Basics - Rough Guide to Fiji - page 53

WATER SAFETY
Swimming and snorkelling in Fiji's waters is pretty safe but there are a few precautions to
be aware of. Wave action on the beaches is generally very sedate - the only places you may
face danger are around river passages on the larger islands where rip tides can pull you
out to sea. In the event of this happening, never fight it - go with the rip and try swimming
sidewards to get out of the current, then swim parallel with the beach for 100m before try-
ing to swim back to land.
When snorkelling, avoid contact with coral - apart from killing the delicate polyps you're
likely to cut or graze yourself, which can cause painful infection. If you can, avoid snor-
kelling at low tide - with less water between you and the reef, collisions can be common.
If you do get a coral cut , clean it immediately, preferably using iodine, and apply an anti-
bacterial cream regularly.
Reef sharks are present in the lagoons - if you're lucky enough to see one it's very un-
likely to stir unless you aggravate it persistently when it might swipe a bite in protest.
Stinging jellyfish and crocodiles, which often spoil waters in other tropical countries, are
not present in Fiji. Perhaps the greatest danger is the sun and without the protection of a
UV swimming vest, or at the very least a high-factor sunscreen, sunburn is inevitable, even
on a gloomy overcast day.
Surfing
Fiji is a regular venue for international surfing competitions, with over a dozen extremely
challenging but reliable reef breaks. For the casual surfer, perhaps an even greater attraction
is uncrowded waves. The only beach breaks for novices are at Sigatoka ; otherwise all surf-
ing breaks are reef breaks over shallow razor-sharp coral with a wipe-out bound to graze,
but more likely cause serious injuries - this is for experienced surfers only. The dozen or so
breaks along the Malolo Barrier Reef (see Surfing ) are the most accessible, although several
of the biggest breaks are reserved under exclusive agreements with upmarket surf resorts that
sell only via the US. More isolated surfing destinations include Nagigia off Kadavu, Wilkes
in Beqa Lagoon and Kia off northern Vanua Levu.