Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia

I have this great friend… who really make me jealous. Why? Because it seems like he has it all: a great crew of friends, a successful career, a nice apartment, and a speed boat to go surfing any reef break. That was for the stuff I don’t really care about.  But Damien ALSO gets to surf anytime he wants, he travels I don’t know how many times a year and he often goes surfing this WAVE I’ve been dreaming of for so long. And of course, everything appears on his Facebook page. Really annoying, especially when I log onto Facebook before going to work… you know what I mean?

Damien pulling in

Anyways…let’s get back to this wave. I first saw it on TV 10 years ago, when a group of local cameramen and photographers followed a crew of pro surfers during their trip to the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia. It’s a perfect right, breaking in front of a tiny island… with nobody out but you and your friends. Why isn’t there anybody out? Because it’s not that easy to reach that wave: you have to take a plane from Tahiti (that’s the easy part), get on the main island and then find someone who has a boat to take you to that tiny island. And then you have to find a place to stay once you’re there… or you can bring your tent and sleep on the beach (that’s another option).

Catching fish while keeping an eye on the break

I’ve never been to this tiny island, but I went to the Tuamotus a few times already, and those islands hosting most of French Polynesia’s pearl farms look like heaven to me: little houses, friendly people, few cars, beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise lagoon…When you go over there, you stop worrying about your “to-do lists” and your problems. Everything is behind you, left in the modern world. Your mind is in relaxation mode and you spend the day surfing perfect waves with just a few locals, relaxing, fishing for dinner, and you have fun just watching the dogs chasing fish themselves (really, it’s hilarious). Plus you are amazed at what you can see in only 3 feet of water: baby sharks, stingrays, turtles and lots and lots of fish swimming close to the beach. The colors are so pure and bright you would believe they are not real.

Damien taking off

But living over there is a whole different story: no nightlife, no supermarkets (just a local convenience store), not much water available from the tap, no Internet… and just one boat that comes every few weeks to deliver food & drinks (of course, you can still find on some islands nice guest houses and upper class hotels). Yes, the life on the most remote islands of the Tuamotus is a simple life – which can be tough at times – free from all materialistic temptations, and where you learn to live with what nature is willing to give you. And honestly, I like that idea. When my little one gets older, I’ll take her there… because going to the Tuamotus will allow her to know and understand her country better.

But before that, I will go surfing that perfect right I’ve been dreaming of for such a long time… it definitely is the kind of waves that makes you want to stay in the water all day long: long blue walls and nobody out. There’s even a little hut on the beach, where you can have your sandwich and rest in the shade between 2 sessions.

Did you say… dreamland???

-Vainui