Anybody on this board been? Searched threads and very little action with Indian Ocean travel in general. I was wondering if so, did you travel through Bangkok or Singapore? Flights seem to better for Korean air and Bangkok versus Singapore air. Also, I want to hear your over all experience. Seems like anyone that has gone comes back saying it was the best trip ever etc. Looking at boat trip in 2016 and I am pretty amped about it. Thoughts...
I've surfed Nias, Bawa and the Banyaks. Nias is a once in a lifetime wave...a machine like right that barrels on the takeoff, and walls up nicely. Its tucked up in a bay protected from wind and seemed to stay clean off and on all day. We surfed a few fun spots in the Banyaks, with pretty much just a the four surfers on our boat, and occasionally another boat that had maybe 6 guys on it who we all got to know. We stayed on the Bohemian catamaran and flew Singapore airlines out of JFK. Best surf trip ever....sigh...
all on the same trip? Looking at Bawa and Banyaks only or Nias only. Have not seen a trip that does all. That does sound like the best trip ever! The uncrowded set up at the Banyaks is very alluring to me. Did you take a step up? I was thinking 5 11', 6'4' x 2. or bring a 6'8"
Yeah we went for 11 or so days on the boat...four in the Banyaks, then two at Bawa, last three at Nias...maybe a day lost to travel in there somewhere. We went in September so a bit after peak swell season. Most of the waves we surfing were in the head high range, but always with bigger sets. Except at Bawa...its a swell magnet...and the waves there were well overhead to scary big on sets the whole time. I had Jon Ashton make me a round pin step up for the trip and at least for that spot I was glad to have the extra board under me, but it obviously depends on the surfer.
With surfboards, I think Qatar Air to Kuala Lampur then Air Asia to Medan is the way to go out of Dulles. Emirates to Kuala Lampur out of JFK is pretty good too. I had a rate of $1088 from Dulles to KUL this spring but I waited too long by ordering surfboards instead and it went up to $1200 which is still good. Korean Air is not too board friendly. If you do it early enough you can still get the less than $1100 rate on Qatar with only one good connection. It is good to do Air Asia early too but it is pretty cheap especially if you pay for your boards ahead of time. Good luck.
im pretty sure surfline.com has good info on traveling to sumatra.I never been there.seems flights are super expensive from the eastcoast,and I think u have to fly to Australia,then to indo or something like that.also that malasia airlines planes don't seem too safe these days.i think the pros are flying in private jets.i always pictured indo as the worst spot on earth that's home to the best waves.i don't think its safe to venture off from the coast.
Good info...I was looking at leaving from Norfolk VA to LA...., I figure I may pay slightly more to leave from Norfolk versus driving to Dulles. I will look at your method too. thx.
also, when you say Korean air not board friendly, do you mean cost or handling? My friend said they treat as one board (even with 3 stacked in it)....I have not gotten that far but definitely taking my own boards.
I just mean cost, Qatar and emirates are free if you can stay under the weight. That's how I go in 7 weeks!
On occasion when I forget what a pain it is to get there. Usually I just go to West Sumatra for boat trips. It's more crowded, but flying to Padang from ****** is cheap and easy peasy. I'm coming from somewhere nearby, so I only have to connect through Jakarta. I never take boards, only boogers. They don't cost extra and are pretty indestructible. If you've never been to anywhere in Indo you are going to have a ball, just like all the websites everywhere say. Nothing like waking up to ridiculously perfect waves peeling just off the deck of your boat. Basically roll out of bed and into the water, paddle a little (or get somebody to take you in the skiff) and resume surfing your brains out. Thoughts: I dunno. My trips are different from yours. My main hangups are finding enough waterproof sunscreen, rashys, and other misc. surf equip that don't really exist in ******. Here's a few: - The reef will chew you up at some point. Often many times a day. Take a LOT of iodine and bandages. You have to keep treating every hole, because they're gonna turn into craters over 11 days of constant submersion. Just keep them covered in antibiotic ointment while you're not in the water. - Get a couple of long-sleeved rashys and a fk-ton of 100+ spf waterproof sunscreen for your face and hands. Reapply to the backs of your legs and the gap between rashy and boardies constantly. - Mango juice runs out first, so drink that, because it'll be sucky pineapple juice by the end of the trip. Get a ****job from the wife/gf soon upon return. - Don't eat a big meal before moving spots if you have a weak sea stomach. Stay near the bottom of the boat if the rolling bothers you while underway. - Bring money for trinkets from the dudes in the canoes since this is probably the one time you'll be there. Yeah, it's made in China, but you bought it from a dude in a canoe. They will also trade for your gear (like watches or something) if you forget the money. - If you're not used to travelling in foreign countries, just go straight to the boat with whatever guide they send to pick you up. You're not here to sightsee, you're here to surf. Screw around (or don't) AFTER you're done surfing. Nothing like a moped wreck and a broken leg (or death) to start your surf trip. - Don't waste space on clothes. Just boardies and maybe a T-shirt or two. - Make sure your equip is super comfortable! You're gonna be in the water 10 hours a day for more than a week. You will get rashed all to hell no matter what, but don't make it worse with crappy or uncomfortable boardies or whatever. By day 11, dropping into the water in the morning is going to feel like belly-flopping into a pile of rusty razors. Have fun, it's gonna be awesome!
Wow, thanks for taken the time speed bump. I have traveled over the years but never to indo. Good points and plenty of stoke.... Any thoughts on how to stoke out the boat crew (and do you tip them at the end of trip) First boat trip. Finally, how to convert a fk-ton to OZ.? Lol.
No worries. It was blown out yesterday and I'm stuck surfing a crummy little beachbreak today, so it's fun to reminisce. Uh, don't mistake the crew for children when you first arrive--what I did the very first time. The crew was sitting around the table at another boat I had to walk across. Dudes in indo are teeny-tiny and I thought it was a bunch of somebody's kids at first. When you're talking about crew, you're talking about the local's who cook your food and keep the boat on top of the water, right? Not the guide, because he's already stoked out of his mind; he guides surf tours in indo! I dunno about the crew. Don't be a slob, clean up after yourself, and let the one dude who speaks english all the time (usually the one who drives the skiff) know you're gonna leave a big tip. They see a lot of tourists, so you can probably talk and fish with them, but I think they're more happy about more money and less work. Yes, I tip, but Eurotrash doesn't (or they're super-stingy) and the aggregate tips is what the crew sees. So sail with 'mericans and the crew will be stoked out because we're the only idiots that actually tip in the world. Well, maybe Brazillians and Ozzies do, but I hate f'n ozzies and never sailed with zill nuts. Speaking of which, always chase the Japanese boat (yeah right, like you have a say). They are the politest little f'kers in the world. You can go camp out on a break right behind them, dump your whole crew in the water on top of the break, and they'll STILL paddle out in rotating shifts 2-to-4 at a time!
lol...yea the crew that is making it all happen. You are right about tipping in General. After tending bar in HI, I saw folks from everywhere. There are many areas of the world that do not. I always got a kick out of the Japanese tourist b/c they would go out of their way to tip. Do you know the difference between a Canadian and a Canoe? _ _ _ _ ....a Canoe Tips!
Yeah it was. Especially Nias. That wave is utterly amazing even as a goofy foot. One other thing - when I said I had a step up made, and the waves at Bawa were well overhead+. When the waves got big enough to actually justify having the step up, I surfed like a nervous clown, and that still kind of bugs me. That wave really got in my head. There were cleanup sets so I kept edging outside because I just dreaded getting caught. If you sat in the normal lineup every 20 minutes or so a monster set came and even though you could see it coming way outside, there was no way you could make it out and over so you took them on the head. Problem was by hanging outside, the head high waves passed under, and you really only had a shot at XL set waves and I learned on that trip that I suck at paddling into a 18 second period 8 foot wave. Its super slopey on the face until it hits the reef, moving REALLY fast and you have to paddle your ASS off and still barely slip over the ledge...not used to it at all...mostly missed them, or air dropped and got my ass handed to me!
yea Mitch, I think we all have been there...I know I have. Sucks being under gunned and feeling like you need to hug the channel or constantly scratch over the sets while trying to snag one. I am really going to focus on "pocket rockets" though. I feel like the waves will be so hollow and fast in shallow water, and compact turns...I don't want to have too much board. But, after seeing this past season (i.e. ppass and no kandui footage), not bringing a step up seems senseless. Not sure I am up for 8-10 foot dredging barrels but 5-8 feet may warrant a step up. Well, I have plenty of time to ponder.
any time you want to do that trip again, let me know. I'd love to get another shot at those waves with 10 more yrs of surfing under my belt