What's the surf like?
There is surf all year round in Fiji, you just have to find it and like anywhere else cannot be guaranteed. There are 2 surf seasons, with the best swells coming from the southerly fronts originating from low pressure systems that start in the Tasman Sea to the south of Australia. These cold fronts occur year round, though they're most frequent in the dry season which occurs from March to October producing consistent ground swells which can get up to 8 to 12'.
The tropical storms and cyclones which occur off North Queensland between November and March can also produce some excellent waves and are generally associated with shorter swells, however the conditions could be called "tropical" as it is glassy or light winds all day and extremely hot with afternoon showers. This is the time when the most famous of Fiji's breaks can fire up with limited crowds.
During the winter/wet season, the SE trade winds which are offshore at Frigates, Cloudbreak and Nagigia Island but they can blow very strong at times (20-25knots) lasting for up to a week at a time. Most of Fiji's surf is all located on outer coral reefs and often over head high can be challenging for inexperienced surfers. For this reason surfers need to be competent and confident. Sigatoka offers the only beach breaks in Fiji and care still must be taken in this area as powerful waves can at times be produced.
The recommended surfboards to take would be your normal short board and a larger semi-gun for the bigger days. Board shorts can be worn all year round and booties are a personal option for the reef, as is a rashie and sunscreen protection.
