There's usually good wind on Raiatea & Tahaa...

Like all Islands in French Polynesia, Raiatea & Tahaa are a water lovers paradise!

These two Islands are surrounded by a pristine tropical ocean and share a wonderful lagoon in which a great many watersports are available for your enjoyment.

Is it any wonder that many of Tahiti- Polynesia's travelers come specifically for vacations with the warm and clear waters of the South Seas on their minds?

World class scuba diving, snorkeling, and sailing are the most popular on Raiatea, but there are numerous other watery activities also available for your pleasure. Surf, swim, try out a waverunner, or see what kiteboarding is all about.

This is your WATERSPORTS guide to Raiatea and Tahaa!...

TST makes choosing your favorite island activity easy! If you want MORE choices, simply check out our other "To Do" pages: ISLAND FUN, ADVENTURES, RELAXATION, RECREATION & GAMES, or SHOPPING, EATING & SERVICES.

Want more? Be sure and explore our "WHAT TO SEE" section for more sightseeing and exploring ideas, touring, island attractions, and other interesting things to see and do!

Scuba Diving

Perhaps the most well known activity our "Polynesian sisters" are famous for (besides sailing), is the world class Scubadiving.

Their shared lagoon, as are the outer reefs, packed with an amazing diversity of pacific marine wildlife.

(One can spend hours in the lagoon simply snorkeling around.) There are also a number of fascinating shipwrecks to explore.

To get started, become informed by these local scuba experts as they help you to discover the clear waters and treasures of Raiatea and Tahaa.

On Raiatea:

Hemisphere Sub Plongee
A scuba shop/ outfitter based in Apooiti Marina on the island of Raiatea,
(B.P. 985 Uturoa, Raiatea)
Telephone- (689) 66.12.49, Fax- (689) 66.28.63

Come dive with Raiatea's most experienced Scuba pros! Let us show you the best spots to dive on the island.

We'll explore nearby wrecks, see amazing coral and educate you on the local marine life of our fascinating lagoon.
We'll also dive the fringes of the spectacular deepsea outside the lagoon, where you'll see sharks, rays, and larger species of fish that will amaze you.

Our expert divemasters are certified and capable of teaching many levels of scuba knowledge. Examples include CMAS, BEESS 1st level monitor, etc. Examinations given: BE, CMAS, Autonomous diver.

And another choice:

On Tahaa:

Tahiti Sun Travel recommends

Tahaa Blue Nui

Based out of the Tahaa Private Island & Spa
B.P. 67, Patio 98733 - Tahaa
Telephone- (689) 65.67.78, Fax- (689) 60.84.00
E-MAIL & Reservations

Our full service scubadiving center on Tahaa wants to show you the underwater magic of Tahaa and Raiatea.

We'll explore the wonders of the shared island lagoon as well as the fabulous dives of the outer coral ring where we'll see sharks, turtles, and lots of other amazing undersea life.

The award winning Blue Nui Dive Centers comprises 4 scuba centers in French Polynesia: One on Bora bora, two on the Tuamotu island atolls of Manihi and Tikehau, and this newest center on Tahaa.

The staff is professional, english speaking, and safety minded.

And another choice:

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is quite possibly the overall favorite activity of all visitors arriving to any island of French Polynesia.

This activity is not only relaxing, but also exciting at the same time! Just about every place you can dive, you can also snorkel, but without the burden of scuba equipment. It's a wonderful feeling of freedom!

Raiatea and Tahaa's shared lagoons' waters are excellent for snorkeling because of the amazing combination of clear visibility and generally calm conditions. The waters are crystal clear and warm. The marine life is abundant and interesting.

Simply put, these islands, along with all of the other Society Islands, are a snorkeler's dream.

Just about all the hotels and guesthouses can furnish you with snorkeling gear, but here are a few companies that specialize in snorkeling tours and excursions:

Tahiti Sun Travel recommends

Sunset Beach Motel

PK 2, Apooiti Bay, P.O. Box 397, Uturoa-RAIATEA
Telephone- (689) 66.33.47 Fax- (689) 66.33.08
Contact: Mr. Moana BOUBEE
E-MAIL & Reservations

We have some of the best snorkeling available on Raiatea. Snorkel the clear waters off our dock or only yards away from our comfortable bungalows.

And another choice:

Windsurfing

Most tourists and travelers who have never been to the Tahitian islands tend to believe windsurfing is a really big activity in French Polynesia. Surely, they think, the chrystal blue waters and strong tradewinds would make for world class windsurfing possibilities? Sadly, for all you windsurfing enthusiasts out there, the truth of the matter is it's not as common as you might imagine...

Although some locals on Raiatea and Tahaa are quite active in the sport, you will rarely encounter a place that rents them out to visitors. This is the same story on the other society islands too. The main reasons for this are:

1) All the Tahitian islands have numerous, strong, and unpredictable currents inside their lagoons as well as the open ocean. This includes the giant lagoon nearly surrounding Raiatea and Tahaa!

2) There are a lot of beginners and non-experienced people thinking that windsurfing is easy to do and would be a great way to spend the day...

True enough... BUT- apparently it's the COMBINATION of beginners learning how to ride and the unpredictable currents that make for a recipe most hotels and businesses don't want to deal with. High insurance rates and potential lawsuits make it problematic to the point that it's not worth it. Many hotels and pensions USED to rent boards and sails in their past, but have slowly fazed out windsurfing as a rental activity.

IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WINDSURF, and have your own equipment, don't let any of the above information stop you from bringing your setup... The overall conditions on Raiatea and Tahaa are excellent. Talk to the local pensions or hotels when you arrive to find out the best spots to go for it!

On most days of the week, you'll find locals ripping it up in front of the downtown Uturoa harbor and loving it! Some are quite excellent and willing to give lessons, if you can make friends with them...

Last note on windsurfing: If anybody out there finds a good rental windsurfing place on Raiatea or Tahaa, TST wants to know about it! Please share the knowledge in an email, and we'll publish.

Surfing

Surfing the outer coasts of Raiatea and Tahaa are excellent! After much conferring with the locals on a past trip, the TST network has decided to publish only this general information regarding surfing these islands: As with all other surfing "hotspots" on the Tahitian islands, the best breaks are located at the passes between the lagoon and the open ocean, however, the particulars of these spots are kept as closely guarded secrets by the locals.

The best local surfers on Raiatea are known as "Black shorts" and are true to their sport. They will surf with you only after you have proven yourself to be their friends and loyal to the surf. (This often involves consuming copious amounts of drink at the local bars with them and much banter, handshaking, chest pounding, "surftalking", etc.)

For now, our best advice to the avid surfer looking for surf secrets on Raiatea and Tahaa is to get here and start talking about surfing. Surfing is popular amongst the locals, so hooking up with some "surfy" looking individuals at a local bar or restaurant may be your best bet.

You may also want to adventure into the waters which look most appealing and just give them a try. If you're in the water surfing, and you present yourself in an open, friendly way to any approaching surfer, you will most likely end up making friends. As any experienced surfer will surely understand, that is the only true way to discover the hotspots for these islands.

Sailing

The exceptional sailing in Tahiti Polynesia is legendary. Because of it's sail friendly lagoon, and close relation to Bora bora, Raiatea and Tahaa combined are considered a world class yacht chartering center.

Both islands have many fantastic choices of sailing and boating charters, lagoon excursions, and island discovery packages for just about every sailing or boating activity you can dream of.

The world's largest sailboat charter company, THE MOORINGS, recognized this and established a sailing base on Raiatea many years ago. Since then, Raiatea and Tahaa have become the most important sailing islands in all of French Polynesia.

In fact, there is so much information about the sailing around these two islands that we decided to give it a section of its own. Go to our special SAILING, CHARTER BOAT & MARINE section now for details.

Jetskiing/ Waverunners

A few businesses on the Islands of Raiatea and Tahaa have waverunners and Jetskis available for rental or use them on guided tours of the surrounding Motus. These watercraft are a super fun way of getting around the lagoon and exploring. The guides are experts in the area, playful, knowledgeable, and know where to take you for the funest time.

(If you're staying at a hotel that rents jetskis, it will be difficult to take them out of the lagoon without an accompanying guide, but it may be possible if you can convince them you are capable of handling them correctly and know basic nautical navigational skills).

One company that has waverunners or Jetskis available for rent or guided tours is:

Swimming (Lagoon)

Swimming the lagoon of Raiatea and Tahaa is certainly one of the easiest, cheapest, safest, and most popular activities available to all visitors of all ages. The waters are warm and clear and inviting. Most people simply wander out from the shoreline and get their shorts wet, but if you have access to a boat, you can get closer to the reefs faster for snorkeling opportunities, if you desire.

The one thing that's worth noting about swimming the lagoon is the currents. If you're a big time swimmer and you go for distance, the farther away you get from the shoreline, the more possibility you have of encountering a strong current. Some of these can be VERY strong, so be aware and prepared. Other than the currents, there are no other worries.

There is no shark problem (in fact, no human related swimming shark encounters on record in the history of the lagoon), or other nasty sea creatures (with the exception of the occasional jellyfish), to deal with.

Kiteboarding (Flysurfing)

The most radical new sport to hit French Polynesia in the past 50 years has to be kiteboarding. The french call it Flysurfing. It basically involves being pulled on a board similiar to a surfboard with straps, by a powerful kite.

Riders must master the wind and the techniques of boardriding as they combine the two for incredibly fast and intense rides. Huge air is possible... There are a few riders on Raiatea getting into this sport, as it's popularity increases overall in French Polynesia.

If you already are into kiteboarding and know what's up, definitely bring your board and kites to Raiatea! The winds here are excellent and dependable and there's more than one good spot to go out from shore. The other cool thing is all the other kiteboarders in the world haven't discovered the island yet, so you'll be able to fly without too many other kites around you.

One person that you may see flying around is Moana Boubee of the Sunset Beach Motel. He's a pretty excellent rider and commonly seen nearby the marina when the winds pick up. Sorry, nobody is giving lessons that we know of yet, but if you see Moana you can talk to him about the sport.

For more about this sport, check out our special KiteTahiti website for more info, conditions, etc.

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