There are many things in this world that can give us copious amounts of pleasure, and the world itself is surely one of them.  Travel to a far away land in search of new and different waves is an exhilarating experience.  But like most things worth reaching for, it can be dangerous or displeasing if done incorrectly.

We as surfers often pride ourselves in the spontaneity of the moment.  We have lives and “schedules” that are dictated by the whims of the ocean.  Sometimes, that “reliable” surf forecast is misleading, and we get a call from a buddy saying that conditions are just perfect!  The wind is just right, swell direction is great, and the wave height is…”just get to the beach…Now!” After all, this is half the fun of it, not knowing what you’ll be doing or what type of wave you will be surfing when you wake up that day.  Call it what you will, but surfers tend to lean more on the impulsive side.  And that virtue (vice, perhaps?) will naturally leak into planning and executing a surf trip to a foreign country.

Costa Rican Surf Mobile

We’ve all been there before:  A surf friend comes up to us and proclaims that the waves in *insert country here* are going off around this time of year.  You, being the avid surfer and trusting friend, agree that it would be nice to be in that sunny paradise, soaking up the foreign rays and dropping in on a new wave.  Said friend says, “Well let’s go there!  Two weeks should be plenty of time to get our arrangements and hop on a plane.”  To most of us this sounds awesome, and it is; nothing like injecting the month and year with a spur-of-the-moment trip.

As much as the aforementioned story sounds fun, invigorating, and adventurous I urge you to be “that guy” with surf travel planning.  I’m not saying you need to you spend the next two years thinking about the country you’ve been dying to go to for waves, but it does behoove you (and your surf companions) to find the happy medium and the objective manner to figuring out the details and preparing for the trip of your life.   Obviously if you are a seasoned surf traveler to the particular country, or you are traveling with friends that have been there countless times and are on a first-name basis with the local bartender closest to the break, then there is a little more leniency with preparation and time management.  But if this is your first time to that new and foreign region, and if your travel companions are as green as you with this topic, then do everything in your power to adhere to the following advice.

Save Your Money

This is one of those “no kidding, dude, this goes without saying” pointers, but you’d be surprised at how many traveling surfers spend their next month’s electric bill on the fee to get their surfboard on an airplane (one of the frustrating, and scary, burdens of surf travel…but that’s another topic).  We all enjoy going to the local watering hole with our closest group of friends, but do something different for the next few months.  Save a few dollars here or there.  If you work a 9-to-5, pack your lunch instead of buying it each day.  It might only be a few dollars, but multiply that times the frequency in which your spendthrift habits occur.  Create a little imaginary bank account on paper, and when you would normally buy something, write it down and keep and ongoing tally.  You’ll be ecstatic when a few months pass and you have hundreds of dollars saved up, when you would have historically spent them on who-knows-what.  Now you’ll actually have something to show for your hard-earned money.  If you are lucky and your group of social friends also happens to be your surf buddies and future travel cohorts, then it’ll be easy to do the inexpensive Friday night (24-pack of beer and watching Endless Summer at your studio apartment…don’t laugh, we’ve all been there before).

Give Yourself Enough Time

We all have to be honest with ourselves, two weeks isn’t nearly enough time to plan an intricate trip to a land unknown.  There are many aspects to research, and with some destinations more than others.  You wouldn’t buy the first plane ticket you see, would you?  Well that train of thought should apply to every decision prior to surf travel.

What’s the best region to go to?  That question alone has many branches to it.  Where are the best waves–accessible to automobiles (unless you’re set on hiking miles upon miles to a break with your board, a pack full of a day’s supplies, and the rest of Mother Nature between you and the waves).  Where is it safe for travelers?  Depending on where you go in the world, there are many hostile regions that, even though they harvest great waves, it would be better to go in the future when political and/or social characteristics change and become more adhesive to travelers.

Part of planning also has to do with budgeting, as explained above.  Just because you’re going to a remote area doesn’t mean it’ll be inexpensive.  That is often times the case, where the American dollar goes far, but do some research on the topic.  Some amenities you may have to splurge on when you never would have.  Some places you really should steer clear of the drinking water because of the indigenous bacteria that is resident there.  You can ease it into your diet (definitely worth it if you are going to be there for weeks at a time), but you’ll have to buy bottled water without fear of getting sick.  That is another consideration, and it is highly advised to bring a little first-aid kit with you.

Pack Wisely

Board Bags Loaded For Travel

This is one of those things that can’t be stressed nearly enough.  Unless you are going on this trip to hit up the bars in a fifty mile radius, you don’t need that nice pair of wingtips, three pair of dress pants, and a wardrobe of clothes that you “might” wear.  Forget about it!  You’re going there to surf, and all you really need is a handful of boardshorts, a pair of jeans, a few sweatshirts (just because the days are blazing hot, doesn’t mean the nights will be sweat-filled), a couple handfuls of wax (make sure you get the right wax for the water temperature you are traveling to), and the necessary toiletries.  Of course there are a few other have-to-haves, but you get the idea.

Bring what you need and nothing more.  There aren’t any fashion shows where you are going.  But possibly the most important aspect of packing is not just the “what”, but the “how”.  We travel with surfboards, and even when we have the five inch padded bags, it still isn’t enough.  Just picture the worst that somebody can do with your boardbag, and keep that in the back of your mind as you pack.  Don’t bring typical luggage, because you have the world’s greatest luggage already…your boardbag!  Pack every piece of clothing around that beautiful surfboard to ensure the safety of your stick.  Your boardbag and a backpack would be plenty of luggage real estate to get all you need to your destination.

Learn the Language

The language barrier that you may run into if you travel to a foreign country could potentially degrade your experience to the point of danger.  I’m not saying that you have to be fluent in the language of the land, but you should have a decent grasp on phrases that you will say or hear to get around the general public.  This will not only allow you to survive the trip, but it will also give you the opportunity to meet new and amazing people, and share verbal communication with them.  This is all tied back to giving yourself enough time to plan before the airplane starts the engines.  If you haven’t had any exposure to the language, then I highly recommend going the extra mile to learn it.  There are plenty of self-study resources out there in the form of books, software, and even online classes.  These are all feasible options, and they will pay themselves back with the first conversation you have with a smiling local.

Learn The Local Language

Traveling abroad is a something that, when done right, will be an exciting and amazing experience that you will never forget.  The waves, the locals, and the times will have you planning your next trip almost immediately.  But surf travel is not something that just falls into place and works itself out; it must be scientifically planned.  With the right approach, though, you will have yourself a time full of stoke.

A couple of weeks into our stay on the island of the gods, an itch started to fester and needed to be scratched.  With the unlatching of all commitments–beginning with the biggest one of all: our jobs–came also the release of all those desires that had been tucked away and postponed.  While the desire to master surfing alone did impose on us a certain discipline–requiring us to be up at early hours of the morning and to return to the shore at near-sunset each day–another aspect of surfing did nothing to restrain the restlessness that resided within us: the prospect of attempting a different spot, and potentially discovering the ultimate wave of our lives.

We decided to head over to Lombok, another island on the Indonesian archipelago.  After reading and hearing of Lombok being an untouched Bali, or “Bali as it was 30 years ago” and with waves aplenty, we felt compelled to make our visit.  As neither G. nor I have reached that numeral age-wise, “Bali 30 years ago” was a non-existent conception.  Images of virgin beaches, solitary peaks, rolling waves and everything that Kuta and Seminyak was not started flooding our brains.  Adrenal gland overdrive!

Contemplating on the journey from Bali to Lombok

Lombok was a mere 30 minute flight away from Ngurah Rai International Airport.  But what fun would traveling back in time be if you did not experience the older mode of transport and route: by sea?   With that, we undertook a 2 hour ride to Padang Bai harbor where a massive ferry could transport you across the Bali Strait.  The ride was long, however, with the incessant chatter of our friendly yet knowledgeable Balinese driver it seemed a slight bit more bearable.  The suffering did not stop there, however.  Oh no no no no.  As soon as your feet land on the sandy and bristling hot tar of the street near the harbour, the hassling begins. “You going to Gili? We can take you Gili- cheap and fast!” “Oh you want go Senggigi? Same same- cheap and fast!” “Where you want go- we take you!” Now, if you were in a rush and you did not mind paying about $30 USD per person, you could get to the island in about 2 and a half hours.  But if you were like us, with a liberated, unlimited and unfilled schedule in view, you could pay $1 USD and hop on a ride with the rest of the locals, reaching the island at a leisurely, life-enjoying pace of 5 hours.

The ferry is a monster of a vessel, with vehicle spaces on its bottom-most deck and three upper-level decks for passengers. It was open-air with very sporadic benches and tables.  There were prayer rooms for Muslim passengers and even rooms where you could take naps in.  We could not figure out how these nap rooms were administrated, though, as we kept seeing people walking in and out.  I suppose these rooms were for passengers who frequently made these journeys and were therefore tired of the scenery.  For G and I, crossing the Lombok Strait was a completely eye-opening and novel experience–even if all we saw after the slow disappearance of the Bali coastline and mountains was an empty infinite horizon of blue ocean, listening to the sounds of the vessel engines humming and the rhythmic crashing of the waves onto the sides of the vessel.

The disappearing view of Bali coastline

We found ourselves at Lembar harbor in West Lombok, scrambling for a transfer to Kuta Lombok, the southern part of the island where most of the known breaks are found. Lady Luck fortunately was smiling on our side, as we found a group of other same destination travelers with whom we split the ride.  Eight of us were cramped into a seven-seater van, non-airconditioned and having to bear with a bumpy 2 hour ride into the South.  At first sight, Lombok did seem a tad under-developed. There was hardly any organized transfer counters at the harbour as you would find in Bali.  At certain points of the journey the road became an unpaved, dirt stony one that was flooded occasionally.  There were some signs that indicated that progress and development had indeed reached the shores of this forgotten neighbor–the streets were in the process of being widened and many roads were closed due to road work.

Just another ordinary day for these locals

People were friendlier here than in Bali.  The kids and adults we saw along the streets seemed surprised at seeing a bus full of foreigners passing their way and a spontaneous overflow of “hello!” coupled with exuberant hand waves was a common sight. G noted that it seemed that the less incursions and fewer sightings of foreigners, the more genuine the smiles and the hand waves.

The skies were turned vermilion orange by the time we reached Kuta Lombok and it was beginning to get dark.  The streets in Kuta were still one lane and narrow, with no street lamps except for the little blimps and light overspill from the shops and waroengs that line the streets.  If you’re looking for high-level accommodations, you’ve come to the wrong place.  The only resort and brand-named hotel in this area is the Novotel.  Apart from that, everything else was either homestays or individual-owned bed and breakfasts or inns.  We visited a few along the street and after gawking at the decrepit state of some of the accommodations, finally settled on Surfer’s Inn with its gracious host, we refer to only as ‘Pak’.

The waters in Kuta Lombok itself

We heard so much about Gerupuk and the kindness of the waves there that we figured that had to be the first spot we tried. About 7km east of Kuta and a 30-minute moped ride, you will find yourself in the fishing village of Gerupuk.  Most of the houses here are still wooden and simply built with dried coconut leaves as roofs but we saw a few that were brick-walled, and even a small resort in the midst of construction just outside the entrance to the village that led us to believe that the surf tourism to this area has somehow contributed to some of the economic improvements to this otherwise poor, fishing village.**

The local kids enjoying the simple pleasures of condensed milk and bread in Gerupuk

Paddling into Inside Gerupuk, or what is also known as Bumbang Bay, was as welcoming as a cup of shaved ice on a roasting afternoon.  The boat ride to the break was quick, with fresh clean ocean waters spraying into your face and cooling off the effects of a scorching sun.  You could not be more grateful for that!  The waters were as warm as can be expected of the tropics, and the swell coming in from the southwest lends itself to the creation of some very nice sets of a right-hand breaking waves.  We were accompanied by about 6 other boats anchored just outside, and were grateful that we chose 7 foot mini-mals and could remain outside with the long-boarders.  Our boat drivers only had small shortboards, but seeing their tanned skin told us that they have had enough practice on these waves to be able to catch them whenever and wherever.  As I was paddling into position and about to take off on an oncoming peak, I heard a wheezing sound and felt a spraying of water to my face.  I turned my head to my left and had to sit back up and drag my board back from taking off.  The man who took that wave turned out to be Edie of Gerupuk, who owned the shop we rented our boards from and the boats that took us there.  More than grudging that he ‘stole’ a wave from me, I was secretly grudging the life he has–surfing all and any day!

The fishing boats that double up as surfer transporters

After quenching our thirst for surf, we searched for a nice-looking place to fill our hunger for nourishment.   We stumbled on something more than that.  Ashtari Inn is solitarily located on the top of a hill, overlooking the bays of Kuta.  The food was monastic but the views were magnificently extravagant. Lounging on the mats, leisurely plunging organic food down our mouths and occasionally walking into the balcony for the views, each one of our senses felt truly stimulated and alive.

Mawi

The next day, it was a road trip hunt for Mawi. We did not have a map with us, and equipped with only our sense of direction and the knowledge that Mawi was west of Kuta, we ventured on the old, potholed, single-laned roads of south Lombok.  Luckily there were subtle road signs–probably left by previous visitors to the spots–to show us the way.  Mawi is a nice reef break that offers hollow lefts and rights on small days, but on heavier days it was rumoured to be a “heaving left barrel, with elevator drops and heavy hold downs.”  On that particular day, it was ranging somewhere in between 6ft and 10ft and being undecided about the conditions ourselves, we were happy to watch some of the local and foreign surfers rip it up.  Perhaps next time when we return I will have gathered enough experience and balls to go in myself!

Surfer on one of the small sets at Mawi

**Building Sustainable Communities Gerupuk http://www.bscaustralia.org

– an environmental and community-uplifting initiative began by a surfer who visited Lombok.

One of the most exciting things to do as a surfer is travel the globe in search of the perfect wave.  As modern day surfers, we are fortune enough to have 90% of the world’s most wonderful breaks at our fingertips.  For those of us that are surfers in lifestyle, we go on a daily basis to “our” break.  Or possibly you have a handful of breaks depending on the tide, swell direction, wind, or crowds.  Regardless of the locations in your geographical quiver, we rarely span beyond a few miles of coastline.  This is due to a few realistic reasons:  time, money, and non-ocean obligations.  But we fall into this routine that dictates the “where”, “when”, and “how”.  We get comfortable with the waves, the different factors that the ocean compels on us, the affects of that area, and even other surfers that we recognize by sight, sound, or style.  There is a lot to be said about being “in your element.”  It allows us to concentrate on intrinsic factors, such as performance, emotions, and everyday thoughts.

This comfort in the form of local familiarization needs to be shattered every once in a while.  And we all most likely do this as well.  For those of us in the continental United States, we often take trips down the coast, up the coast, or to the opposite coast.  But conditions tend to be very familiar (especially on the same coast as “your spot”), with only the scenery changing.

Now close your eyes (well, please don’t keep them closed, because this article does continue).  Picture yourself surrounded by what could be considered a different ocean in a different universe.  A few hundred yards’ paddle (or shall I say meters) leads to the first physical indication of land; a land that is completely different than what you’re used to, and an ocean that is even more unknown.  Even the sand is forced through your toes with a different feel.  Nothing looks the same.  Nobody speaks the same.  The wave has a different feel, both on the face and tumbling underneath the powerful grip of her aquatic hand.  You are here, with the only knowledge as a dot of ink that can be placed on map, somewhere between the green and the blue.

Traveling to a different country in the search of perfect waves is the closest thing you can get to the first wave you ever rode.  There is the element of the mysterious, both in the ocean and in the surfers surrounding you.  Every instant of the first couple of waves has all of your senses sprinting at full speed.  It’s a wondrous feeling, and a rush worth searching for.  The paddle out is enticing, feeling what seems like a different body of water altogether.  Where are the rips?  Are there even any rips here?  What is the seafloor like?  Sand, rock…reef?  Coral reef potentially is a very exciting and first-time experience for many new traveling surfers.  The feeling of that column of water dancing and mirroring every change of the coral and translating that to the bottom of your surfboard is exhaustingly exhilarating, dangerous, and fulfilling.  Wiping out over reef is a science worth exploring.

There is a duality to international travel for waves.  The flip side of the excitement and experience of traveling can be had on dry land.  Some of the most memorable people and times you will have will be in a land where every event is something new.  What is the daily routine to the locals is a completely different lifestyle than you’ve ever seen.  They are either attracted to you or repelled by your very own physical communication.  Smile a lot, and often times you will be smiled back at.  Even if you have the rent-a-car special to get from the airport to your place of sleep and to the breaks, don’t use the car to get around the neighborhood.  Walk…enjoy the scenery and the new faces.

Costa Rica from the air

Often times foreign travel in search of waves brings us to countries or regions where the language is different than our native tongue.  Many people call this a language barrier, but don’t look at it with that spin.  You don’t have to be fluent to immerse yourself in the culture of the people, and that includes verbal communication.  It is extremely advised to have a certain grasp on, at the very least, key phrases.  It is not unheard of that an area or region has zero English influence.  Sure, in some of the more developed areas where tourism has taken a spot in culture the English language can be heard, almost as mainstream as the United States.  But do not rely on that, especially if your destination is more remote than the “popular” breaks around the world.  Pick up a book, or buy some software and dedicate hours, days, and weeks to learning at least the basics of the foreign language prior to traveling:  It will make the experience not only better, but also gives you the ability to absorb every aspect out of the cultural immersion.

As mentioned above, there are foreign countries with great waves where the locals know English just as well as they know their domestic tongue.  I challenge you to shift outside of your comfort level, and what is expected of that “American surfer”:  make your best effort to speak their native vernacular.  They will appreciate it more than you can imagine.  Then when you get home you can speak all the English you’d like.

Few activities lead to such physical, mental, and emotional bliss as surfing.  Throw in a new, mysterious wave in a foreign country and you have an experience that will last a lifetime–and one which will leave you staring at a map for the next aquatic adventure.  Step outside of your bubble and plunge into the unknown…and then paddle for the next perfect wave.

(Check back next week for the sequel to this article: The Science of Surf Travel)

Two months into our jobless phase, and John and I found ourselves scrambling for a suitable living arrangement in Bali.  Finding cheap accommodations in Bali is not a difficult thing to do.   Scattered all along the stretches of Kuta and Seminyak are plenty of bed & breakfasts, new, old and upcoming hotels, and those luscious, luxury-like-but-at-a budget-type villas. Oh no no no..not a difficult thing to do at all!  What is mind-wrenching is finding a nice affordable villa that is ideally located near the not-so-crowded surf breaks of Bali.  And “ideally located” means not more than a few minutes moped-ride to get ourselves past the Bali traffic on the two-lane, narrow, winding tarmac that they call roads, and paddling out into the peaks we have chosen, before the line-up count breaches forty or before the first ray of light hits the waters.  Yes- a massive congregation of men and women, young and old, novice and expert, surfer or standup paddlers all out in the waters by 7am to pay their respects.  On any given morning, the sermon seemingly delivered to us by the waves that come a-crashing is that of sharing nature’s bounty.  On such mornings, especially, we also learn the importance of the human-imposed rule of priority in surf.

Speaking of priorities, there was some shifting of it to be done in our lives.  At least 2 years’ worth of debating and mental preparation had preceded this globe wandering act of ours.  We were tired of letting our then-jobs be the gods of our lives, dictating every daylight hour and shifting all our other interests around it.  Surfing was one of these other interests which we could only manage on one of those rare extended weekends when a Friday or Monday was a national holiday.  Bali’s economy flourished from the contributions we, and many others like us, made on those partying and surfing weekends.  But we needed more!  Not the partying but the surfing.  Despite being new and irregular at it, we both shared an unexplained fascination with the act of catching and riding waves–so why not embark on an adventure of a lifetime to ride all the waves we could find while trawling this planet?

And so it was on the 1st week of September 2010 that we found ourselves, with our lives (reduced to only the bare necessities) in our luggage, straddling the customs lines of Ngurah Rai International airport.  As my country is a member of ASEAN, I was granted a free one-month visa pass to stay in Bali while G, being a French citizen had to buy the visa from the authorities.  Legally of course.  We have heard and read on the Internet of how such visas and subsequent extensions can be easily purchased as long as you had a “connection” within, and other corrupt acts that persons-in-authority were capable of.  We, however, found no such thing and certainly had no desire to implicate ourselves, especially since we wanted to live on the island for a considerable period of time.  We had both bought a return ticket on Jetstar–one of the numerous budget airlines that ply the Denpasar-Singapore route at not-pocket-emptying prices–with no intention of utilizing the return portion. Well, not at least, until we master the art of surfing or our visa runs out–whichever comes first!

B-A-L-I – is an Indonesian island, lying between Java to its west and Lombok, to its east.  It lies there as an anomaly amidst the majorly Muslim archipelago of Indonesia, it is the only island where Hinduism is the main religion. In fact, 92.9% of Bali’s 3.9 million inhabitants are Hindu adherents.  Bali is also known as the largest tourist haven in Indonesia, renowned for its arts that include dance, sculptures, painting, leather and metalworking, and music. Of course, it is also known as the surf mecca of Asia.  Thousands of surfers make their pilgrimage to this island each year–be them competitive surfers or free surfers–to pay homage to the numerous lefts that peel all along its southern coast.  Not to say that there are no right-breaking waves here, but simply an overwhelming number of waves that choose to go the opposite way.  Bali is a goofy heaven.

More than 30 known surf breaks are found along its coastline.  An important feature that we looked out for was what lay waiting for us at the bottom after the pounding whitewash- was it reef or was it sand?  As newly-inducted surfing adherents, we do not downplay the critical nature of this, especially when we read the cautionary tales of reef cuts by other surfers on online sites, or even see these cuts manifested as ugly keloids on the backs, hands, or even faces of the surfers we see on the street.  Indeed, it would be a tale of misfortune for our adventure to be cut short by an injury.  Thankfully, we found plenty of sand breaks to satiate our addiction to the endorphin-related high we get from riding a wave.  Most of these beach’s breaks lie along the stretch of coast that is called Kuta/Seminyak and naturally, these beaches are where majority of the hotels, the bars, the nightlife, and the surf schools operate.  And naturally too, we stayed as far away from that as we could.

BERAWA AND CANGGU

We found a nice little villa in the Canggu- Berawa area, nested amongst the locals’ residences.  In Bali, most of the so-called villas are built relatively and almost claustrophobically close to each other.  But once inside the compound, however, the perimeter high walls that serve to enclose your villa give you an expanded sense of spaciousness, like you are in your own little bubble.  It was fairly big, with a picturesque view of a rice field and a nice small pool.  But most important of all, it was located a 1-minute ride from the beach break waves of Berawa and a 3-minute ride from the waves of Canggu Beach.

At the sound of my phone alarm beeping at 6:30am in the morning I shook John out of bed, and by 7am we were amongst few surfers ready to begin our worship. I call it worship because you sit out there on your board, usually meditating out into the Indian Ocean and uttering underneath your breath, some words along the likes of “Please come again and soon” or “Please let me ride the next one good.”  I don’t know what other surfers could be thinking of while balanced on their boards, but I certainly know that some sort of balancing in the mind is occurring simultaneously for me.  Berawa, according to sites like Wannasurf and IndoSurfLife, is a consistent, year round left, and depending on the swell you catch it on it could be a hollow, fast, and really fun wave.  Indeed, it was not long before it became one of our favourite waves in Bali.  Not only due to the relatively easy paddle out (there is a channel to the right of the peak) but also the friendly locals who became familiar faces at the spot.  Being locals, they know the waves best and most times, would almost always be perfectly positioned to rip the big ones that come–but they are not hesitant to let you have one too.  Typical boards that you would spot are shortboards, fish–no longboarders or stand up paddlers here.

Another of our favourite spot lies between Berawa and Echo Beach.  This spot consists of waves breaking at multiple different places and, if you are not fussy, you could find your own peak there.  A multitude of genres of people come here ranging from the residential expats who have lived amongst the locals for decades and who consider themselves as locals, to surf school beginners, to individuals from Germany, Australia, France, Austria, Italy, USA, Japan and Holland.  Surfing is the sport where at one location you could hear multiple expressions of “stoked” in different languages.  Unfortunately, it is also the sport where at one location, on those bad days when hardly anyone is catching a wave, you would learn the seediest word of each language.  Verbal altercations are part and parcel of social interactions, and at this spot we learned a lot about the kindness and rudeness that we are all capable of.  The best part about this spot, however, lies on solid ground where the little warung* located on the beach serves the juiciest, sweetest banana milkshake and mie goreng- the typical breakfast of a surfer living in Bali.

Myself along Canggu beach

Those are not seals! This is what the lineup looks like on an ordinary day.

MEDEWI

If you are not averse to driving 4 hours along the narrow Bali roads, crossing scenic and beautifully landscaped rice fields, and overtaking countless lorries, vans, trucks, you could find yourself at one of the most consistent and longest left-breaking wave in the world.  It was on one such day that John and I watched the Rip Curl Grom Search competition.  While there seemed to be only a small pool of boys competing, it was clear that those that did had a tremendous amount of surfing capability as well as incredibly supportive parents who stood by them, some with telephoto lenses focused on their respective offspring.  Rain or shine, nothing could stop these young upstarts from displaying their skills and getting a shot at competing at the bigger surf events.  John, being the goofy-footer and seeing the incredible,long, peeling left could not resist entering the water himself for a shot at showing off his new-found riding confidence to me.

Rip Curl 2010 contestant

A very entertaining host

One of the winners

Medewi is not a sand break and he had to walk on smoothed out volcanic rocks for a certain distance before he could start paddling out.  As it is far out from the tourist areas and it takes someone with incredible dedication to set himself on the long journey from the airport, we were hard-pressed to find really nice accommodations here.  The peaks are thus mostly populated with the local Balinese or truly committed surfers. Nonetheless, a longer-than-ten-second ride on a slow-peeling wave certainly made it worth our journey.

Big, smoothed over volcanic rocks in Medewi

When Medewi peels good

A typical warning sign in Bali

NORTH OF BALI

There are times when during the wet season (Aug-Mar) when the clouds will conspire to rain a whole sea down on you.  Those are the times when the rivers would swell and the contents of the drains of Bali would find its way to the mouth of the river and into the ocean. Those are the times when surfing is not impossible but simply not worth the potential skin scrapes and bacterial infections.  Those are the times when we organized ourselves in a rented van and drove up north of Bali for some cultural inspiration in Ubud, some diving in Amed or Tulamben, some panoramic views of Mt. Batur, some waterfall hiking and ricefields trekking in Munduk.

All done under the beautiful hot sun and wet, fresh mountain air of this place they call Island of the Gods.

———-

*warung, or waroeng- food stalls
*mie goreng- fried instant yellow noodles with shrimp and vegetables and traditional sweet Balinese sauce

Belgas, Portugal (photo from PenicheSurfCamp.com)

Situated on the west coast of the Europe, Portugal is exposed to all sorts of swells from the Atlantic ocean.  If you’re looking for something a little different for your next surf trip, and want a little European flair, then Portugal might be the place for you!

Meio Da Baia - Photo Courtesy Peniche Surf Camp

Portugal does not immediately come to mind when thinking of dream surf destinations.  But the secret is getting out, and Portugal is slowly rising as a premiere surf destination.

There are points, sandbars, bays, and even a few big waves places such as the island of Maderia.

Places To Stay

Peniche has a number of different surf camps, catering to a wide range European travelers looking to take a surf holiday.  My friend and I only met one other American during our stay, which was actually pretty fun.

Halloween Party @ Maximum Surf Camp

For this trip a friend an I stayed at the Peniche Surf Camp in Peniche.  Peniche is a quiet fishing town situated on an island-like peninsula of land.  This positions Peniche in such a way that you can always find a spot that’s offshore or out of the wind.

The camp offers a wide range of services, from personal and group lessons, to video critique sessions, and evening barbeques and parties.  Since we went over Halloween, we got to experience a raving euro-type Halloween bash at the German surf camp.  We met so many fun people from Portugal, Australia, Sweden, England, and many other places.  Thanks to Facebook I’m still in touch with many of them.

Camp Instructors

The instructors at the Peniche camp are excellent and experienced surfers who will help you on your technique and style.  The video sessions are excellent – seeing yourself on video can really help you improve.  There was also a professional photographer on hand so everyone got to come away with some great action shots.

This camp was quite cheap even though the Euro was slamming the Dollar when we went.  Some people might scoff at the idea of staying at a surf camp, but in my opinion surf travel is also about the people you meet, and staying at a camp you’ll make friends instantly.

The Waves

Perhaps most famous for “Supertubos” (Supertubes), there are a number of different breaks scattered around the town that offer a wide range of waves for beginners to more advanced surfers.

Consolação is a right hand rock reef.  We did not get to surf here as conditions did not permit.  However,

Supertubes is a fast, hollow beachbreak that can break your board and your neck.  This wave is for experienced surfers only.

Molho Leste (Pronounced “Moy Lest”) is a fast right that runs along a jetty.  It’s the next break over from Supertubes.  It can break even when very small, offering a great place for beginners.  But watch out…when this place breaks big it’s fast and powerful.

Myself at Meio Da Baia

On the other side of the peninsula we have Cantinho Da Baia and Meio Da Baia.  Basically these are spots along a large bay on the northen side of Peniche.  Depending on swell direction, the “Middle of the Bay” generally breaks bigger.  “Corner of the Bay” can offer protection from the wind and smaller waves.  When we were there we surfed Cantinho Da Baia a lot as it was more sheltered and the wave shape was better.  Meio Da Baia has a few peaks and is just off a pile of offshore reefs/rocks.  Meio Da Baia is where I had my worst wipeout ever.  It packs a punch, but it can help you push your surfing limits.

Further north along the coast is Lagido which is a left breaking over a reef, and then Almagreira and Belgas.  Conditions did not permit surf on the last two breaks, and I didn’t get to surf Lagido because of a tweaked neck I sustained in the aforementioned wipeout at Meio Da Baia.

Unfortunately we got a little skunked on our trip as Peniche was ransacked by heavy winds.  The weather we encountered was very unusual for the area, but we still surfed every day.  Towards the end of our 10 day stay winds calmed and the weather got quite good, so we did get a taste of the “usual” Peniche.

Equipment To Bring

Bring your standard shortboard (or whatever is standard for you), and then depending on the swell, take a step up or small wave board.  Check the swell forecast before you leave to see what kind of boards you might need.  I was happy to have brought my fish for the last few days when the waves got small.  I ended up getting the longest rides while everyone else was struggling on their thrusters.

If you don’t have a board, or don’t feel like bringing it on the plane, rentals are easy to come across at the various camps and shops.

As far as wetsuits go, you can get away with a 3/2 for much of the year, but in the Winter I definitely suggest bringing a 4/3 and throw your booties in the bag too.  In the summer you can get away with just a swimsuit, but if you’re like me and get cold, I’d bring a light wetsuit top or a springsuit.

Other Stuff To Do

Make sure you check out the local mom and pop cafes that are scattered around town.  Our favorite thing to do in the morning was to go to the local cafe, have a Galão or two and a chocolate croissant, chat with the other surfers, and then hit the water.

The Castle at Obidos

We took a day off to explore the countryside and went to the walled city of Obidos with Pedro, the surf camp photog.  He introduced us to “Ginjina de Obidos,” which is a cherry liqueur, found in many shops, stands, and bars around the city.  The best way to have it is poured from a large bottle into edible chocolate shot glasses.

Another great place is the small town of Ferrel.  The narrow streets, coffee shops and boutiques really make you feel like you’re in Europe.

To the south, the nearby town of Ericeira offers a multitude of world class surf breaks.  This is next on our list when we return to Portugal.

Getting There

Access to Peniche is an easy 45 minute drive from the main airport in Lisbon.

More Info

Peniche Surf Camp

Wannasurf.com – Portugal

Rincon, Puerto Rico is known as the Atlantic Ocean’s answer to Oahu’s North Shore.  Located on the northwest corner of the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, Rincon is situated to receive long period swells from Winter storms crossing the Atlantic.  Combined with balmy temperatures, bathtub-warm clear blue water, and easy access through Aguadilla airport, Rincon is a surf mecca for East Coasters sick of the Winter blues.

Getting There

The easiest way to get to Rincon is to find a flight into Aguadilla airport.  This will put you an easy 40 minute drive from Rincon.

What can I say…I’m a HUGE fan of Jet Blue.  They fly right into Aguadilla airport, and only charge $50 for your boards each way (as of this writing).  They’ve got personal TV’s with Direct TV in each seat, and you get unlimited snacks and drinks.  (Do I sound like an advertisement yet?)  Head over to JetBlue.com to search out the best fares.  Otherwise, hit up CheapTickets.com for fares on other airlines.  I don’t think JetBlue generally shows up on those discount airline websites, but I might be wrong.

Another thing is that Puerto Rico is so easy for US Citizens because they use the American dollar, and US citizens don’t need a passport.

Places To Stay

When I was planning my trip, I searched the internet for rentals.  I wanted to go as cheap as I could, and I found an apartment on VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner).  It ran me $500 for the week, had full kitchen ammenities, a great view, and a private driveway.

Check out VRBO and Craigslist for more private residences for rent.

Some of the nicer places I saw are the Lazy Parrot, Bunger’s Bon-Accord Inn, and Casa Islena.  On my next trip I’d love to stay at the Lazy Parrot.  For a comprehensive list of Rincon hotels and accomodations, check out Rincon.org.

Surf Spots!

The most important part of your trip!   There are so many spots around Rincon and on the North coast of the island that you’d be hard pressed to surf them all even in a week.

Myself Surfing Maria's

My favorite spot, by far, was Maria’s beach.  Located just off the 413, Maria’s is a friendly right point with a reef bottom.  Access is easy…park anywhere you want pretty much – just be respectful of course.  Parking in Rincon is very unregulated, which is nice for visitors.  Watch out for the HUGE pothole in the middle of the Maria’s lot!  I nearly killed my rental car.

Getting in and out at Maria’s is easy if you know what you’re doing.  If you sit down and watch, you’ll notice a lot of the surfers (well, the ones who know the spot) going in and out at a little keyhole.  This is a sandier spot that is easier on your feet and seems to have less urchins.

Indicators Lineup - Photo Hayley Gordon

Further up the coast from Maria’s is Indicators and Domes.  Indicators is a right point that curls along the cliff, “indicating” a coming set for Maria’s.  Domes is in it’s own little cove right underneath a power generator of some sort.  You’ll see the green “Dome” right away.

They were doing significant construction to the lighthouse pavilion when I was there, and hopefully that construction is finished.  It looks like it was going to turn out very nice.

Rincon’s renown big waves spot is called Tres Palmas located just off Steps Beach.  It’s called steps because of a random piece of concrete stairs sitting in the middle of the beach.

Tres Palmas View From The Goat House

When I was in Rincon last March I was lucky enough to Witness the “Swell of the Decade” which stacked the sets at Tres Palmas up to 25-30 foot.  It was an AMAZING experience.  The view from the road of Tres Palmas is spectacular, and on a good swell cars will be lined up, people watching, locals setting up beer coolers and selling Coronas, and general mayhem.  Be sure to get the Coconut gelato from the guy with the cart if he’s down there!  Next to Tres Palmas is its little sister, Dogman’s.

The north coast of Rincon point includes Sandy Beach, Puntas, Pools, and Antonio’s. These are all mostly reef breaks with some sand bottoms.  Sandy Beach sets up to be a left, and Antonio’s a right.  They get blown out by the trade winds, however, so they’re fun but not premier spots.

When the conditions are right, Little Malibu can start breaking.  It’s a right point breaking right into a bay.  The paddleout is fairly easy, but it’s a tricky wave to surf.  When I was there the huge swell was causing it to double up, heave, and back off, but that didn’t stop scores of hopefuls from attempting to catch a ride here.

Bridges in Aguadilla serving up some fun sized rights - Photo Hayley Gordon

When the swell starts absolutely macking you can head up to Aguadilla bay and catch some more fun sized waves at Bridges and Playgrounds.  I surfed Bridges at around 4 foot and super glassy when the rest of Rincon was maxed out.  Unfortunately, everyone else was also there, making it crowded.  Hold your own, be respectful, and don’t run over the spongers!

Further North of Aguadilla bay are the breaks of Crash Boat, Gas Chambers, and Wishing Well.  I did not venture up that way during my stay, but these are very popular breaks that can get very good.

On the north coast of Puerto Rico you’ve got Wilderness, Surfer’s Beach, Jobos, and Middles. I did not make it to this area during my travels, but will hopefully cover it during another trip.  You can check out Surfline’s extensive coverage of this, and all other major Puerto Rico surf spots, for more information.

There are surf spots for people of all abilities and board disciplines.

Other Stuff To Do

If the surf goes flat there are numerous things to do during your stay.  Check out the small shops scattered around town, hit up Calypso for a drink, go scuba diving off Desecheo Island, or take a moonlit horseback ride.