Moona Whyte exploring the Marshall Islands

In a new 'Sessions with Moona' on our Youtube Channel, Moona takes us to the beautiful Marshall Islands, a trip full of unforgettable sessions on the water.

Moona, you just got back from a trip to the Marshall Islands, probably the most epic destination to kite! What made you go and where did you stay?

I went to the Marshalls to help out with Reo Stevens’ annual Kite Adventure camp there. We stayed on Beran Island, which is owned by Martin Daly, and went by boat to all the surf spots within an hour from that island. 

How was the journey to get there, and for how long were you there?

The journey was very easy since we started in Hawaii and it’s only a 6 hour flight to the capital Majuro. Then we took one inter island plane, and one boat ride to Beran. I was supposed to go for 2 weeks but ended up staying 3!

What are the Marshalls like in general and how about the conditions to kite and surf?

It is classic textbook island paradise there. Super blue water, coconut trees everywhere, and friendly island locals. It feels like you are going back in time seeing their small villages and simple lifestyle. And the conditions are amazing… We had some days with glassy surf and perfect dreamy waves, and a few days of kiting with nice sideshore wind. We also always had the option of kiting beautiful lagoons right off the resort. 

You spent lots of time on a boat cruising around the islands. What did your days look like?

Everyday we would wake up, eat breakfast, check the surf, and depending on the size and the tides, we would either kite from the resort or take the boat up to a surf spot. Then we’d spend all day on the water, have lunch on the boat, and head home at sunset. Some of the guys went for early morning fishing missions, and some went scuba diving on the smaller days. We got really lucky with swells almost everyday when I was there, so we really just surfed as much as possible.

What gear set up did you take with you?

I took my Drifters and 5’7 S-quad, since I knew we would be doing a lot of down the line wave kiting.

What was your best session like?

We had one day early on in the trip with good wind and a decent size swell for barrels. For a couple hours I got to kite it with a few others from the group and I got to try my first right hand kiting barrels. I was really hoping to get another chance to try again there, but the conditions lined up more for surfing after that.

What was most special about this trip?

Not only did we score with conditions, but for me it was the best trip ever because of the people I was with. My dad was there, my brother was there for his first surf trip ever, as well as some good friends from home, Keahi, Reo, and a couple other guests for the camp that were super cool. Sharing every session with them was like a dream that I’ll never forget.

Do you have any tips for somebody who wants to go?

I would recommend going for 2 weeks rather than one, because if you’re going all the way there you want to make sure you get a swell. It’s expensive, and there’s not really any way to get around that since operating boats, a house and even getting food there is difficult, but all I can say is that it’s worth it!

What’s your next destination? 

I don’t know where my next trip will be but hopefully somewhere with good waves and wind because I can’t wait to try kiting in barrels again!