Saw a cool video

on the Cocos Islands. Has anyone been there ? Have heard it is great but wanted more info.

CD

It looks awesome - that vid is from the Zepher kite tours site :-)

Biggest problem (for me at least) is the cost - 5 days is going to set you back over $5,000, 12 days somewhere over $8,000 - the airfares are the killer !!

if you use the search function you will find plenty of info on Cocos.
Jeez, that video is all over the place. Heaps of Direction Island/Home island footage. If you want to visit these places, you need to get the ferry. That will wipe out a day of kiting. DI is pretty amazing snorkelling tho.
It's flat water only. the waves you see are not accessible to kite. Scotty McKercher, Jason Polakow and Pete Volwater have windsurfed it, but it's sketchy at best and you will break stuff. If you do try, please get someone to video you.
if you don't hire a ute, you won't be SUPing anywhere as interesting as shown in that vid.
If you are going to go and can already kite, do it yourself. Chat to the locals. There is a shed at the kiting beach and for a small fee, you can stash your gear there. Saves carting it around. Just hire a moped for transport. Drinks are cheap, but food is not, and if the ship/plane is late, it's also in short supply. Grab some extra baggage allowance from Virgin and take a polystyrene box with some food in it. Frozen meat on the bottom, then veggies/dried stuff on top. Saves you heaps.
hunt around for accomodation.
so if you want to be kiting flat water in bordies in the middle of winter with constant trades in a lagoon on a tropical island with good surfing as well, then there are worse places to go. Do your sums as the "packages deals" available are not always the cheapest/best option.

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Lambie said...
Biggest problem (for me at least) is the cost - 5 days is going to set you back over $5,000, 12 days somewhere over $8,000 - the airfares are the killer !!

Just do your own thing
I did Cocos 2 year ago ( from N.S.W.)
$5 500 for 2 people for 14 days

Way cheaper to do you own thing than doing a tour, accommodation can be found for a reasonable price, $20 gets you use of the sailing shed to store your gear. some of the accommodation owners offer rental cars for a good price. Speak to the locals in the one bar and you can get fresh fish by the kg for next to nothing. Give the Airfields operation manager a call (number is on a sign alongside the runway) and he will let you know the guys that you can do a downwinder pass the airport.

Interesting the OP member details are 'A male in the Cocos Islands' and you are after information on the islands,

Cocos is an amazing place to visit and kite. It's one of those rare places where the trade wind blows non-stop 24/7.

The wind can be quite strong as well, last season I kited a lot of days on 7m and 9m kites and the 12m got the least amount of use (I'm 82kg). The 17m I also brought remained completely untouched! That being said, last seasons winds were unusually strong and you can always get a week or two of 12-15 knots so you have to be prepared for this...

For me the major downside is the wind was always varying about 5 knots in strength on any given day, sometimes more especially as it gets stronger (we had many days of 20 knots gusting 30 knots). If you are used the steady sea breezes in WA you'll find the wind in Cocos to be quite different...Most of the time it felt exactly like kiting at Point Walter in morning Easterlies.


You also can't kite on low tides as the water is simply too shallow and a lot of times at lower than mid-tide I was holding back from boosting and doing tricks as it gets very dangerous with shallow water and the reef/coral everywhere, so high tides were a must for me. The reef is sharp so if you intend to stand after you crash you must wear booties as a good reef cut can quickly end your expensive trip. I didn't wear booties but I never stood up and always body dragged for my board after a crash even if I could stand up easily.

Visiting the islands is awesome and you can even kite across the lagoon (best if you can find boat support), then snorkel as well in the same day:





The cheapest form of accommodation will cost you about $150 per night. Food is 2x as expensive as in Perth. Liquor is very cheap (duty free) but beer is about the same price as it cost much more to freight it than liquor.

A moped or even a bicycle (if you feel like exercising a bit) will get you anywhere on the island in minutes. Car rentals are very expensive (about $100 per day I think).

As others are saying, if you are already a competent kiter, organizing your own trip is the best and cheapest way to go. You will meet heaps of other kiters doing the same trip as you.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, bring spare parts! Spare lines, bars, valves, tear aid. etc. I came across many kiters who brought older gear and had to get it fixed and sometimes it can't be fixed due to lack of parts!

Christian

Just in case you were wondering, I'm not Jason, cbulot.
as for kiting @ low tide, anything over .3m is fine as long as you are not boosting too big.
if you want to do that, head out to the sink holes and do it there :)
you can nick a fin occasionally on the coral, but the water is smoother out there, some of the holes are deep and wide (just don't look down). And you get the place to yourself.

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Lambie said..
It looks awesome - that vid is from the Zepher kite tours site :-)

Biggest problem (for me at least) is the cost - 5 days is going to set you back over $5,000, 12 days somewhere over $8,000 - the airfares are the killer !!

I agree.

Frankly why would you, when a trip to Cooktown and Ant's Kite surfari or even Cape Tribulation is EXACTLY the same as Cocos and $1 there is $1!

been there done that, don't go with Zepher, stash gear in palms, ride a bike, spend at LEAST 4days on Christmas on the way through (freedive the phosphate mine loader....unreal!)

There is a reason Zepher was kicked out of Figi.
Do it on your own.

There is hundreds of Island in the Coral Sea and pacific islands that would produce the same goods, that is $$$$ cheaper. And as lofty said why not go to Cape flattery?

But isn't the wind more consistent at Cocos Islands than the Pacific islands ? I've heard mixed reviews of the Pacific Islands (except New Caledonia which sucks as a tourist destination and is $$$). e.g. Cook islands only a few days out of 2 weeks were kiteable from some recently organised trip.

Has anyone experienced www.australiankitesurfari.com.au/ at the far north QLD ? Cheaper option ?

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Alysum said...
But isn't the wind more consistent at Cocos than the Pacific islands ? I've heard mix reviews of the Pacific Islands (except New Caledonia). e.g. Cook islands only a few days out of 2 weeks were kiteable from some organised trip.

Has anyone experienced www.australiankitesurfari.com.au/ at the far north QLD ? Cheaper option ?

I think I remember ewan saying that he's only been to 2 places were they were super consistent and they were Brazil and Cape flattery at ants.

I'll let you know, I'm heading there in aug

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kemp90 said..

Alysum said...
But isn't the wind more consistent at Cocos than the Pacific islands ? I've heard mix reviews of the Pacific Islands (except New Caledonia). e.g. Cook islands only a few days out of 2 weeks were kiteable from some organised trip.

Has anyone experienced www.australiankitesurfari.com.au/ at the far north QLD ? Cheaper option ?

I think I remember ewan saying that he's only been to 2 places were they were super consistent and they were Brazil and Cape flattery at ants.

I'll let you know, I'm heading there in aug

Been twice...take 17 through to 7m kites,no matter what the forecast says

Cons...Water is not Chrystal clear or kiteable at low tide, 5 hr trip from Cairns, 4x lite beer,( take bottle spirits or two ) mostly not butter smooth.

Pros...Remote = only kiters you see came with you on trip...1 off fee= no hidden costs...comfy digs...full belly...kite , eat ,sleep

In my opinion 8 days is too many but 4 days is not enough. Great place to learn new tricks

Oh and if you do seriously hurt yourself ( as one of our crowd did ) Pauly and Ant go out of their way to help. If I was to injure myself I would much rather be in Australia than anywhere else in the world.

I've done Cocos and FNQ Surfari and both were awesome but def not the same as Lofty said.
The actual kiting is very similar though, flat / wind chop water, fairly tide dependent and lots of wind.
Cocos is the postcard tropical island, amazing views, clearest water ever, great wind and no crowds with acres of waist deep water to learn stuff.
FNQ Surfari is more of a bush camp, a bit rough around the edges but still very comfy as long as your not expecting 5 star. Ant and Paulys food and hospitality is legendary and as long you don't mind wind driven sand in everything (because its blowin 30knts) it's another unique experience, just different to Cocos.
FNQ is cheaper, Cocos a little more exotic, take your pick, you can't really go wrong

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kemp90 said..

Alysum said...
But isn't the wind more consistent at Cocos than the Pacific islands ? I've heard mix reviews of the Pacific Islands (except New Caledonia). e.g. Cook islands only a few days out of 2 weeks were kiteable from some organised trip.

Has anyone experienced www.australiankitesurfari.com.au/ at the far north QLD ? Cheaper option ?

I think I remember ewan saying that he's only been to 2 places were they were super consistent and they were Brazil and Cape flattery at ants.

I'll let you know, I'm heading there in aug

Keep us updated mate! You're going to love it, for consistant wind at least! Aug is a great time to go.

Had a great family holiday at the Cocos Islands, great fishing , diving, snorkelling, kiting conditions were IMHO average, water however was pristine, the zephyr crew always looked like they were having a great time, wouldn't mind a few weeks back there atm

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kemp90 said..

Alysum said...
But isn't the wind more consistent at Cocos than the Pacific islands ? I've heard mix reviews of the Pacific Islands (except New Caledonia). e.g. Cook islands only a few days out of 2 weeks were kiteable from some organised trip.

Has anyone experienced www.australiankitesurfari.com.au/ at the far north QLD ? Cheaper option ?

I think I remember ewan saying that he's only been to 2 places were they were super consistent and they were Brazil and Cape flattery at ants.

I'll let you know, I'm heading there in aug

Yew! Going to be so fun mate!

The prices seem to have exploded, i did 10 days for 2k back 2013...If you can do cocos outside of the tour (i know lots of people keen but the price is prohibitive) its still a reasonably expensive holiday, that said, its a pretty freaking amazing location!!

In 2013 it was windy 24 hours a day every day, I used a 9m and 12m about equally and I was always well powered on my 12m..the great part was the tide was perfect, kite just after sunrise, tide goes out so time for lunch and if you had the energy a post lunch surf (or more likely a nap) followed by an afternoon/sunset kite..Thursdays is runway golf which is a must!

Cocos looks amazing and I only just realised it's still Australia . I noticed the flights from Perth only operate on Monday and Saturday so it'll either be a short or long trip.

What's the food like there? Is there much available to eat & drink? I know people have said to bring your own food but is that because there isn't much choice or because it's expensive?