up so the water is still cool when I dive in. I put on my leash and paddle out to the break. The break starts out pretty hollow but then can open up for days. You do need to be careful on the inside, as the reef is pretty sharp. Oh, and depending on the tide, it's only about a foot underwater. I have caught about three rides (each day, my wave quota has gone up exponentially—which is great except that I caught only one wave on the first day). On my fourth ride, I get caught on the inside and the whitewater pulls my board away from me and breaks my leash. So there I am, caught in the inside at Cloudbreak with no board. Great. (Now would be the time to mention that Cloudbreak is located between two islands, miles away from any shoreline.) I wave my arms franticly, the universal sign for trouble, and then start to swim towards my board. I have visions of my board heading out to sea while I am stuck over the sharp reef. Luckily, one of the Fijians on the boats, who normally looks suspiciously asleep, has seen my distress signal and is motoring the boat towards me. As well, another surfer in our group is paddling my way. As luck would have it, the board stays in place and I am able to swim to it. Safely back on my board, but with a broken leash, I reasonably decide it's time to get back on the boat. I watch the other surfers catch some more great rides, then we all head back for breakfast.
The island itself is amazing. It's private, you actually need an invitation to visit (la te da), and it holds around 34 guests. The whole island is only 29 acres (less if the tide is high) and you can walk all the way around and end up where you started in 10 minutes. We stay in burres, which sound rustic, but are totally luxurious, as long as you don't mind geckos and mosquitoes. Ours even has air conditioning. Rick and Jamie, the managers who are here during our stay, are the sweetest, most generous people and have the most beautiful children. The food rocks. Healthy and hearty portions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served
Advertisement
Advertisement