PARADISE FOUND – Dispatches from Beran Island
This article was featured in:
Learn more on how to join the next #MIKiteAdventure yourself
Words by: Reo Stevens | Photos by Damea Dorsey
I’m quite often asked to describe the new location of my coaching camps, but it’s difficult to explain Beran Island to those that have never been. ‘Paradise’ is word that is all too often used to describe the perfect kite destination, but it just doesn’t do justice to Martin Daly’s new kitesurfing outpost in the Marshall Islands. Most kite destinations, despite their turquoise blue water and highly sought after wind conditions, tend to feel like paradise lost. Clogged with tourism infrastructure and crowds, the natural beauty and everything that brings people to these destinations feels exploited. More often than not you’ve got to race to be the first kite out in an otherwise crowded lineup, or tack back and forth on the sidelines waiting for the wind to push the surfing crowd out. In my travels, I’ve explored some of the best kite waves this world has to offer, yet none have ever come close to the isolated solace and vastly untouched beauty of the Marshall Islands. Beran Island is the one place that restores that feeling we are all searching for, that of paradise found.
Perched atop the northern rim of a hidden undersea volcano, Beran is one of the most unique coral rimmed islands of the Marshallese atoll. Arising out of the floor of Oceania, Beran is plotted in the middle of deep water nowhere, halfway between the Philippines and Hawaii. The circular strip of sand hosts an oasis of small islands that dot the immaculate coral reefs, sporting colors I’ve seen nowhere else in my travels. While other destinations in Polynesia and Hawaii offer clear blue water, in the Marshalls, you see vibrant hues of brilliant blue and turquoise, and spectacular shades of deep and vibrant purple. On the northeast corner of Beran sits a concrete and wood double-story plantation style surf lodge. The corrugated wraparound porch and open plan rooms highlight wood beamed ceilings with clean modern lines designed for communal space. Outfitted with water reclamation systems and wind and solar electrical generation systems, the Beran Island is built to be a sustainable home for 16 people at a time. The intentional limits on capacity and remote location is the cornerstone of the Beran experience. Everything is designed to preserve the surfer’s elemental quest, that wherever you go, it will just be you and the people you came with.
My first time to the Marshall islands was back in March of 2011. I was aboard the Cabrinha Quest as the team was searching for a location to shoot photos for its new surf kite. Back then it was a 20-24 hour journey by boat, and when we dropped anchor, there was nothing on the island. This was the trip that I first met good friend, Keahi De Aboitiz, and we ended up having the best trip of our lives. Back then, it was a huge discovery, both for ourselves and for the sport of kitesurfing, but Martin Daly had long been mapping out the surf breaks of the atolls that surrounded Beran and like a child showing off his new toy, he was excited to share with us what he had found.
Martin, an old aussie ‘surf dog,’ is ingrained with the spirit of a restless pirate and eternal surf grom. Credited with the discovery of the Mentawai’s as a surfing destination in the 1990’s, with his boat the Indies Trader, he became the iconic surf boat operator running charters along the Sumatran coast, including Macaronis, Telescopes and Lances. In the late 90’s he collaborated with surfing giant Quiksilver and created ‘The Crossing,’ a multiyear boat circumnavigation seeking out in search of new surf breaks around the world.
When the Odyssey went back to the Marshall Islands in 2014, I was on the boat with the Patagonia Crew and we scored once again. Martin had stationed a reliable diving vessel called “Windward” on the island and was about to begin the process of building a surf lodge along with the all-important infrastructure required to do so. It was during these trips that I got to know Martin, and I made every effort to keep in touch, knowing that as this was one of my favorite places, I wanted to keep it on my radar. When the resort first opened for surf trips, we talked about running dedicated kite weeks. While Martin had the place wired for surf, it was clear that kitesurfing off the narrow beaches and launching off boats was going to require a kite guide, someone familiar with running kite camps and the logistics required to give the ordinary kiter a fun and safe experience, and that was quickly becoming my skillset.
My plan was to ensure that Beran Island kite weeks would be completely geared towards kitesurfers. Anyone who’s traveled to Namotu or Tavarua will tell you that famed reefs like Cloudbreak can stay crowded with surfers even in perfectly windy conditions. It might be ideal kitesurfing conditions, but because the setup is still quite surfable, the wind never chases the surfers out of the water. There’s so many guests and boats waiting to line up just a couple of the waves that they flew half-way around the world for, it makes kitesurfing difficult, sometimes almost impossible. Yet, when you fly to Beran for a kitesurfing week, any or all of the island’s reef breaks may still be surfable under wind, but it will only be kiters in water because we are so far removed from the rest of the world. This might not be the case forever, but for now, it’s an experience that is unmatched in VERY few parts of the world.
From the final approach into the WWII vintage crushed coral landing strip to the newly upgraded Dash-8 turbo prop whizzing over immaculate coral finger reefs, everything about the Beran experience is notable. The islands in the Marshalls are unique because unlike other tropical islands, these are located in a geographical zone where the cyclones and hurricanes are just getting started. These islands never get hit by the explosive brunt of tropical storms, so the vegetation is intact right up to the high tide mark and the forests are thick with hard wood trees, not just the coconut varieties. It is because of this incredibly diverse plant life that every tone of color in the Marshalls seems a notch above anywhere else. The airport island is so narrow, as your wheels touch down on the organic tarmac, all you can see from your window is explosive turquoise water. It’s there at (NOT to be named) island, that the Marshall’s effect first hits, and only gets more surreal as Martin’s staff picks you up by boat and porters you over to the pristine surf resort.
My days on the island typically start when first light bends over the endless horizon at 7am. The routine starts with a hot cup of coffee at the lodge and quick walk across the path, out to the cement wharf on the lee side of the island. There’s a set of high grade binoculars (on the front deck of the resort) and from there you can get your eyes on two of the surf breaks. Being remotely located, our forecast models can give you the rough sketch of what’s coming, so we may have a general idea of the wind and swell that is lining up, but when and how strong, you just don’t know until you see the surrounding surf breaks for yourself. In the quest to become a better kitesurfer, it’s essential to turn off the web cam, put away the wind meter and focus your attention on the water, training your mind to read swell direction, and ponder the nuances of tidal changes. I am a strong believer that reading waves and studying the bigger picture is an art that has broader implications to your surf game than most might think.
Full #MIKiteAdventure Gallery
At Beran we never make a plan without consulting the tide tables and getting a full assessment of the swells running in the water. We might load up the big comfortable Indies Surveyor, or use one of the smaller yet faster boats to get to destinations quicker. If there’s no swell, we may hang around the island in the freestyle slick or spend our days fishing or diving. The water is so clear in this ocean, that on a brilliant day, you can have 300-foot water visibility. We’ve dropped chain in 100 feet of water where you can see the fish swimming around the anchor. The Marshalls are known for their recreational diving, which is a great back plan, but Beran is quickly putting itself on the kitesurfing map one guest week at a time.
Learn more on how to join the next #MIKiteAdventure yourself
Continue reading by downloading the original article from The Kiteboarder below…
Click the link below to download the original article by:
