KITESURFING HOLIDAYS -COCOS ISLAND

A four hour flight off mainland Australia, this group of 27 palm tree covered islands in the Indian Ocean have no resorts, there's nothing really to buy; just incredible kitesurfing and a whacky ex-pat Australian culture. Perfect for beginner and advanced riders wanting 15 - 20 knot winds, morning, noon and night. There's no wonder that The Cocos Islands is growing in reputation for blissful kiteboarding. If you're lucky (or brave enough) you can kite with the turtles, reef sharks and manta rays. The long downwinders and waist deep, warm, flat aqua-blue waters are like kiting conditions you see in your dreams.

 

THE SET-UP

Cocos kite beach is located at the south end of West Island and is suited to small groups of roughly 15 kiters. The trade winds blow cross-on-shore and, although the lagoon is tidal, there are only a few days in the season where the tide is too low or too high to launch. These times occur only sporadically over the windy season. The water in the lagoon is deep in areas, but generally really flat as it's protected by small palm islands. A support boat is always at hand as the winds can blow offshore and out to the Indian Ocean. Downwinders are a must, but there are certain places and times that kitesurfing is prohibited, so speak to a kitesurfing local or ZKT before kiting away from the kite beach area.

 

WIND, WATER AND WEATHER

The 15 - 20 knot southeasterly trade winds start to blow from July and continue through to October/November. On average you can kite 80 – 90% of the time in the Cocos. Ten or 12 metre kites are the best sizes to bring and, if you manage to explore behind the small islands, or head downwind, you will always find butter-smooth, shallow water. The air temperature is lovely at 26 — 28°C / 78 – 82°F all day and night. All you need is a few pairs of boardies for the water and some T-shirts for the evenings or around the small town.

GET AROUND:

West Island is 15 kilometres long with its main settlement town lying at the centre. There are limited facilities on the island, but it has the basics, like mains power and running water. Internet is slow and the public phones only let you call out. The four hour flight from Perth will land you in the town centre and you'll probably be able to walk off the plane to your residence. A car is recommended to get to kite beach and you can leave your gear there from day to day. If you have an accident Australia is a long way away, so make sure you get travel insurance that covers the Cocos Islands and kitesurfing injuries.
Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD$) £1 = AUD$1.5 / €1 = AUD$1.2 / $1 = AUD$1

 

ACCOMMODATION:

Zephyr kite tours offer shared accommodation for singles, couples and small groups in large shared houses with transport, flights etc. included. Accommodation isn't cheap, so sharing makes it affordable. Make sure to book your accommodation with your flights. Excess baggage to the islands is limited and last minute bookings may result in no accommodation.

 

FOOD AND DRINK:

There is a supermarket, pub, cafe, restaurant and a hospital, but what won't run dry is the booze. The Cocos are duty-free and the drinks flow cheaply and freely. Most accommodations have their own BBQ and cooking facilities. The Cocos-Malays often cook traditional meals on Home Island or on West Island once a week.

 

NO WIND:

Take the ferry to Direction Island and be rewarded with the most picture perfect beach in the world. The snorkelling is amazing and there are guided kayak tours. ZKT offer stand-up paddleboarding, too. You can even have a champagne lunch, do a bit of fishing or just relax in a Malay pondok. There is also excellent scuba diving and golf available (the course crosses the airport runway), and a tour of Home Island will show you some Coco culture and history of the Cocos-Malay people, eat the food and sail to their pondoks on the other islands. Hangout with the locals at night and get involved with their social nights and games.

 

AIRPORT:

The Cocos Islands airport (CCK) is located in the settlement area and Virginblue fly from Perth three times a week.

 

SCHOOLS

ZEPHYR KITE TOURS are the only school and tour operator on the Cocos offering membership, lessons and kiting between mid-July to mid-October. ZKT have instructors ready to teach all levels and a great stock of new and used North equipment. They can provide an inflatable zodiac for water rescues, guided downwinders and lagoon crossings.
Languages spoken by instructors: English
www.zephyrkitetours.com
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: +61 (0) 400 800 838

 

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

West Island is 15 kilometres long with its main settlement town lying at the centre. There are limited facilities on the island, but it has all the basics like mains power and running water, plus a supermarket, pub, cafe, restaurant and a hospital. The Cocos are duty-free and the booze flows cheaply and freely. Most accommodations have their own BBQ and cooking facilities. The Cocos-Malay's often cook traditional meals on Home Island or on West Island once a week. Internet is slow and the public phones only let you call out, so don't expect to do much work. Zephyr kite tours offer shared accommodation for singles, couples and small groups in large shared houses with transport, flights etc. included. Accommodation isn't cheap, so sharing makes it affordable. Make sure to book your accommodation with your flights. The four hour flight from Perth will land you in the town centre and there's a chance you may only need to walk to your residence! That's how they roll here, but if you have an accident - Australia is a long way away, so make sure you get travel insurance that covers the Coco Islands and kitesurfing injuries.

 

ZEPHYR KITE TOURS
www.zephyrkitetours.com
+61 (0) 400 800 838