The Cocos Islands are probably the wind over force 4/14 knots: craziest place we have in the guide this year. A four hour flight off mainland Australia, this group of 27 palm tree covered islands have no resorts, there's nothing really to buy; just incredible kitesurfing and a whacky ex-pat Australian culture. Perfect for beginner and advanced riders wanting 15 - 20 knot winds, morning, noon and night. If you're lucky (or brave enough) you can kite with the turtles, reef sharks and manta rays. The long downwinders and waist deep, warm, flat aqua-blue waters are what will
flick your kiting pleasure zones.

THE SET-UP
Cocos kite beach is located at the south end of West Island and is suited to small groups of roughly 15 kiters. The trade winds blow cross-on-shore and, although the lagoon is tidal, there are only a few days in the season where the tide is too low or too high to launch. These times occur only sporadically over the windy season. The water in the lagoon is deep in areas, but generally really flat as it's protected by small palm islands. A support boat is always at hand as the winds can blow offshore and out to the Indian Ocean. Downwinders are a must, but there are certain places and times that kitesurfing is prohibited, so speak to a kitesurfing local or ZKT before kiting away from the kite beach area.

WIND, WATER AND WEATHER
The 15 - 20 knot southeasterly trade winds start to blow from July and continue through to October/November. On average you can kite 80 - 90% of the time in the Cocos. Ten or 12 metre kites are the best sizes to bring and, if you manage to explore behind the small islands, or head downwind, you will always find butter-smooth shallow water. The air temperature sits pretty at 26 - 28°C / 78 - 82°F all day and night. All you need is a few pairs of boardies and some t-shirts for the evening, on the water and in the town.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
West Island is 15 kilometres long with its main settlement town lying at the centre. There are limited facilities on the island, but it has all the basics like mains power and running water, plus a supermarket, pub, cafe, restaurant and a hospital. The Cocos are duty-free and the booze flows cheaply and freely. Most accommodations have their own BBQ and cooking facilities. The Cocos-Malay's often cook traditional meals on Home Island or on West Island once a week. Internet is slow and the public phones only let you call out, so don't expect to do much work. Zephyr kite tours offer shared accommodation for singles, couples and small groups in large shared houses with transport, flights etc. included. Accommodation isn't cheap, so sharing makes it affordable. Make sure to book your accommodation with your flights. The four hour flight from Perth will land you in the town centre and there's a chance you may only need to walk to your residence! That's how they roll here, but if you have an accident - Australia is a long way away, so make sure you get travel insurance that covers the Coco Islands and kitesurfing injuries.

NO WIND?
Whether you come on your own, with the family or a special someone, there's plenty more than kitesurfing to keep you entertained. Take the ferry to Direction Island and be rewarded with the most picture perfect beach in the world! The snorkelling is amazing and guided kayak tours will spark the adventurous side within. You can even have a champagne lunch, do a bit of fishing or just relax in a Malay pondok. There is also excellent scuba diving and golf available (the course crosses the airport runway!), and a tour of Home Island will show you some Coco culture as you learn the history of the Cocos-Malay people, eat the food and sail to their pondoks on the other islands. At night, hangout with the locals and get involved with their social nights and games.