Uluwatu GoPro Test!

A wee while back I bought a GoPro Surf Hero camera for my board.  I finally got the FCS plug put into the deck of my board to attach it and took it out for a run at small, but very shallow, low-tide Uluwatu.  The vid starts with the infamous walk down to the 'entry cave', although on low-tide it's not quite as daunting as on high as you can walk out of it - on high you just paddle from the cave without really know what's going on!  The tide was low and the waves were small so it ended up breaking in about knee deep water on the inside and was very ledgy and so I wasn't trying too many moves! Annoyingly....
the camera mysteriously cut off the recording right on the take off of my best wave! Typical! Still some fun ones!

Anyway, without further ado, here it is - a few highlights from my session!  ENJOY!

GoPro Test!

PS I never knew I looked like such a freak when I'm paddling - scary!

A Sumbawa Sojourn: Surfing Lakey Peak

A couple of months ago, some friends & I decided to head East from Bali on a trip to Sumbawa, namely Lakey Peak.  I wanted to get out of Bali as it was 'Nyepi' - a Hindu ritual to rid all the bad spirits from the island, a sort of Hindu / Balinese new year.  However, this means that everyone has to stay indoors for the whole day and do absolutely nothing; no going out as there are people on the streets to tell you to go back in, no loud music, no loud TV, just stay indoors & be quiet.  For which, it seemed like as good a time to hot-foot it out of there as any! This is what I learnt from my short (but amazing) trip to Sumbawa.

A return from flight from Bali to Bima (Sumbawa) with Merpati costs around 1.1million Rupiah (about $100 US) and they only leave twice a week. You can also try Lion Air who go for around 1.2million Rupiah return.  You have to pay a little bit more for a board, I think an extra 15,000 Rupiah / kg so don't stuff your boardbag!  You can book flights to Sumbawa directly from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali and it is better than getting them through an agent in Kuta.  It's a strange trip as it is the only time I have been on a flight where every other tourist was a surfer or a surfer's girlfriend! There were some locals but they were pretty heavily outnumbered by tourists it is a much cheaper option to drive there (but obviously, it takes forever to get there by car!)  On the other hand, the 45 minute flight is no hassle at all!

Arriving at Bima Airport, you
 will see something like this...

Once at Bima Airport, after you go through 'security' (which is a total joke), you will need to negotiate a deal on a driver.  At the moment, it's a set fee to get to Lakeys  - 600,000 Rupiah or $60 US. It takes three hours and you can get up to 4 or 5 people to share I believe. This one way and they have all agreed on the price so no bargaining here! If you are staying at the Aman Gati Hotel then you will have your transport waiting for you!

Once you have got your driver and leave the doors of the airport you will have people coming at you from all angles asking you to help with your bags (see photo below!) DON'T LET THEM! They DO NOT work for the driver you are with or the the hotel you are going to - they hang around in the car park and try to make money from surfers and will demand some stupid amount of cash from you for carrying your board about 20 yards and stuffing it on top of the car (which made me wonder if they had some ding repair racket going, too!)

DON'T let these guys carry your bags
to avoid their aggro hassling! 

Once in the car, it's plain sailing - you can sit back and relax and take it all in! The landscapes are stunning and  the people will not stop waving at you for the whole time you are in Sumbawa! The drivers can be a bit crazy so it's hard to take photos from the car but generally it's an amazing journey and it gives you an idea of what to expect on your time there! I would recommend stopping in Dompu (the last town before Lakey Beach) and get some supplies, namely water as it is about half the price of everything at the beach.  It is also home to the last ATM before Lakey Beach too and don't expect them to accept your credit card!

Once you get to Lakey Beach, you will see that it is just a short stretch of hotels along a stunning and unspoilt beach.  The Aman Gati Hotel is the most expensive and best but it was out of my budget so I opted for the Balumba Bungalows.  They were around $15 US / night for two single beds, AC and en-suite bathroom.  We also had views of the peak from the bedroom window! Nice!  There are other similar places available like Puma Bungalows, all offering mostly the same for a similar price.  They are all so close together that you can easily ask the driver to have a look around at what's on offer without too much hassle.

The view from my bedroom window :)

The waves are epic but as a result can get crowded, even here in deepest, darkest Sumbawa! The main

peak at Lakeys (see above) is the wave which is always most crowded but if you get out and have a look around, there are lots of other great waves in the area to keep you 'occupied', ;-) I think the only advice would be not to surf the heavier reef breaks on low tide.  Other than that, it's epic!

Lakey Beach Surf Breaks 

Don't forget to either take anti-malarials before coming or to pack some long-sleeved t-shirts and linen trousers as the mosquitoes are everywhere in the evenings and the threat of malaria here is very real - you will see sign posts about it in many of the smaller villages and it is not something to be taken lightly.  Sumbawa is not a place you want to become ill so pack your bags wisely!

 Other medication is only available in supermarkets in places like Dompu but don't expect much, it would be a better idea to come ready-prepared for this.  I should also note that Sumbawa (as with many places in Indonesia) is a seismic hot-spot and, even though we were only there for 5 days, there were a couple of mini-earthquakes.  They are frequent and so the locals know what to expect but, if you are like me, it can be terrifying the first time! It's not something to worry about, just to be aware of.

Warning about Malaria in a town near Lakey Beach

www.davidburdenphotography.com

From there on, you cannot help but enjoy yourself and love the experience! The people are as fantastic as the surrounding scenery and you will be met with nothing other than warmth.

Here is how I would sum up a Sumbawa experience in short...........

Expect; epic waves, heat, goats, buffaloes, wild horses, fishing, amazing seafood, friendly people, malaria, beautiful unspoilt landscapes, chill out vibe, world-class honey, power-cuts, the odd earthquake or two.

Don't expect; uncrowded waves, Western commodities, great hotels (except for the pricier Aman Gati Hotel!), cheap prices, many activities other than surfing, fully functioning AC (because of the power-cuts!), or to pay anything by card.

Below are some of my favourite photos from my short stay in Sumbawa........(click on them for a closer look!)                     

The serene Lakey Beach

Meeting the locals

Lakey Beach sunset

A Monarch Butterfly perched

 on a leaf just outside our room

 The omnipresent Sumbawan goats

The following photos are courtesy of David Burden Photography, who is available in Bali for weddings, parties, modelling and other kinds of shoots.

Amazingly fun session somewhere nearby......

Giovanni 'Top Gun' Cossu

Dave's sunset boat shot

www.davidburdenphotography.com

Bali: A Love/Hate Affair

I have tried to sum up all that's good and all that's bad about Bali in a few paragraphs, here it is, as I see it......

5 THINGS YOU WILL LOVE;

• Beaches - I'm sure this a reason why most of you came in the first place - not all the beaches in Bali are as serene as you might think but I would recommend
  Kuta, Padang Padang, Balangan the beaches of Nusa Lembongan - all have golden sand and are fine for swimming (some not so great on low tide).

A view looking from the cliff above Bingin down to Dreamland with Kuta in the distance

• Surf - think Padang Padang, Uluwatu, Bingin, Keramas, the list goes on. Bali is known as the 'Land of Lefts' but in reality it has waves for everybody - learn in the Kuta closeouts,...
  have fun at Canggu, get barrelled at Ulus or Bingin and charge at Padang Padang. It's all out there and you will find great surf no matter what time of year you come!

• People - the local people are among the nicest and friendliest people you will find anywhere and, despite the rampant development due to tourism, they treat foreigners with genuine kindness.  They are also guaranteed to ask 1) 'What your name?' 2) 'Where you from?' and 3) 'Where you stay in Bali?.  Some of the more adventurous might even ask 'Married, Mister?'.  They are very chilled out (except when they get on their motorbikes!) and will make you feel welcome wherever in Bali you go.

A couple of the local boys chilling out on a Sunday afternoon

• Food - there is, in South Bali at least, every kind of restaurant imaginable, from local Indonesian cuisine, to Mexican, Persian, Italian, Greek, you name it - it's here! And all for a very decent price. You can choose to suit your budget as the range is so good.

I highly recommend trying the 'Nasi Kuning' (meaning 'Yellow Rice') from Ketupat Restaurant!

• Prices - the price of just about everything you will ever want to buy as a tourist is cheaper than you can find it at home (except perhaps surf stuff!). Also, you can barter your way to a bargain or simply stumble on something dirt cheap.

5 THINGS YOU WILL HATE;

• Traffic - over-crowded, badly maintained roads lead to nightmarish traffic jams and stressful trips.  Best ways to avoid getting stressed about the traffic is to either hire a driver or find yourself a place to stay from where you will have to do very little travelling.  For surfers, from April - late October, there's no place like the Bukit Peninsular!

• Police - they are out there and, as far as I can see, are glorified traffic wardens who spend their days directing traffic and taking money off tourists.  This said, you can avoid their hassles by wearing a helmet, not driving over the line at the traffic light (they love that one!), having an international driving licence, or simply not stopping when they try to flag you down (I have heard this works but am yet to try it....I'm assured that things won't get any worse if you ignore them and carry on driving!)

• Prices - 'Again?!' I can hear you say - yes, the prices go both ways - with nothing having a real 'price' on display, it is hard to know if you are really getting a bargain or paying over the odds, especially if you have just arrived! Also, it can be annoying with people always trying to rip you off just because you're a tourist and having to barter can be tiring.

• Rubbish - it is a big problem and it is everywhere.  It's sad to see but, with many other developing nations, the people here are used to only using natural products and throwing them away without a second thought, yet they still apply the same idea to plastics, glass, metal, etc.  Bali is without a refuse collection system to further compound the problem.  Private areas are usually kept very clean, however.

Double Whammy - 'sacred' cows are left to graze on a rubbish tip.....go figure!

• Treatment of Animals - you will see roaming dogs treated as if they were rats, with many people on the roads just going full-steam at them as if they weren't there, chickens carted around on the backs of pick-up trucks in cages a couple of centimetres high and cockerels primed ready for fighting (and that means to the death).  Even 'sacred' cows aren't spared as they are often seen left to graze on rubbish heaps.  Another thing you will see are the horse & carriages that give tourists lifts around Kuta - the poor horses are pushed through heavy traffic all day, sucking in all the fumes in the heat and are often seen foaming at the mouth - my personal advice would be not to take any of these as it is not something that should be encouraged.  Also, if you see a stray dog that needs help, call / text BAWA and they will come to attend to the dog - 0811389004 (http://www.bawabali.com/v1/contact.html)

A man selling chicks that have been dyed to sell to kids - they are kept in these cages, peddled around the streets through the traffic in the sun - not nice.

I should say that this list is in no way exhaustive! I'm sure you will find a thousand and one other things that you will love about Bali.......as the old saying goes, 'you never know until you go!'

Cheers

Steve

Balangan Sunset Sesh

Yeehaw!

Uluwatu & Padang Padang photos

Rizal Tanjung was out there and (as always) ripping it up! He was getting the best waves of the sets and definitely stood out from the crowd.  It was the first Padang swell of the season and they were out in their droves.

Here's a video I just put together of some shots from Uluwatu & Padang Padang the other day
from my friend Mr. Wiley -


                                                 'Slideshow'

Here are also some of his photos;

For more, check out his blog - www.willspelan.blogspot.com

Padang Padang

More photos -->

Ozzy Wright

Ozzy Wright flying down the line at Ulus

.......and 2 seconds later on the same wave.......

Mission Impossible(s)

Wall of Water

www.willspelan.blogspot.com

Padang Padang comes to life......

> Yesterday, Padang Padang finally came alive.....it took a 3.8m swell @ 15 seconds but it was alive and kicking. Below are some of the photos I took down there and at Balangan yesterday - it was a serious swell although I thought Padang would have been bigger. Check out the shallow inside section!! Also, click on the image for the full-size version.

Padang Padang - I counted 40 people out. Here's the video (thanks to my friend Marco!)

Balangan - big clean-up sets and only a handful of guys out

There's more of the same coming on Wednesday 14th July, if not even bigger!! The Rip Curl Cup starts its waiting period soon, too - it's all happening!

Traffic

At the moment with the school holidays, the traffic is even crazier than ever - check out my video of the junction at the end of my road.....the traffic lights stopped working about a week ago and they haven't been fixed yet! 

Traffic in Denpasar

The Road to Medewi (why not to drive there on a motorbike!)

All of Bali's Surf Reports and Forecasts in a Single Page!!

All of Bali's Surf Reports and Forecasts in a Single Page!!

I have noticed in Bali that things have come a long way in the short time I have been here in terms of reports and forecasts, yet things are still pretty much in the dark ages compared to places like Australia; there are no live webcams at any surf beaches still and 'eyeball reports' only come from someone taking photos and putting them online (usually at the end of the day i.e. late enough to tell what you have missed and they are not
guaranteed to upload on a daily basis!).

However, there are still plenty of forecasts and reports to make good use of and I have put links to them all below, in order of personal preference;

My preferred surf forecast is this one from Stormsurf - http://www.stormsurf.com/locals/bali.shtml

To add to this, they have a wave buoy prediction which calculates actual face height, taking into account period and swell direction; http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display2.cgi?a=t6;b=bali.

I find this good as it does the maths for you!

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A new website called 'Indo Surf Life' has a pretty good report - they upload photos from all the main spots (think Uluwatu, Canggu, Padma, Keramas, etc.).

Here's the link to the site - http://www.indosurflife.com/surfcheck.html

These photos are often uploaded the same morning so you can see how the conditions were for the dawny.  This site is fast becoming the leading web page for surf reports on Bali as it is the only one which provides same-day photos on a regular basis. Hopefully it will keep improving and expanding in the future!

They have also started doing a twitter surf report for Bali, see the right of this page (sidebar) for this!

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This is the windguru forecast (pretty similar to the others but some people prefer it)

 

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Here is the live forecast from magicseaweed for Uluwatu (which generally has the biggest & best waves in Bali)

Uluwatu Surf Report and Forecast

Uluwatu Surf Report and Forecast

Also, recently added are the magicseaweed pages which include links to Eyeball Reports.  They are divided up as follows;

Overview of reports for all the main spots - http://magicseaweed.com/Bali-and-Lombok-Surf-Forecast/55/

Spots on the Bukit Peninsula - http://magicseaweed.com/Bukit-Peninsula-Surfing/393/ (scroll down about halfway to see which Eyeball reports are up on that day)

Spots in West Bali - http://magicseaweed.com/West-Bali-Surfing/394/  (scroll down about halfway to see which Eyeball reports are up on that day)

Spots in East Bali - http://magicseaweed.com/East-Bali-Surfing/186/

Again, you can't rely on these every day but they are pretty good when up and running!

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Also, Baliwaves  is another useful sight and they provide a regular e-mail update (but, yet again, it's to tell you what you missed that day or yesterday).  Here's the link
http://www.baliwaves.com/ .
See the right of this page (sidebar) for their twitter surf report!

It's not a bad service but not the most reliable as it doesn't get updated daily but it's the original surf report in Bali and is still useful.

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Bali Surf Report also have a site but I find theirs inconsistent as they don't update it every day.  They do have various photos from several locations (remember to click the 'Read' label to the bottom right of the photo as this gives you the date - best to check yesterday's report isn't much help!) so you don't always know what day the photos are from.  Even so, it's a nice little addition to a growing list of surf reports.  Here's the link http://www.balisurfreport.com

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I have just noticed there is another Bali Surf Report website (predictable given the imaginative name!) offering photos, here's the link http://www.bali-surf-report.com/  It appears they give more photos of the day's activities from their surf school rather than a report as such.
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Here's a link to free tide tables for this year for Bali -  http://www.indosurf.com.au/Tide_Charts.html 

Especially usefeul as the tides in this part of the world can be very odd indeed - check my previous blog post on the subject for more info - http://livebali.blogspot.com/2010/06/keep-your-eyes-on-tides.html

                                                       ------------------------------------

Hope this helps & enjoy!

Steve


All of Bali's Surf Reports and Forecasts in a Single Page!!