Teahupo’o accom.

I haven't been, but there's quite a few listings on AirB&B. Of course, you've gotta sort flights and transfers too.

Great stuff. Look up Simon Thornton, he should be able to sort something out for you.

Seeing how fun and perfect it looked during the elimination round (of the comp earlier this week) got me wondering - does it get crowded when it's small and perfect like that? I know it gets crowded whenever solid, but has anybody holidayed there when small(er)?

I've heard no Jono, even when it's 6-8ft the locals are so picky and only chase it when perfect.. At the size on the comp I'd say you'd almost have it to yourself during the week.

it's surfed more now I've heard Jono but yeah, when small it's often uncrowded, unattended.
locals are very cool as long as you are cool and respectful.

Biggest drawback of the locals is you getting called into waves you want no part of.

Sounds great - imagine scoring a few days of glassy 3-4ft chopes with just some mates and a few mellow locals.

couple of other really fun reef passes there too on small days.

you'll be surprised how heavy 3-4ft Chopes is though.

you're banging that bottom every time on the inside.

I remember thinking this through TF when I went in 09 and I saw rain on the forecast. Thinking, so how is this going to play out, am I going to be knocking on doors in the rain, asking for a bed?
When we turned up, the guy at the restaurant approached us and offered a few places to stay. I’ve still got Alexis email if you want it chase me down. His place was great, you’ll be eating on the water in front of the break. Alexis cooked us the most amazing poisson crue, while we watched small sharks swim metres from us with large Chopes thundering behind. The convenience store that is a 10 minute walk away has all the supplies you’ll need at similar prices to home. $35 a night inc breakfast but I’m sure that’s gone up a bit since then. Ive got no idea if he’s still on the rental program. There was very little English there as well, learn some French!

Thorto put me and my wife up in one of the Billabong huts (two identical houses right in front of the wave). I could hang in the loft watching the wave, waiting for conditions to change, crowds were never a problem, and we ate every meal on the verandah overlooking the lagoon and wave. The wife was pregnant so I ate her entrees (soft cheeses a big no no), rescued her by scarfing all the poisson cru (raw fish also off limits), and wouldn't dare let a drop of the Bordeaux touch her lips.

Some good waves on Moorea, though many are harder to access than Chopes due to  long paddles - except for Temae which breaks on the shore, but is fickle. Make sure you also get over there.

How’d you go at Chopes Stu? Hard wave to surf properly?

Went there twice for, I think, a week each time yet never had a session over five or six foot. At that size it reminded me of solid Aussie Pipe more than anything. Steep takeoff, but not ridiculous, and then a clean lip line and fairly predictable pit, boils in the barrel, and a good chance of contact if you don't make it.

Few times it teased me, showing signs of what happens over six foot. Had a boatload of barrels but never felt like I got it, if you know what I mean.

Gonna go back there soon. The wife is keen 'cos of the reasons above: she wants to make up for all the cheese, fish, and wine she missed out on first time around.

Sounds like a blast. Those smaller ones look so perfect. Actually so do the bigger ones but my balls aren’t that big.
The mountains and water clarity and the whole deal make it look amazing

How did you go with access to waves?

Teahupoo looks like a pretty easy paddle, but what about other spots?

Are boats affordable?

Long paddles, IB. Simple as that. Teahupoo is the easiest of the reef passes. Closer to town, Taapuna is probably a half km paddle, but everything else is longer than that. You can probably get boats but I just paddled everything. That said, you need boats to get to the passes south of Chopes. No way to paddle that distance.

Over on Moorea I surfed a bend in the reef that required a kilometre paddle out to a reef pass, then another kilometre paddle down to the wave. No-one around and no boats so I had to do it solo. Got five or six waves before getting drydocked on the reef, calling the session quits and paddling the kilometre back across the lagoon.

Totally spent at the end of it, but the fun wasn't over 'cos a crab stole the car key I'd stashed and I had to hitchhike back to the other side of the island and tell my wife I was OK - I'd been gone for hours.

Ha'apiti is also about a kilometre paddle so I just planned one really long session each day. The fella who owns the boat access over there was away so I couldn't call on him.

I almost got sucked out through the reef there on a huge day. It's so far away I didn't know how big it was and realised almost too late that it was fucking massive, and with all the water inside the reef sucking out through the lone reef pass I had to work for ages to beat the current that had hold of me like a death ray. Close call, that one.

Boats would help.

Thanks, Stu.

Good to hear about the paddle access. I do a ton of paddling at home, and 1k paddles don't phase me - as long as you don't end up getting sucked out to sea!

They the identical ones on the point?

Killer forecast you've landed amongst. Tell us about that.

Oh be aware that the models are combining a close-range swell with a very long-range long-period swell and over forecasting the size today and tomorrow. Still there should be solid sets pushing through.

Epic, thanks for the updates, keep them coming!

Do you mean that they’re talented or that you aren’t getting a look in ?

Brutal, Indo- local style overrun of the break or friendly exploitation of local advantage ?

Really? Why?

Too hard to get waves now..?