Sailing to the most remote waves in the tuamotus
Surfing remote atolls looks like paradise from the outside—but the reality of hunting waves in the Tuamotus is wild, unpredictable, and rarely easy.
After navigating a narrow, churning pass into a remote atoll in French Polynesia, we found ourselves sitting out howling 40-knot winds and heavy 3.5m swells. With no safe anchorage anywhere near the break, scoring empty waves meant brutal 5-nautical-mile dinghy runs across open chop, braving reef cuts, burning through our final drops of fuel, and watching the swell peak and vanish.
From catching baitfish by hand to waiting out the tide and making the overnight passage toward Rangiroa, this is what remote cruising and wave-hunting really looks like.
In this episode:
00:00 – Entering a Narrow Atoll Pass
01:56 – Scouting Waves & Safe Anchorage
03:00 – Waiting for the Swell & Tide
04:06 – Scoring Empty Reef Waves
06:16 – Reef Cuts & Tropical First Aid
08:00 – Surviving 40-Knot Winds & 5-Mile Dinghy Missions
09:16 – Passage Plans to Rangiroa & Fuel Shortage
11:06 – Snorkeling the Inner Reef
12:00 – Running on Empty (Dinghy Fuel)
13:18 – Catching Baitfish by Hand
13:46 – Last Surf Session at the Pass
15:05 – Overnight Passage to Rangiroa
16:29 – Navigating the Tuamotu Archipelago
18:16 – Arriving at the Next Atoll
To DONATE just because your a bloody LEGEND
https://www.paypal.me/sailingcatalpa
For more on our family and travels you can check out our website
http://www.sailingcatalpa.com
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sailingcatalpa
Follow us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sailingcatalpa
https://www.instagram.com/belllarice
https://www.instagram.com/artoftaj
Support Sailing Catalpa
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Sailing Catalpa invests in crafting each and every video or voyage. Their passion for delivering exceptional ocean content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos here and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore the gear, sponsorships, and boat partnerships highlighted in the "Sailing to the most remote waves in the tuamotus" video description, or directly on YouTube. By engaging with these offerings or purchasing services and items, you directly support Sailing Catalpa, their collaborators, and the brands they're associated with.
To ensure you never miss an offshore update, consider visiting their official YouTube Channel to subscribe, like, and join their community directly.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Sailing Catalpa or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Surfing remote atolls looks like paradise from the outside—but the reality of hunting waves in the Tuamotus is wild, unpredictable, and rarely easy.
After navigating a narrow, churning pass into a remote atoll in French Polynesia, we found ourselves sitting out howling 40-knot winds and heavy 3.5m swells. With no safe anchorage anywhere near the break, scoring empty waves meant brutal 5-nautical-mile dinghy runs across open chop, braving reef cuts, burning through our final drops of fuel, and watching the swell peak and vanish.
From catching baitfish by hand to waiting out the tide and making the overnight passage toward Rangiroa, this is what remote cruising and wave-hunting really looks like.
In this episode:
00:00 - Entering a Narrow Atoll Pass
01:56 - Scouting Waves & Safe Anchorage
03:00 - Waiting for the Swell & Tide
04:06 - Scoring Empty Reef Waves
06:16 - Reef Cuts & Tropical First Aid
08:00 - Surviving 40-Knot Winds & 5-Mile Dinghy Missions
09:16 - Passage Plans to Rangiroa & Fuel Shortage
11:06 - Snorkeling the Inner Reef
12:00 - Running on Empty (Dinghy Fuel)
13:18 - Catching Baitfish by Hand
13:46 - Last Surf Session at the Pass
15:05 - Overnight Passage to Rangiroa
16:29 - Navigating the Tuamotu Archipelago
18:16 - Arriving at the Next Atoll
To DONATE just because your a bloody LEGEND
https://www.paypal.me/sailingcatalpa
For more on our family and travels you can check out our website
http://www.sailingcatalpa.com
Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sailingcatalpa
Follow us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sailingcatalpa
https://www.instagram.com/belllarice
https://www.instagram.com/artoftaj
Sailing Catalpa
We are a family of 4 that packed up our life on the Gold Coast in Australia, Sold everything to live our dream and sail the world in 2016. We may not have much in the way of the things but we are living now sailing full time in South East Asia. Follow us as we document our adventures good times and bad and what it’s like for a family living on a sailing boat. We hope that our weekly videos make you smile and inspire you to live your wildest dreams. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sailingcatalpa/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sailingcatalpa/ Website https://www.sailingcatalpa.com Our Channel is supported by our Patrons you can Check out our Patreon Page to see more and become a patron. https://www.patreon.com/sailingcatalpa The Catalpa Crew
Channel Information:
Social Media Links:
Latest Episodes from Sailing Catalpa
Explore the most recent voyages. Subscribe to the channel to never miss an update!
Sailing to the most remote waves in the tuamotus
Surfing remote atolls looks like paradise from the outside—but the reality of hunting waves in the Tuamotus is wild, unpredictable, and rarely easy. After navigating a narrow, churning pass into a remote atoll in French Polynesia, we found ourselves sitting out howling 40-knot winds and heavy 3.5m ...
the most sharks we have ever seen
Lee and Sara Rice of Sailing Catalpa navigate their Pearson 530 into Fakarava Atoll, free-diving the South Pass's Wall of Sharks and testing off-grid solar autonomy.
the clearest water we have ever seen…The Tuamotus
This episode we are in a atoll sitting out some strong winds and big swell we hear whales and swim in the clearest water we may have ever seen. Cheers everyone for watching!! Subscribe @SailingCatalpa Become a Patron To DONATE just because your a bloody LEGEND For more on our family and tra...
arriving to the most remote atolls on earth…the Tuamotus
This video we sail to the biggest archipelago in the world the Tuamotus. Cheers everyone for watching!! Subscribe @SailingCatalpa Become a Patron To DONATE just because your a bloody LEGEND For more on our family and travels you can check out our website Follow us on Facebook ...
Swimming with mantas in the marquesas French Polynesia
This episode we are in the Marquesas in French Polynesia we swim with mantas and deliver some things to a village on a very remote island. Cheers everyone for watching!! Subscribe @SailingCatalpa For 20% off Florence Marine gear that the boys live in visit To contribute to our productions ...