By liljonsandtheeastsideboys@hotmail.com , 13-04-2007

mad - Why didnt i surf there when i lived there?? It was 10 minutes from my house. Im quite the dumb one even though i was only 4 at the time.

By liljonsandtheeastsideboys@hotmail.com , 13-04-2007

mad - Why didnt i surf there when i lived there?? It was 10 minutes from my house. Im quite the dumb one even though i was only 4 at the time.

By nugget , 28-01-2007

can go left at cocos - was in samoa recently staying at the sa'moana. epic time. we surfed coconuts very small and got some really good lefts (not what i expected either.) recommend the sa'moana to everyone great surf, people and the best bloody food anywhere. faafthai

By Anonymous , 09-07-2006

watch out - ok guys ... knowing a local quite well i have been told the repeating story about tourist surfers consistantly missing from the undercurrents... or as they call it a whirl pools ... this is a serious matter ... so always check with the locals when your about to paddle out to a spot that you might not be too sure of ... theres heaps of choices here ... be carefull where you choose ... the people, food and waves are great ... enjoy people!!

By a chicks opinion , 12-06-2006

salani was a good time - just a chicks point of view, but I had a pretty rockin time at the Salani resort on the south shore of Upolu.. I found it kind of on my own, but they made my stay fabulous ( a little expensive, but relatively worth it) I want to also agree that you should stay away from thr tours... get a good travel guide BOOK and take local transport to where you need to go. There are plenty of really cheap places to stay all along the south and west coasts. Just beware of some locals thinking that they can rip you off with things that appear to be nessecities. Having lived on the island and traveled it extensively, there is a growing expectation of hand outs and other self help "donations" if you come across as a tourist. (esp> and english speaking one) just keep an eye out! that being said, samoa is well worth the trip if you're open to the locals and new experiences. cheers.

By philip_longbottom , 02-03-2006

hmmm - strange photo 3 is a left hander? m the rest r right... nice!...

By cup half full man , 21-02-2006

samoan dreams or nightmares - oar gday,ive read the comments concerning samoa on this site and im a little confused. it seems that there is an even split on trips being good or bad. i am hoping to head to samoa sometime this winter and after reading the comments i have come to the conclusion that by adhering to the negative stories about the surf camps one would only be hurting the samoan community,but this i must explain. if heading there for the first time with little knowledge of the place the camps offer an excellent way of getting aquainted with the place and allowing people to experience samoa with little headfuck. it is then up to the individual to search out what else the island has to offer and by chasing adventure then ye shall be rewarded thus resulting in multiple trips to samoa.
i also believe that the people making comments about the waves being crap and just wingeing in general, may be those same crew paddling round ur local homebreak hassling the shit out of everyone and yelling obscenities everytime they dont land their 360 alley oops(tossers). just because u pay ur money to go there for 2 wks dont expect to get everything and more. nature is an unpredictable ol`girl and ur attitude can determine ur outcome. so travel and experience and take everything as it comes because we are lucky people to be doing what we do and that shouldnt be taken for granted.

By gowen65@aapt.net.au , 24-01-2006

coconuts - g'day all, we're on a mission for our first trip to samoa, been just about everywhere else and have heard some good stories. we're looking at late june staying at Maninoa Beach Fales, near Coconuts. Has anyone stayed there, was is good and were the guides knowledgeable. Any help would be great. Thanks Gareth Oz.

By anonymous , 21-12-2005

- My mate bodyboarded here and his got the best footage of it. its a wicked wave

By chris360@mail.com , 23-10-2005

Samoa guide - I see all these comments on the Samoan surf camps - and they`re the same as any other country - just take a look at the posts on any other 3rd world/developing country. The real answer is pretty obvious. Some of these surf camps are better than others. I couldn't bring myself to pay 130 usd per night at Salani (I couldn't afford it anyway - I was there for 5 weeks). Sure its a great wave but there are several that are nearly as good. The best place, I reckon, to stay (on upolu) is the sa'moana resort. If you're on a real tight budget (like I was) you can stay at an even cheaper resort (sina pj) and walk to sa'moana. The surf guide at sa'm (Tim - nice bloke but a religios nutter) will take you out pretty cheap anyway. The advantage of staying at sa'm is the community, which can be pretty good - most of the other surfers are friendly (ok you get some ott seppos but we're gonna have to put up with them until Bin Laden nukes them all). On Savaii the best spot is satuiatua (friendly, locally owned and fun). The spirit between the surfers (ad non surfers) at this place is awesome. Make friends with Leiloua, Maria et al. (who own /work there) and your stay will be a good one. Don't expect air con or massages (or even walls) do expect cold beer, shallow reefs and occasional good surf. Also do expect the Samoans to steal any of your posessions that they want. Don´t expect good surf every day - the winds, tides and swells don't allow it - 3 days a week and you've done well. Respect the local people and laugh with them. Once again, beware the surf camp owners who tell you how they give heaps back to the locals, until you see it. These guys are there to make money. FULL STOP. Thats why they want you there. No real surfer would want strangers on remote waves near where they're living. Theres a prick called Steve Burling in Tonga who will tell you how much he does for the locals - he doesn't do anything for them that doesn't suit him. Take it all with a pinch of salt and have fun. The South Pacific is a cool place - you can expect a great trip there - but don't demand one.