast is flat and onshore, jump in the truck and no doubt there will be offshore waves on the Tasman coast.
Piha beach
A 50-minute drive from Auckland international airport is Auckland's west coast, a beautiful rugged coastline that offers consistent quality and often very hollow beach breaks. Winter brings constant south west storms that can last for a week, while summer offers smaller cleaner offshore conditions.
Raglan
Is a sleepy coastal town home to three excellent left hand point break that peel mechanically over volcanic reef and boulders. Raglan is remarkably consistent with a large headland allowing large southwest swells to wrap 90 degrees and is offshore in the prevailing south westerly winds.
Gisborne
New Zealands most famous surfing destination, home to high quality powerful hollow waves. Gisborne is extremely consistent coping the full brunt of both southerly, easterly and northerly swells. Due to its remote location and relaxed atmosphere there is opportunity to score pumping waves with only a few local crew out. Gisborne is a great launching point for your surf adventure being the gateway to both the isolated Eastcape and fabled Mahia.
Taranaki
Taranaki is one of New Zealand’s better known surf spots due to its consistency and large range of breaks including reefs, bars, points and beachies. Taranaki has a swell window of almost 180 degrees so there is always a chance of finding somewhere uncrowded that’s pumping and offshore.
South Island
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is famous for its whale watching, spectacular snow capped mountains and epic right-hand point breaks. Kaikoura’s waves are intensified by deep ocean trenches and tidal upwellings. The majority of the surf breaks are located in a small geographic area and features its own micro climate in winter where mountains funnel down light offshore winds creating amazing glassy conditions uncommon in New Zealand. The water here can get cold so be sure to have a quality steamer and all the rubber accessories.
Dunedin
Dunedin is one of New Zealand’s finest areas for surfing and one of the least populated. Home to an amazing range of beaches, bars, points and reefs, if you’re keen to adventure there’s definitely something for everyone. Here marine life and cold temperatures add another dimension to your surf with snow often down to the water line and abundant seals, dolphins and the occasional shark. Be prepared to wear a lot of rubber as Dunedin gets cold but the reward is tenfold.
