Well, it’s still wet season but Easter is the unofficial kick off to the Bali season anyway. I’m not going but some of you might take the opportunity for a little short trip to Indo with a couple of extra holidays up our sleeves. It’s only six hours or so flight from Sydney – which is as close as it gets in Australia terms (I’m sitting in my hotel room in Kununurra in Western Australia while I’m writing this….ironically, I’m only two hours flight from Indo but six hours from Sydney …oh well).
Here’s a few tips if you decide to head to Bali this season:
What to pack?
Is it your first time to Indo and not sure what to pack? Don’t worry it’s usually quite hot so there’s not much to pack…hang on …ok maybe a few things like mozzie spray, booties and stuff you must not forget. Check out surf trip essentials for your first time Indo trip >
Where to surf?
Are you a beginner and not quite sure yet about throwing yourself down the face of a wave potentially into the reef or just want to take it easy first time there? Here’s a list of the gentler breaks Bali has on offer >>
Off the beaten track?
You want to go off the beaten track a bit? You can do but to be honest, if it’s your first time, you are a relative beginner and you have only a few days you are better off just hanging out in Bali and check out the spots described above. Travel in Indo takes time as everyone’s on Indo time (i.e. in no rush to get from a to b). It’s heaps of fun but it’s frustrating if you only have limited time and want to get as much surf time in as possible.
If you are a girl travelling by yourself and you don’t know where to go but don’t want to go to a surf camp, there are also a few surf guides who are specialised taking girls surfing in Indo e.g. Raine from Chixsurfin. She knows her way around there and organises trips for girls in Indo. Email me and happy to put you in touch.
I don’t want to be torn to shreds by the reef, any tips?
A few simple rules and you should be safe.
Don’t surf at dead low tide. There is no point. Unless you are a really good surfer and super confident you are 100% sure you are not going to stack it, don’t try it. Or as Uncle Wes says: “If you are stupid enough to surf at low tide make sure you ride all the way to the f…ing beach.”
Most encounters I had with the reef is actually not while surfing but trying to get in and out of the water. Wear reef booties if the tide is high to start with but going to be low in a few hours. I’ve been stuck out there heading out without boots because I thought there is enough water over the reef, only to find myself stumbling over the reef with no boots three hours later when the tides turned. If you get stuck, look where other people are heading in and out of the water. The locals and more experienced surfers usually know the safest way. Even better, check in with locals or other peeps who look like they know what you are doing before you head into the water in first place.
No matter if you are heading to Indo or somewhere else over the Easter break, hope you score some good waves. Happy Easter Surfin’
x Clauds
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