Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Island, Lagoon
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Small wave, Medium wave, Big wave
Water hazards: Currents, Reefs, Corals
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: The water is flat, you can either kite on the offshore side of the island or onshore. There is reef on the offshore side of the island creating a big lagoon. It is best at high tide. You can sail over it, it is about chest deep. Waves out back on the reef which is best ridden at high tide.
Beach type & size: Sand - Medium
Infos: Sandy beach around the island, which is about 4 km long and 1 km wide. Launching and landing kites are no problem.
Identified hazards: Trees
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Consistent 25-28C year round. Mostly board shorts, short wetsuit needed if cloudy.
Wind type: Trade
Wind specificities: Best and usual direction is SE. The wind is steady. The wind is best from mid June to September. The wind is consistent. This is in the trade wind zone and blows 15-18 knots in the afternoons. Works in all directions.
Best months: June, July, August, September
Access description: by Boat - You have to fly to the main island in Tonga, then to the Haapai group. You can stay Pangai (Lifuka Island) and get a ride to the beach daily. There you need to sail across the estuary on the kite and end up at the lovely beach. The island is only accessible by boat.
Specific rules: None
Extra: Only rule is do not hit the humpback whales, they are beautiful. The local people love you jumping over their boats. Bring drinks and food, nothing available on the island.
Nightlife: Cold beers and good tunes are available every night at the Mariners Cafe on Lifuka Island. Beach bonfires and Rumanuts are great on Uoleva!
Accommodations: Rooms, Camping, Repair, Rental, Shower, Toilet, Food
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Level: Intermediate, Expert
Type: Island
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop
Water hazards: Currents, Reefs, Corals
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: It seems to me it can work with any tide but i didn't tried with low but one hour after and it was good. Suits for beginner if they ride on the onshore wind side and as long as there is someone else on the water. If you are on the south end look after your board as there is some currents. No problem if you ride with onshore wind.
Beach type & size: Sand - Tidal
Infos: With high tide there is no beach to land the kite. Arrive on the beach and release or ask someone, who has to enter in the water, to land your kite.
Identified hazards: Trees
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Shorts are fine, rushguard if it's cloudy. Water is warm, air too.
Wind type: Trade
Wind specificities: Trade wind from the East.
Access description: by Boat - You can do a day trip to the resort from Nuku'alofa. They include lunch, snorkeling and kayaks. They have windsurf and SUP too but are not so new even if still usable. If you stay on the resort you can just walk to your favorite part of the island set-up and kite.
Specific rules: None
Nightlife: No nightlife.
Accommodations: None
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Island
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop
Water hazards: Reefs, Corals
Water quality: Crystal clear
Infos: Beautiful water. Flat water and with stronger wind choppier. Shallow area. There is some reef downwind of the launch spot but after that it is obstacle free and a good spot for learners as it starts shallow enough to stand in but eventually becomes deep and clear downwind of the main kite area.
Beach type & size: Sand - Small
Infos: Small beach with white sands. Trees close by. Some parts of the beach with a bit of reef.
Identified hazards: Rocks, Trees
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Warm all year. Water around 26C. Air temperatures average 24C during the day and 20C at night. It receives less rain than other tropical areas, and maximum temperatures average 80F with only moderate humidity. The rainy season lasts from December to April when temperatures and humidity are higher (most extreme from January to March). The greatest number of thunderstorms occur in December and February. Annual rainfall at Nuku'alofa averages 58 inches, with as much as ten inches falling in April and as little as one inch in May and July. Vava'u is the wettest group. In contrast, during the Tongan winter (June to August), temperatures can occasionally be quite cool. The period from November to April brings on the cyclone season. Tonga averages two tropical hurricanes every year (sometimes as late as May). Severity of thunderstorms, probability of cyclones, rainfall, and temperatures increase farther north in the kingdom. During summer (especially from February to March), north winds bring heat, waves and heavy rains.
Wind type: Trade
Wind specificities: Working with all wind directions. May to November are characterized by Southeast trade winds, while Easterlies prevail the remainder of the year. Severe weather is usually preceded by West and Northwest winds. During summer (especially from February to March), north winds bring heat, waves and heavy rains. Wind speeds average 12-15 knots (slightly less in Tongatapu).
Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Access description: by Boat - Fly to Nuku'alofa. Then get north to the Vava'u group and Mounu Island.
Specific rules: None
Nightlife: No nightlife.
Accommodations: Rooms, Shower, Toilet, Food
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean, Island, Lagoon
Water type: Shallow, Flat, Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Water hazards: Currents, Reefs, Corals, Rocks, Shells
Water quality: Clean
Beach type & size: Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Weather specificities: Suit predominantly for abrasion protection.
Wind type: Trade
Wind specificities: The trade wind is always blowing you ashore in the event of a spill.
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September
Access description: by Car - 10 min walk to entry from Pangai town.
Specific rules: None
Extra: Ha'apai has no rules man, well you have to wear a shirt at all times in public.
Nightlife: Mariners Cafe every night.
Accommodations: Rooms, Shower, Food
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Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Type: Ocean
Water type: Shallow, Flat
Water quality: Crystal clear
Beach type & size: Grass, Sand - Big
Identified hazards: None
Beachgoer: None
Wind type: Trade
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Access description: by Boat -
Specific rules: None
Accommodations: Rooms, Rescue, Shower, Toilet, Food, Parking
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