Welcome to the mtv-raro Kiteboarding and Windsurfing action page. If your a kiteboarder or a windsurfer, this page is dedicated to you and provides guidance and advice on board-riding action in the Cook Islands. The owner(and sons) of Muri Tamaariki Villa is an avid kiteboarder (ex-windurfer, ex surfer) and has significant experience kiting the Cooks, Fiji, Tonga, Palau, Lebanon, Israel, Australia and of course Aotearoa (New Zealand). We hope this page inspires you to come and ride the lagoons of Rarotonga and Aitutaki and to experience e beauty, serenity and simplicity this South Pacific paradise has to offer. Come build some memories in Raro!!!!
Destination Cook Islands, Location: Hidden in the Pacific Ocean with Fiji to the west and Tahiti to the East are lie little piece of paradise called the Cook Islands. It is made up of 15 islands spread across over two million square kilometers of the South Pacific. The islands vary from volcanic islands with high interiors and close in reefs, to atolls like Aitutaki with large turquoise Lagoons, long white sandy beaches and bordered by a string of motu’s (small Islets). The Cook Islands is made up of two groups of Islands, the Northern Group and the Southern Group.
The island of Rarotonga in the Southern Group is the "capital" of the Cook Islands. It’s international airport is the gateway into and out of the Cooks. The total population of the Cook Islands is about 18,000. 90% of these live in the Southern group, with over 10,000 people living on Rarotonga alone. Rarotonga and Aitutaki are the most visited islands, although all but two are accessible by air. Climate and Wind Conditions:
The climate in the Cook Islands is tropical oceanic moderated by trade winds. The rainy season is between November and March, but the rain usually falls in the form of late afternoon cooling showers, which averages around 82ºF (28ºC) this time of year. The odd tropical storm passes over the islands but this is the exception rather than the norm. The cooler, dry season, when temperatures range from 70ºF to 80ºF (20ºC to 26ºC), runs from April to October. Severe weather is seldom experienced. The trade winds blow from the east and the south-east in the southern Cooks and from the east in the northern Cooks for 80% of the year. For the rest of the time it is from the west or the south west. The moderately high temperature and humidity are tempered by brisk daytime winds, either as afternoon sea breezes or as predominant southeast trade winds.
Kiting and Windsurfing in Rarotonga Kiteboarding Level:
Intermediate – Advanced. See comments under “Launch” below for an explanation. Windsurfing Level: Beginner to Advanced
Shoreline: Being an island, Rarotonga is encircled with a reef which varies in width from 10 – 200 plus meters from the shoreline. The beaches are sandy white but there are rocks and coral in the shallows. Reef shoes are a big advantage. Windsurfers should be aware that if your board has a “dagger board” then this could catch on the bottom when you are coming into the shallows. It makes for an embarrassing dip in the lagoon if you’re not ready for it. Great entertainment for locals and other tourists, not so good if you land on some coral.
Wind: Another advantage of being an island is that you can drive around to find the perfect spot for the wind conditions. Be aware of the wind direction and effect of the motus (islets) in the lagoon. This is especially important for kiters. If you kite to the leeward side of a motu then expect gusty or non-existent wind. If you have to, try to clear the leeward side of a motu by a good distance to allow for a steady breeze, unless you want to swim back to shore. This advice is provided from practical experience…blah.
Water: The beautiful turquoise blue waters and clarity of lagoon is amazing to kite over. It can be like kiting on glass on the leeward side of the reef. One thing to note is that because the water clarity is so good, you can misjudge the depth of the water. Rocks can be 2m below you or 2 feet below you. You don’t want it to be the latter if coming down hard from a decent jump. I usually kite out and mentally identify a “kite-safe” zone that I want to kite in using the islands as reference points. Then just stay in your kite-safe zone. The lagoon can also cut up good size waves/chop. Plenty to ramp your jumps off.
Launch: At high tide there is little to no launch area off the beaches. I have stated you need to be at least an intermediate kiteboarder but that’s mainly due to having to water launch and recover your kite. At low tide and depending on the wind direction you should be able to launch off the beach. If you’re a little worried about the close proximity of the Coconut trees then just wade into the water, drop your kite and water launch. Windsurfers can launch from anywhere depending on the wind direction. 
Keep Our Beaches Safe If you’re a kiteboarder you’ll know that many beaches across the globe are now banned for kiting due to the inherent risk if someone looses control of their kites and there are people downwind. Fortunately this is not the case in Rarotonga or Aitutaki yet. We want to keep it that way so it is safe for everyone to enjoy.
Please observe the following rules:
· Do not kite close to beaches with families and/or people sunbathing. It may be cool to get close to them but mistakes can be costly. Even the best of kiters make mistakes.
· Do not kite or windsurf over/close to people swimming in the lagoon. There can be a lot of people snorkeling and if you are not aware of their location they can surface in front of you.
· Keep clear of sail boats in the lagoon. Many are new sailors and/or children on holiday. They may have trouble keeping clear of you so please give them a wide berth. · Respect the advice of locals. While they may not kite or windsurf they often provide you with advice about the conditions. Ignore them at your peril!
· Do not launch kites on the beach with people/horses downwind of you. There are places on the island where horse treks cruise along the beach. For their safety and of those riding, let them pass before launching or landing a kite. Better yet, just water launch and retrieve your gear.
· For your safety, know your limits. If you think the conditions are tricky then live to kite another day (ie: don't go out). Medical facilities are limited on the island and there is no coast guard to come to your rescue.
· Stay inside the reef. Unless you are an advanced kiteboarder or windsurfer you shouldn’t cross the reef to the open ocean. Even then you should at least have a safety boat outside the reef with you. While it can be exhilarating outside the reef, it can also be very dangerous.
Practice Safe Kiteboarding and Windsurfing. Now go get some action!