Pacific

From space, the Pacific fills nearly the entire orb of the Earth with a vast field of blue. The Pacific Ocean covers a third of the surface area on this planet and generates the largest swells on Earth.  It’s little wonder that the Pacific was also the birthplace of surfing.

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. This ring of fire encircles a basin of salt water with an average depth of 15,000 feet, that contains the most varied collection of plants (algae) and animals in the world’s oceans.

Two major gyres, or currents, circulate in the Pacific. In the Northern Hemisphere the North Pacific Current runs clockwise; in the Southern Hemisphere the South Equatorial Current and the Humbolt Current churn counter-clockwise. In the warm mid-latitudes of this ocean, winds blow from east to west; toward the poles, winds go from west to east.

Among the estimated 30,000 islands in the Pacific are countless opportunities for surf. Island groups popular with traveling surfers include: Noumea, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, French Polynesia, The Hawai’ian Islands, The Cook Islands, Melanesia, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Micronesia, Easter Island and the Galapagos. Undoubtedly, there are many other islands with good waves, as yet unknown to surfers.

See More Articles About The Pacific

• Massive Quake Hits Japan; Tsunami Follows
• Plastiki in Samoa
• Plastiki Sails South
• Plastiki Is Underway
• Chile's Endangered Coast
• Greg Long Wins '09 Eddie
• Tuvalu Calls For Real Climate Treaty
• The Eddie Is On
• Sunset Roars for Women's Finish
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Local Weather	Local Surf Links	Local Surf Camps and Tours
Surf2Surf A New Zealand surf site with cams, forecasts and surf news. The ABM The Australian Bureau of Meteorology, weather for the southern hemisphere. CDIP UCSD’s Coastal Data Information Program provides ocean reports and forecasts. Hawaii Meteorology Weather data from the central Pacific and the University of Hawaii Pipeline Cam Surfline’s camera pointed at Pipeline Fiji Meteorology Fiji’s official weather service MetService New Zealand’s national weather service Stormsurf–Pacific An index of satellite images and other current weather data across the Pacific Ocean Meteorologica Chile Chile’s official weather service Surf Forecast A global surf forecast site based in the UK; extensive list of surf cams	Oahu's Beaches Old-school directory of beaches on Oahu, Hawaii HI Surf Advisory Alt.surfing legend Neal Miyake’s chronicle of surfing in Hawaii; great pics Pacific Maps A map library of the Pacific and Australia Pacific Island Links Much more info about Polynesia on this U-Hawaii index South Pacific Islands Travel An informative independent guide to the islands of the South Pacific Air New Zealand With excellent service and free board transport, it’s hard to go wrong with the Kiwi national airline. Jason's A great resource for Pacific travel, Jason’s also publishes the Passport Map available from tourist offices and big hotels. Tonga on the Net An eclectic collection of links and info from Nuku’alofa, Tonga Fiji Me Colorful tourist site with lots of info on the out islands The Cook Islands An independent compilation of Cook Islands info	Surf Diva Surf camps and instruction in San Diego and Costa Rica The Rendevous Fiji Locally owned surf camp on the SW shore of Viti Levu, Fiji. Boats out to Tavarua and Wilkes Pass. Recommended! Backpacker's Raratonga Low-cost digs in the Cook Islands Ha'atufu Tonga Steve Burling’s laid-back camp on Tongatapu’s west coast has been catering to surfers for over 30 years. Recomended! Atoll Travel A surf travel specialist offering surf trips to the Maldives, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Sri Lanka Tavarua The high priced surf mecca in Fiji Namotu Island Resort Bula! Across the channel from Tavarua, Namotu has mellower breaks and prices Club Masa On the south shore of Viti Levu, Club Masa is the kicked-back compound down by the Sigatoka rivermouth. The digs are cheap and rustic. The Hideaway Fiji Upscale hotel near one of the few reef passes that can be reached from shore Waidroka Bay A surf and dive resort near Frigates Pass, Fiji. Recommended ! The Beachouse Fiji A backpacker’s hostel close to Korolevu Nagigia Island Resort Upscale resort on Denham Island near Frigates Pass, Fiji Salani Surf Resort The premier surf resort in Samoa was badly damaged in the 2009 Tsunami Sa'Moana On the south coast of Upolu, the Aussie-run Sa’Moana resort is a lower cost alternative to Salani. Maninoa Beach Fales Cheap and cheerful Manino is within paddling distance of Coconuts. Recommended ! Maui Surfer Girls MSG is based in Olowalu, on Maui’s west shore, and offers instruction for neophyte surf chicks. Satuiatua Beach Fales On Savai’i, this lovely spot is close to good waves. Note: may have sustained damage in the 2009 tsunami. Nancy Emerson's Surf School Well established surf school in Oahu Pohnpei Surf Club In the Federated States of Micronesia, Pohnpei is your base for epic waves