I am consdering moving up to the North Island to help me run my business etc. My wife is from Taranaki and maybe it will be where we go.

I'm a novice kite surfer and wondered if there are any safe sites in naki or are they all big wave, with cliffs and rock outcrops??

Also are any riders from naki on the forum?

David

It's not all boulders, giant tree trunks and cliffs but it is not short of them. I think low tide can be a good thing if you are just getting into it (watch out for these underwater boulders though). The peninsula is not short of beaches and has the biggest non closeout section wave I have ever seen even when it is real windy. Low tide at Waitara would be a good start maybe(NW and small swell better to start with)? and the surf goes off there...

I live and have learnt to kite in Taranaki. Beginners learn in smooth consistent sea breezes (westerly wind - slightly cross-on, side shore wind) at Eastend Beach in New Plymouth when there is not too much swell. Best at low to half tide for beginners to leave room to rig up and allow some margin of error. The beach is long, sandy. with a bend in it at the end so if you are going down wind you eventually just come back into the beach. Lots of space with only a few odd rocks.

Once you can go upwind and have good control of kite and board you can progress to Waitara just outside of New Plymouth. This place does have rocks to be able to avoid. However it has an outer reef with down the line waves to play on. Just inside the reef there can be flat water to play in. People mainly kite there in southwest to east winds. West is best.