Adventure #231

Above: Tahiti's warm, clear water makes for perfect diving conditions all year.
Top Right: Not all the waves in Tahiti are huge- Ask Paige Hareb, New Zealand's top surfer. There are great waves all over Tahiti.
Bottom Right: The wharf to Teahupoo's Bonjouir pension.
The DIVING in Tahiti is amazing, it is not
known for its sponges and coral, say like
Fiji, but it has a reputation for large pelagic
fish, barracuda, sharks, stingrays, manta,
even whales in the correct season. The
water clarity is superb and of course, it’s
warm. Most of the islands offer some
professional scuba experience, surprisingly
some of the more remote islands like
Fakarava offers Professional PADI dive
operators simply because people will travel
the extra distance because the diving is so
good.
Hand in hand with quality scuba diving
is FREEDIVING. With the growth of
freediving worldwide, Tahiti has become
a mecca for freedivers – as mentioned in
the diving section there is a plethora of
pelagic fish in Tahiti, all close to the reef
edge and easily accessible. Spearfishing
is a full-time occupation for many
Tahitians, as fish is the prime source of
portion. So, Tahitians know where all
the best spearfishing places are, where
to go on what tides and in what season
seasons.
SURFING in Tahiti has a world reputation,
but unfortunately to the masses, Tahiti
is only known for Teahupoo the massive
wave on Tahiti-Iti. There are numerous
YouTube clips of Teahupoo and massive
sets rolling in but don’t let this put you
off, there are only a handful of surfers
who feel comfortable in these conditions.
However, there is surf all over Tahiti, the
main island, and the smaller islands. They
are predominantly reef breaks, however,
there are several beach breaks. Some
of the reef breaks are within paddling
distance of the shore, some not. Staying
at a pension is a great way to get into the
local surfing scene, the family will take
you out to the best reef – determine your
ability and put you in the right spot to have
the most fun. If not staying at the pension
it pays to get a surf guide, there are many!
Tahiti is a ‘PADDLE NATION’ on any given
day on any lagoon you will see locals
paddling, mostly va’a (same as our waka
ama) or paddleboards and even sea
kayaks. There are numerous places to
hire from and a lot of the hotels offer free
use of equipment. Some hire places do
offer sea kayaks but it’s not sea kayaking
as we know it in New Zealand, there are
options for sea kayaking excursions on
the other islands. Word to the wise if you
are going to hire a paddleboard, kayak or
a va’a, stay away from the surf and stay
away from the pass in the lagoon (the
gap in the reef). The tide rips out through
these passes, on an outgoing tide and
you would not be able to paddle against
the amount of water heading out to sea,
so where it goes you go!
Not all activities in Tahiti are on or in the
water there are some breathtaking and
historical sites and adventure that lie
inland; Waterfalls, mountain peaks, lush
valleys, and ancient ruins, there is a lot to
be explored, on foot, HIKING.
There are guidebooks available, and
most hotels will have an information desk
you can ask or simply hunt online. But
as always, it’s best to get a guide. A lot
of the tracks are hard to find, some you
need a permit for and some on custom or
private land. Most guides will offer a 4x4
option to get you to the right start point
so that you can get the most out of your
on-foot experience. For a taste of what is
available go to https://tahititourisme.com/
en-us/tahiti-activities/outdoors/hiking-intahiti/
The paradigm that Tahiti is expensive and
for weddings and honeymooners, is a
concept of the past. There are affordable
places to stay, to eat, and to fully
experience what Tahiti and her islands
has to offer.
To see what is available visit
www.tahititourisme.nz/en-nz/
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