Meet Elise. She is one of our awesome MI OLA brand ambassadors. A couple of years ago she followed her heart and now lives in Moorea, French Polynesia. Her daily activities include surfing beautiful reef breaks with crystal clear water and under water training with sharks. How about that for #gettingoutthere?!

Given that Elise lives and surfs waves that we only dream of, we asked her to provide us with some local knowledge of surf in Moorea just in case Santa decides to gift us with a surf trip…

Moore Surf Guide by Elise (@babeinthewaves)

My surf story is quite unusual. I am a mountain girl; I grew up in the French Alps where I learned to ski and snowboard at a very young age. So how did this mountain girl end up in Polynesia surfing every day?

It’s the love story of my life. I met my true love, a crazy adventurer and wave lover, and it changed my life. By following him in his crazy adventures around the world, I learned to surf in the Canary Islands and then our trip to Indonesia sealed the deal. We spent two months surfing every day and I became addicted to surfing. As a result of that trip we decided to stay here in Tahiti, to never miss waves, coconuts or the sun!

Location:

Surf in Polynesia is very important, it is part of the culture and lifestyle. Polynesians have been surfing for a very long time. The earliest references about surfing are from the 15th century and were found in the notebooks of James Cook during his explorations of Tahiti and the Islands. At this time, men and women were surfing together, naked in the waves, but with the arrival of Missionaries and religion, it was considered obscene by the missionaries and was forbidden. In the 20th century surfing reappeared by the influence of the Hawaiians, practiced mostly by men. For women, because of religion, it was more difficult to return to the water.

Polynesians prefer powerful and big barreled waves. One of the most famous and best breaks in the world is Teahupoo. But I prefer to talk about other waves, so that you can discover less crowded and more accessible surf spots on my little island of Moorea.

Moorea, Tahiti’s sister island, is a beautiful island with white sandy beaches and stunning bays and is known for its sublime and breathtaking landscapes. For example, Cook’s Bay is frequently used in many movies, such as the Bounty. Moorea has a lot of high quality reef breaks. They are famous for their power, perfect waves and very aggressive and very shallow reefs. To surf them, the best way is guided by a local who will explain the spot. Also, if you have never surfed a reef break, Moorea spots are not the best ones to begin. There are often strong currents and it’s very shallow. For a first experience on a reef, I don’t recommend it. I never wear water shoes, but if you are sensitive to cuts and scrapes to the feet, you should wear a pair.

If you come for a surf trip to Moorea, make sure to bring EVERYTHING you need! There are no surf shops, no board rentals, no surf schools. You will be able to find a leash, deck pad, or wax at the gas station, but everything is expensive on this small island and Tahiti is 40 minutes by ferry boat.

Where to surf:

Surfing in Moorea is a privilege and an amazing experience. The view from the peak to the mountains is magical and the lighting is breathtaking. When you look down under your feet there are beautiful, colorful fish….and don’t be afraid to share your wave with a back tip or lemon shark!

Club Med Left, North shore: This is my home-spot and most accessible. It is a nice long left wave, with a first tubular bowl and two others bowls perfect for rollers and tricks. It works perfectly with north, northwest and east wind swell. If the swell is too big, beyond 2m, the pass is saturated. At the end of the wave, there is no longer water and you’re on the reef.

Best period: November to March.

How to go to the peak: taxiboat (Hotel Intercontinental Moorea Exp’Air Kite and SUP school), about $15 roundtrip.

Club Med Right, North shore: Only a few locals challenge this beautiful fast and powerful right. You must get it right as it breaks on a sharp reef with rocks popping out of the water. It is fast, hollow and tubular; this right is shorter and more intense than its left twin. Barrel lovers only! Works perfectly with north, northwest and east wind swell.

Best period: November to March.

How to go to the peak: taxiboat (Hotel Intercontinental Moorea Exp’Air Kite and SUP school), about $15 roundtrip.

Haapiti, West coast: Haapiti is a world class and famous wave, a perfect left. Bethany Hamilton came here to shoot for her new movie, #surfslikeagirl. This wave is changing all the time. It is never the same, depending on the swell and its orientation, which changes it radically. You can see it very fast with big barrels with a South West swell, and with South or South East swell you can see a perfect, long wave ideal for rollers and tricks. Haapiti is less shallow than the others but be careful because the reef is very aggressive and waves are very punchy.

Best period: April to October

How to go to the peak: taxiboat (Hotel Intercontinental Moorea Exp’Air Kite and SUP school), about $30 roundtrip or taxiboat (Surf B & B Haapiti)

Temae, South East coast: Temae is a beautiful powerful and technical right, one of the rare on the island. It works very rarely (by SE swell) and requires a very good technical level of surf and much experience. It breaks on a very shallow reef. Many surfers are scared by this one because of several accidents, but it is also very prized for its rarity and radicalism. The positive thing of this break is that it breaks on the shore. Negative thing? It is very hard launching between rocks and sea urchins!

How to go to the peak: Go to the Temae golf course, search the beach and look for it breaking!

I have spoken only of radical Reef breaks, best for only for advanced or experts surfers. However there are also the Beach breaks of the North shore of Tahiti, where I trained a lot when I arrived in French Polynesia.

Ahonu: A fast, barreling Beach Break, mostly surfed by teens and bodyboarders for its fast and hollow waves. Works very well with north swell from November to March. Small waves to play all the rest of the year, but exposed to the wind. Very crowded on the weekend. Black sand beach!

Orofara: A Beach break with slower and softer waves that is mostly surfed by SUPers or longboarders. It works very well with north swell from November to March. There are small waves to play in all the rest of the year, but exposed to the wind. Very crowded on the weekend. Black sand and rocks!

Papenoo: A high quality Beach break, perfect with north swell from November to March. It is very crowded on the weekend and is the place for local contests. Rocks!

There are other surf spots on the island but most of them are secret and are finicky, so to find them you have to be patient, curious and you have to talk with local guys.

Crowd Factor:

Tahitians are generally very friendly and if you respect them there will be no issue. Be careful and don’t go inside to the peak first. If you respect the locals, you will catch more waves! Don’t paddle on another surfer’s waves and always look inside before catching a wave! We salute the locals by saying “Ia Orana”, when we get to a break. It is definitely nice to speak the language, and make a small Shaka Love as a peace sign. There also are no-to-very few female surfers. If you’re a girl and a good surfer, locals might let you some waves and encourage you; the Polynesians are little charmers.

Other activities:

You can still enjoy Tahitian shows of traditional dances and songs, mostly organized by the hotels. The best shows are on the place of Tiki Village (traditional Polynesian reconstructed village), with the best company of Moorea, where you will have a unique and amazing evening in the tradition of Polynesian songs and dances. Don’t miss it!

Moorea offers a multitude of exceptional activities. Stand Up Paddle in the lagoon with rays and sharks, dives with whales and dolphins, treks inside the island to see waterfalls. Any nature lover will love the wide variety of fauna and flora.

In Moorea you can also kite board on the North shore lagoon (Wind season from May to October). Check out Hotel Intercontinental Moorea Exp’Air Kite and SUP school.

Nights in Moorea are very quiet and if you like clubbing or drinking, dont expect to find it here . Moorea is not Ibiza; we live with the sun: we get up early and go to bed early.

How to get there/where to stay:

The easiest way to come is to fly to Papeete or Moorea (there is a small airport). A ferry shuttles between Papeete and Moorea every day, several times per day. The best is to land in Papeete to enjoy its famous market and discover the beautiful gardens of Paofai, and then take the ferry to Moorea. You will need to rent a car or a scooter to enjoy the Island.

The flight ticket to Tahiti is expensive, but once there, the inner-island tickets are affordable and it’s an opportunity to visit small atolls and motus. Who hasn’t ever dreamed about the Tuamotu Islands, to surf secrets spots and the make the most of beautiful diving?!

For accommodation, I prefer guesthouses and homestays, which are much more affordable and local than hotels or resorts. It’s a good way to meet the local people and enjoy the legendary Polynesian kindness and hospitality. You can find good places on this website: www.tahiti-pensions.com

Apres Surf:

We say “Le Ma’a”, or eat local! Local specialties include raw fish with coconut milk - an unmistakable traditional dish, grilled mahi-mahi and Ma’a Tahiti (Pua roti, Taro, Sweet Potatoes, Fafalu)…you have to try and taste it!

Some food trucks and snacks worth savoring: Chez Fred or Snack Mahana.

Pizzas, burgers and other junk food are also very easy to find, but it is not where you eat the best.

You can buy some of the best fruits and vegetables on the roadside. Many merchants offer delicious fruits of quality, for example pineapple, emblematic and sacred fruit of Moorea (there is even a Pineapple Road). You can also find good fish, white tuna, red tuna, mahi-mahi, swordfish …. on the edge of the road that’s where it is the freshest and cheapest!