Surfers Almanac: Pacific

The Pacific is anything but. Some of the biggest rideable swells on the planet form in this vast ocean. Little wonder it was the birthplace of surfing.

The wind and pressure systems of the Pacific conform with the patterns of air pressure and  wind patterns that develop in the atmosphere of the Earth as a result of its rotation (Coriolis force) and the inclination of its axis (ecliptic) toward the Sun, i.e., west to east.

A chain of volcanoes surrounds the Pacific. The chain passes along the west coast of North and South America, from the Aleutian Islands to the south of Japan, and from Indonesia to the Tonga Islands, and to New Zealand. The Pacific Basin, lying at an average depth of 15,000 feet, contains the most varied collection of plants (algae) and animals in the world's oceans.

The Pacific Islands includes all of those islands referred to as Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, also sometimes known as Oceania.

The Marquesas see their best swell from May thru October with prevailing winds from the ESE.

Namoto Island sits about 5 miles out to sea from the main island of Viti Levu in Fiji, about one mile from Tavarua, and is at the head of a barrier reef that protects most of the small islands in the Mamanuca Group.  Namotu's tiny 4 acres of land is surrounded on three sides by its own U-shaped reef that faces from north-east all the way around to the west, making it a focal point of any swells generated from the south pole, Australia and New Zealand that   are moving toward Fiji.  The south and south-west side of the reef have the largest surf as there are no obstructions between Namotu and New Zealand, which is 1,200 miles away. Like Tavarua, Namotu is private and holds only a few guests.