kayaking the yasawas - possible?

hi there!

i really would like to know if it's possible to kayak the yasawas (or mamanucas) by your own?! how far are the distances between the islands, is it possible without any knowledge about kayaking (just a short introduction) and are there companies that have kayaks for rent (and how much would it be for about 2 weeks)??

really hope to get some informative answers!! thanks in advance!

We have kayaked around Tokoriki Island in the Mamanuca's and snorkeled around a few others . It can get very rough.
We have never seen anyone kayaking between islands, the locals all use powered boats these days.
In the Mamanuca's in fine weather you would always be able to see the next island but even our helicopter flights have said that they may have to stop on one island if they cant see the next one in bad weather.
Have not seen any operation that has kayaks for hire for such an undertaking and don't think it would be wise for a novice.
The management at the last place we stayed at said it was just a matter of time before people were lost as the kayaks we used had life jackets only and no other equipment if they were blown offshore.
Location beacons would be a must at the very least but don't think Fiji has a sophisticated Search and Rescue facility.

There was a company that advertised organised tours a few years back but I haven't seen anything from them recently. I have met a small group while staying at Octopus in the Yasawas who had kayaked out there on their own - they had a very large 3 person kayak. They decided not to kayak back into the mainland - fortunately their kayak was one that could be disassembled, so they did that & took the Yasawa Flyer back in. While there they did go out fishing and caught a large gamefish from it though.
Having spent many years holidaying in the Yasawas I would agree with the previous poster that it would not be recommended for novices. In good weather it would be magic but sea conditions can change rapidly and there are stretches of open sea with no shelter - and limited options for rescue if you needed it!

Southern Seas Ventures operates kayaking tours around the Yasawas. We did a 9 day kayaking trip with them a couple of years ago. It was absolutely fantastic. There were 2 guides, husband and I plus another kayaker. There were of course stretches of open water and occasions when we needed to paddle through reefs into the lagoon areas. Southern Seas is a well established company and also run trips in the Arctic, around Turkey Agean coast and also I think in the Amazon.