Salani Surf Resort

Salani employ well trained boatmen for surf guides whose job is to get you safely into the best waves. All boatmen are lifeguard and first aid trained (CPR), and the three boats (19ft, 23ft and 25ft) feature modern safety measures and back-up equipment.  Salani has access to a number of breaks around the island with the Left and Right being only a 5-minute boat ride out front.  You could paddle out front but the Salani boats are available from dawn till dusk to quickly whisk you to the break.  With moorings at each spot for safety, and the health of the reef, it can also ideal for photo/video shots.  In general surf in Samoa is recommended for the intermediate or better surfer; having made that statement, there are often times that people on any ability can paddle out and have fun.  Samoa has gained a reputation for being particularly heavy with sharp shallow reefs which is not always the case. Salani Right has a relatively dead and flat reef, with other breaks like Tiavea offering smooth cobblestone river-rock bottom.

Salani Right:  The resort’s “every day” wave, will barrel at any size- and handle it!  With multiple take-off spots; the right is a shorter wave that can either barrel from start to finish or be a combo of open face sections and barrels.  South is the preferred swell direction; the wave gets longer with a SW swell, and shorter with a SE swell. There is a large clearly defined channel and current to carry you back out to the line-up.  Can be surfed on lower tides depending on the size and swell direction.

Salani Left:  With a clean lined up ground swell is a “goofy footers dream”.  It’s a long fast breaking full barrel ride over coral reef/flat rock that gets faster, and hollower as you go down the line.  This wave is typically surfed from 2-10′ faces.  The wave does not end very close to the channel, so on bigger days getting back out can be a little tricky.  Best at medium tide with SE swell.  Great view of this wave from the guest fales; tends to get the guests moving in the morning when they see spitting barrels from their decks!

The Island:  25 minutes by boat along the inner reef lays “The Island’.  About 2 kms offshore, this paradisiacal island has a powerful left that reels off over a beautiful coral reef.  Surfing and diving in this crystal clear water is just unreal.  Accessed only around high tide and best on the medium to bigger swells, this spot is a great alternative when the trade winds are onshore out front; as at the island it’s offshore.  Depending on one’s skill level you can surf up the reef for long hollow walls, or down near the end of the reef closer to the safety of the channel.

Rusty’s:  A newer and more regularly surfed spot these days, this right-hander is situated 2 kms offshore on the outer reef and is longer than Salani Right but just as hollow- also ending in a deep channel, with a current to take you back out to the line-up.  Breaking over a coral reef it can hold substantial size on the outside, with the middle and end section being smaller.  This wave is a little more condition sensitive then Salani Right.

Boulders:  Set at the far end of a picturesque black sand beach and a 10 min paddle through emerald coloured water lies Boulders.  Probably Samoa’s best-known big wave spot, being able to handle the largest of swells and still not close out.  As the name suggests this wave breaks over large boulders on the outside and on a combo of rock and mushroom-head coral reef on the inside.  This left hand point breaks off a lava cliff starting with a relatively easy drop followed by a steep wall section, then barrels off down the line, often spitting as it ends- sometimes 150m away.  Boulders is also a great option if the SE winds are blowing as it is well protected and remains glassy or light off shore.  Best at low tide, the bigger the swell the more tide the wave can handle.

Tiavea Bay:  A large bay located on the NE coast containing 4 separate waves; a big wave right hander off one end, a fast shallow left off the other side, and a nice river mouth in the middle.  The river mouth is a left and right breaking over cobblestone and flat reef bottom.  Tiavea bay is an excellent option during the North swell season if the South coast is not showing enough activity, or sometimes during the South swell months if the south coast breaks are heavier then you may desire.  There are several other breaks available that Salani access on a rare occasion due to their distant location of being fickle in nature.  Some of these breaks are accessed by boat only, others by overland transfers.  The key is to listen to your surf guides when they are explaining the conditions and what to expect at each locations.  If there is something special happening they will let you know all about it.

Note:  Most breaks in Samoa are well offshore, plagued with strong currents and tides and are therefore difficult to access.  Salani Surf Resort minimises the time and hassle in surfing these waves whilst striving to provide safe, fast, guided access to the best waves.  Surfing Salani breaks on Sunday is prohibited. Salani guests will have access to other breaks on Sunday.  If surf is not an option some activities will be organized such as beach picnic and/or snorkelling. The Sunday church service is also a great experience even for those who are not necessarily religious.

Optimum Surf Conditions:

Swell: any type of South
Wind: Nth or light SE