Ready to TAKE-OFF?: Trip to Namotu island

Namotu Island

Namotu Lefts

To visit Fiji was never a plan for me. The archipelago is located in the other side of the World from my home land Norway. When my wife brought the idea to visit New Zealand, which I promptly accepted because of the famous surf spot Raglan, one thought stroke my mind. Wait a minute! NZ can't be far from Fiji! Immediately, I checked a flight search tool on internet (momondo) and a smile came to my face. It was only 3h from Auckland to Fiji in a direct flight. I told my wife about this and she replied to me that we could take one of the weekends overthere. I spent time trying to convincing her to join me for a week, but this was not her plan. She would be training hard at NZ and relax was not an option, and she does not surf at all. We agreed to spend the 1st two weeks together at Auckland and on the 3rd week, I was going to head to Fiji with only my boards and without winter clothes. In the end, the set up was perfect, because the surf on july at NZ requires a wetsuit and this improved my shape considerably. Stories about the kiwi part of the trip will be written on another post.

Just after our vacation agreement was done, I started to look for a place at Tavarua surf resort. It is not possible to book directly with the hotel, so you have to go via surf travel agents. I contacted my friends at Surf Travel Brazil and Island Holidays from NZ. The answer came 1st from NZ and there was an open spot at the island (47 places taken already), and we were at March by the time. I filled up the credit card papers and sent the day after. The reply came on the next day with bad news. Tavarua was fully booked. A suggestion to book at NAMOTU came along, and after I checked the internet site, I said yes, go ahead. Since 3/4 years ago, Tavarua resort lost the exclusivity for its guests to surf Cloudbreak and Restaurants, so anybody with a boat have access to these waves today. I was surprised about how close Namotu was from Tavarua. My feeling was that I was going to a second class resort, compared to Tavarua, but this was not true!In June came the Fiji Volcom Pro Surf (World Tour) with all the best surfers in the world competing at Fiji. Surfers were living both at Namotu and Tavarua. The web casting showed how good were these 2 worlds class waves (Cloudbreak & Restaurants) and how big and dangerous Fiji can be. The swell came so big, that the competition had to be cancelled for one day, because it would put the life of the best surfers in the world in danger. What the hell would a simple mortal like me do overthere? Huge waves were ridden by the "big riders".During my stay at NZ, often I was awake in the middle of the night thinking about Cloudbreak. A signal maybe?Finally the July 21st came. Five o'clock in the morning I was waiting for my taxi with a surf pack and a backpack as hand luggage. Never travelled so light before. All possible electronic equipments, shorts and all the stuff gear (except wetsuit). Thanks to New Zealand airlines for not charging any extra for my surfboards! Some of the north americans had to pay $150 per board! Wow! This should be a crime. Well, just after 10:00 AM I was landing at Nadi, capital of Fiji, located in the main island, one of the 360 islands of Fiji. Very easy immigration and customs. One of the best decisions of this trip was done at the airport. I bought a local SIM card to use on my mobile. International calls had a $1 per minute charge! Close to 10% of what would cost to use my norwegian mobile...while I was at vodafone shop, came the guy from Namotu resort. He picked up my boards and put into the van. I asked many questions about hotel, Cloudbreak, Pro's and off-course the brazilians. Gabriel Medina made big fans there, Miguel Pupo too. All the australian surfers stayed at Namotu during Volcom, because Scotty (the owner) is from Australia. While Kelly Slater and the americans always stay at Tavarua for the same reason. All the brazilians stayed at Tavarua, except Medina. His sponsor Rip Curl has an agreement with Namotu. By the way, Kelly never pays to stay at Tavarua and he stays at the owner house! The resort is paid by all the marketing around his trips to Fiji, which always go to any surf media in the world. Everybody loves Kelly there and he feel at home. He's been there for around 20 years. Not a surprise that he won the contest and $75,000 cash in a final against Medina. His tips to the Fijians was generous as always ($10,000). All Namotu staff was cheering for Medina. His surf skills made everybody chocked, including Scotty the resort Owner (he told me he's seen with his own eyes Medina throwing 5 different air manoeuvres at Cloudbreak 3-5 foot). After 40 min of good stories, we came close to sea. There was no pier. I had to take off my shoes (not used for the whole week) and put my flippers, because it was necessary to walk through reef during approx 20 m at very shallow water. I could feel the sun burning and the boat ride took 20 minutes only. I was wearing long sleeves t-shirt looking very weird at that weather conditions. Very likely these gringos very afraid of the sun grabbing always a bottle of water? Actually the resort manager told me to not walk with that t-shirt, because people would think I was crazy! Hahaha! My board was taken directly to my "VIP room" and I went for check-in. Instructions were given: you can surf anywhere you want, anytime, as much as you can. There will always be a boat out there while someone is surfing due to safety. If someone gets hurt, all surfers have to go back onboard the boat and head back to the resort to drop the unlucky, and head back to surfing again. Surf guides and chefs do not get paid by the hotel, so you tip if you like their service. There is a box for tiping to all the rest of the staff. Then came the scary remark: sea snakes can come to shore during night, especially at shower/toilets looking for hot water. Always switch on the lights before you enter the toilet during night. If you let them alone nothing will happen. If you meet them at the sea, they will only come to check on you and after swim their way out. How nice was to hear that!The "VIP room" had 6 beds and there was more 4 guys sharing the room with me: 3 north americans (Mike, Mike and Mike) and 1 hawaiian (Dante). I was lucky to meet these guys, very good persons. All Mikes and myself quickly stablished a team.After a lunch alone, I was staring at the sea and Pete (the chef) was going to surf with his girlfriend at Swimming pools: a righthander which was very small this day (knee high), Atmosphere was good and everybody from Namotu was there. Families (father, mother, son, daughter), longboard, SUP, etc. My 6'3" was my only choice and was not working at all. After 30 minutes I gave up.Swell models were notifying a big swell coming on tuesday (7'-9'). Cloudbreak would be on fire! Everybody talking about the swell...¨While waiting for the swell, we had to enjoy the excelent food at Namotu. Pete was a very famous chef from Australia. I was chocked to see laying at the bar table 5 different books about cooking, very well printed, hard cover, etc. One meal was better than the other. You got pay attention to the quantity of food you eat, otherwise you'll be sleeping after, not surfing! Hard task though.Sunday morning before sunrise 80% of the resort was already awake, having a cup of coffee/Tea, cereal, fruits. Here is one of the nice things at Namotu, much better than Maldives, Reunion, and much like life in a boat at Mentawais: if you go surfing, you can order your how breakfast and eat properly after the session! Omelets, eggs, french toasts, beacon, ham, sandwiches, whatever you want, they can make ready for you. During the 2nd day at the hotel, mostly all the staff was calling me by my name! So nice. Another day I decided to go surfing instead of join the lunch. There was only 2 persons out surfing and the waves were pumping. I got so much waves that I was exhausted and went back. For my surprise, the staff made a separate lunch plate for me, because they noticed I was not there. I haven't ordered! Unbelievable! How nice is this, tell me?Back to sunday morning, we voted to go and have a check at Cloudbreak (15 min by boat). It was very clean and chest/head high waves. People was spread in the line-up on 3 different take off zones. I was the 1st to get a wave. How good is this wave! It was high tide and there was absolutely no problem with depth. Actually, "Clouddys" is one of the few breaks around that we average surfer can surf at low tide. The conditions can be small, but almost everybody was kind of afraid when we jumped out the boat. It is Cloudbreak and you gotta respect!!! We surfed from 7h to 9h and went back for breakfast. After breakfast, we had a quick session at Namotu lefts, which was chest high. Pretty fun wave. After lunch, the wind picked up and the spots around were not tempting. The guides were not recommending Namotu lefts, but I could see some very much acceptable waves coming through. When the watch was pointing to 04:00 PM I made a call and decided to go surfing at the lefts. Little Mike and Jason (San Francisco) followed me. After less than 5 paddlings, I've lost my ring. The Atlantis ring that I bought at Szfat/Israel. My lucky ring. Thanks to the fucking sunscreen that was left on my hand. I started to be afraid about losing the other ring, the wedding one. Than my first wave came. Unbelievable! Chest high and I surfed about 200 yards (acc to Mike's father). It was so perfect. One of the longest rides of my life. No doubt. I came back with a smile that couldn't be bigger. Long paddling back to the line-up. I understood that my ring was the advance payment...and it came back to Atlantis, anyway. All of us three rided many good waves. I told the guys that I would apply for a surf guide here...hahaha. I was in ecstasy, saying to myself, Hei Namotu lefts, we were the guys that came here to say hello to you, so you have to reward us when the swell comes, OK? :-)

I'm not going to write about everyday's menu but I have to mention the steak from sunday. Delicious! What a sauce. The lamb soup was also very good. I ate so much that I had problems to fall asleep this day. We had a famous chef cooking for us and this was epic!The wind was still blowing on monday morning, not very hard, but enough to mess the Lefts. We all went to Wilkes (righthander). When we went surfing was sets head-high, but we could feel the swell coming in during the day. Some bigger sets came. The wave was kind of bumpy and the strong offshore at take off was hard to face. The session was not so bad. Before the sunset, we surfed at Namotu Lefts. This was the 1st day I got really "surfed-out". I've used all my energy. Nothing left. What a day!The famous tuesday came and the swell has been noticed from our deck.I was the only one choosing to go to Cloudbreak and have a look. Domma, the surf guide came with me. There was a very light wind. Just after the boat came to Clouddys, a solid 8' set of waves came and washed everybody away. Scary, I tell you. The 1st ridden wave was not so nice. The guy falled during take off with the lip, head first (diving). This wave is the type you have to really go for it. No hesitation. It requires speed and quick take off. You can't just turn the board and go like we do sometimes. He was held at the inside for more than 15 minutes. Then came one guy and set the rail into the barrel, but he did not make it. actually, waves were not perfect this day. The 3rd one broke his board...my heartbeat was around 140-150 BPM. Not feeling comfortable. I haven't surfed with my 6'6" and to try 1st there did not seen to be a clever choice.The surf guide suggested me to go back to the Lefts, perhaps trying to comfort me...hehehe. He said he'll be the 1st to tell me to surf if it was good. Anyway, I felt much better after we left. Namotu Lefts was 4-6'. Surf book guides describe this wave as much more forgiven than Cloudbreak. I was so comfortable there after watching Clouddys...you have no idea! Everybody wanted to know how was there.

It was a good experience to see the power of it. No doubt. For sure, it was beyond my limits. Nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, this was the best surfing day at the lefts. Got many long rides and many set waves. Waves were just perfect, clean and beautiful. The 6'6" was feeling good. After 2 h sessions I went in for breakfast. It did not take me much time to come back at the water. Some good size sets were coming. On my first wave there was a SUP paddling from the shoulder coming in, and he went off after I yelled. Same guy was doing this on my 2nd wave but this time he stopped rowing when I yelled again. Few waves after, came this nice fellow one more time on my wave. This time I told him to continue on the wave and I was surfing closed to the whitewash. I'm not a big fun of SUP and this one was not behaving very well. He was catching all the waves he could from further out and every single set coming had a wave surfed by him. I started to feel sick. I shared my plan with the resort buddies: I go out there in front of him and stop him, then you guys can surf. After that, we shift places. However, I went for the plan A, asking the guy politely: "waves are good, yeah? Are you having fun? Maybe you should also respect us as well, so we can also catch some set waves". He replied back that it was more difficult for him to ride the SUP and he asked if I wanted to change. By respecting his seniority I did not reply what was on my mind (that I would rather prefer to quit surfing, or that I was not retired yet). I said it was not only about me, it was all surfers in the line-up, and he should queue up, getting into line. He calmed down. The americans and hawaiians loved that and they couldn't believe what they heard. A brazilian putting order in the line-up, asking for respect the others?!?! This was fun. The words at the resort spread fast. After a while, the belgium SUP came closer and asked me if it was OK for him to ride a wave now. Sure, said I. Minutes after came Scotty with his yellow SUP. He paddled 15 meters further out than anybody and stay there. After 5 minutes, came the biggest wave of the day, no doubt. Solid +6' foot. He was at the right time at the right place. The connection with the sea was incredible. They know each other for 14 years.

The resort owner got some bombs and left the water after 40 minutes. It was lunch time, and the remaining guys out were Matt (AUS). the belgium SUP and myself. We set up priorities 1, 2 and 3 and shared all waves. Epic! Then the SUP left...Matt as well...then came an english man. By that time I was done. Lunch time! This was the day my lunch plate was waiting for me without an order/request. When I started to eat, all the guys came with boards, heading out to Restaurants, the perfect left in front of Tavarua. I couldn't believe. I wanted so bad to surf that one, but I had no power. The boat left and I promised to join them within 1h. I left half of my food in the plate and went into the reception asking for immediate massage. She checked the bookings and it was available! Lucky me. I told the big fijian lady that I wanted to be ready for surf within 1h, and she guaranteed me that this would happen. Very strong fingers and hands went through my back, neck and shoulders. It felt so good. Very tense muscles/nerves. Very well invested money! $40 for half hour. I recommended her for everybody.

Paradise is beautiful even without sun!

If you like fishing, here is the place!

Judges Tower in the back @cloudbreak

The real Cloudbreak

Surveying the sea bottom

Jacuzzi + Fiji Bitter beer

Not easy for a 36 years old man to keep up with 3 surf sessions a day. It was allowed to "cheat", in order to follow the youngsters...hehehe. Few days later, Mike father was in the room for about 15 minutes, when the lady screamed high, jumped and left the room: "watch out for the snake on the floor"!!!! She was about 150 cm, black & white, moving very slowly (luckily). Then started some noise on the restaurant where I was in the afternoon. Suddenly, Steve from Maui (50+) went in there and caught the snake by the tail with open arms...and walked calmly to through her back to the sea. His son (18) was chocked! My father is crazy! Are you alive, Daddy? Steve has been visiting the island for many years and he knew what he was doing. Nice guy...with his longboard, always with a cocktail on his hand. Life is good. The lady promised Mike father to finish the massage day after.Tuesday night came a storm. Very strong rain. Thunders! Lightning's! Strong winds. Everything that we did not want. Wednesday was cold in the paradise. Time for long sleeves and hoods. Lay day. Competition was called off due to strong winds (contest director would say). I tried very hard to find something out there to go surfing. Just thinking about how windy and bumpy the waves can be back home, in order to get some motivation. There was no way. All kite surfers were in the water. John was out in the left with his kite and surfboard riding all waves, going easily back out there just using the wind. It looked so cool! I envied him this day. All his family at the deck, both kids doing summer homework and the daddy out there like a kid. Amazing! His family has a sky shop at Aspen. He says during carnaval, around 20,000 brazilians visit there every year. They had a brazilian living with them earlier at Hawaii and it was him that started to teach surf to Darreen and the little boy. Amazing to see these kids surfing, fearless. She's 14 and he is 12. The mother surfs in a longboard too when it's small, or sit in the boat watching her kids (protective mamma). She look after her kids asking if they took care of the reef wounds....I told her I'd like to have my mother surfing with me and taking care of my reef cuts! What a nice family!Namotu is a place not only for surfers. Differently than Tavarua (rumours says), there is no sharp reef around the island, and you can swim in the sea, or do some snorkling. That is why some kite surfers also go there. In a way is good, because the line-up gets less crowded. However, if 30% of the people is "praying" for wind, it attracts, no doubt! Activities during day was beer by the pool and some snorkeling in front of the deck. It was amazing to see the sea life. Lots of nice fishes, corals, reefs. The current was strong due to the tide shift and the tide was becoming very low, so I had to watch out for my knees, in order to avoid reef cuts. It was the 1st time I used my new Olympus waterproof camera and the results were pretty acceptable and good. The day finished at the jacuzzi. Lots of Fiji Gold beers! Thursday morning had slightly better conditions wind wise. Swell was still there. Good sessions at Namotu lefts. Some of the guys left to swimming pools, but they came back after 30 minutes, complaining about the conditions. I wouldn't change for 100 bucks the funny and good size waves from the lefts to swimming pools...afternoon session at the Lefts. By night, we had a typical fijian night with songs and cavas (drink made with local herbs). It has very little alcohol level and gives a very relaxing mood. We seated in a big circle on the ground over the carpet. Some of the fijians were playing local songs, one was mixing the cava big bowl and the other was serving the guests. You just have to decide: high tide (full bowl) or low tide (half bowl). I drunk several high tide cava bowls. More than 15, I reckon.

Cava time!

Dinner included Ceviche, which was delicious. No need to say that I slept like a baby. Luckily before bed I took some sugar dose (Coca-Cola) and lots of water. My head was not so bad the morning after, specially because Friday morning we surfed Cloudbreak. It was not so big, little windy, wave sets with max 6'. Weather was overcast making the session little scary. I´ve got some waves and good pictures. Glenn Duffus was shooting from the boat. Mike Mccaffrey got some good barrels. Afternoon session was at the left. It was our last full surfing day and everybody was feeling kind of sad. After dinner, the usual facetime with my wife and daughter, and drunk some Namotu Slammers drink (vodka, rum, malibu, pineapple juice). Some pictures with "da boys" were taken. I bought the pictures package taken by the island photographer Glenn Duffus for $300. Saturday morning I was the 1st to wake up. The lefts was small and the guides convinced me to go for Cloudbreaks. The sunrise was magic. Beautiful boat trip to the spot. I was the 1st to jump in the water. Size was over 6' in the sets, I thought. Just after I reached the line-up, a set came. The three guys left the 1st wave passed by and I decided to go at last minute. I saw I was under the lip already and hesitated to take off, pulling back the board. Bad movement. Bad decision. The wave did not let me go and I was sucked over the falls. A big free fall and good time under the water. My board was broken. I've got the 2nd one in the head, and after that I released my leash and let my board go, so I had nothing to pull me back. The 3rd wave was easy to go through diving deep. The guides asked me if I was OK and offered me their boards to go back to boat. I thanked them but I did swim by myself without problems. That was it. 15 minutes sessions, a broken board, and I was back in the boat. Feeling terrible because I did let the wave go. I was lucky to went through this without hurting myself. One of the guides went close to the judges structure to recover my board. He was walking on dry reef. Unbelievable. Thanks to him I've got my new set of fins back and my leash as well. My other boards were already packed so I called off the surf. Breakfast subject in the conversation was my wave and the broken board. One of the guides saw all action from the boat and couldn´t believe on what he was seen it. He saw me flying with the lip twice from a VIP viewpoint. He said the wave was close to 8'. Yes, I felt the power of Cloudbreak. It should have been better to fall on take off. Story would sound much better. Now I'm stronger. Good. Time to check-out and collect the backpack. The boards were collected by hotel staff. Guests had to leave the island by 10:00 AM boat. The lucky one that stayed for a week more were waving to us from the beach. The journey back home was extremely long. I met my family back in Auckland. My luggage tags were stating: Auckland-Singapore-London-Oslo-Ålesund. The dream is over.