Posted by: Jenn
I had told Jonathan that one of the main things I wanted to do while in Indo was to try and improve my surfing skills. In 2008 I spent a year in Southern California living and working as well as trying to pick up on surfing. It is by far the hardest sport I have ever tried to learn. After one year there, surfing consistently, I learned a lot and got to where I could stand up and ride straight, but that's about it. Since then I have only surfed a few times in North Carolina with Jonathan. So, since we were visiting the surfing mecca of the world I thought it would be a prime opportunity to find a good, laid back wave where I could work on turning the board to stay with the shoulder of the wave. And that's just what we did. We headed to chilled out Kuta, Lombok (not to be confused with chaotic Kuta, Bali) and scouted out a very comfortable bungalow that we could use as a homebase for the next seven days.
I had told Jonathan that one of the main things I wanted to do while in Indo was to try and improve my surfing skills. In 2008 I spent a year in Southern California living and working as well as trying to pick up on surfing. It is by far the hardest sport I have ever tried to learn. After one year there, surfing consistently, I learned a lot and got to where I could stand up and ride straight, but that's about it. Since then I have only surfed a few times in North Carolina with Jonathan. So, since we were visiting the surfing mecca of the world I thought it would be a prime opportunity to find a good, laid back wave where I could work on turning the board to stay with the shoulder of the wave. And that's just what we did. We headed to chilled out Kuta, Lombok (not to be confused with chaotic Kuta, Bali) and scouted out a very comfortable bungalow that we could use as a homebase for the next seven days.
After settling in, we found a surfboard rental shop and picked out a 6'8" short board very similar to the one I own at home. The next necessity was a motorbike with a surf rack to transport us to and from the surf break seven kilometers away.
Bungalow: check
Surfboards: check
Motorbike: check
Wave: In progress
We picked up a tide chart and started planning our method of attack. Talking to surf shops we figured out what break was best at what tide. So the next morning at 6 AM we headed for Grupuk, a port town where the local boats taxi you out to the breaks. Grupuk has three breaks: Don Dons (Beginner to Intermediate), Insides (Intermediate), and Outsides (Experienced). We decided to hit up Don Dons first to see what it was like.
Surfboards: check
Motorbike: check
Wave: In progress
We picked up a tide chart and started planning our method of attack. Talking to surf shops we figured out what break was best at what tide. So the next morning at 6 AM we headed for Grupuk, a port town where the local boats taxi you out to the breaks. Grupuk has three breaks: Don Dons (Beginner to Intermediate), Insides (Intermediate), and Outsides (Experienced). We decided to hit up Don Dons first to see what it was like.
The boat dropped us off and luckily it wasn't too crowded so we were able to paddle into almost anything. The break turned out to be perfect for me, maybe a little slow for Jonathan, but he was still loving it. The waves were consistently chest high with slightly larger sets and they were text book (for me in my current surfing career) - no pounding barrels, just a slow crumble making way for the ideal ride along the glassy face. We did the best we could at getting some photos and videos but because the only place to sit was on the boat (although the boat doesn't sit in front of the waves for fear of getting hit by a big set, so it sits too far behind which is not good for photography) or on the surfboard, it was quite the chore.
Sitting at Don Don's (the beginner break) Jonathan was easily the best surfer in the line-up so he enjoyed showing off some of his mad skillz.
The boat taxis give you three hours of surfing before they are ready to take you back to shore and not once did we cut our three hours short. In fact, we were enjoying the waves so much that we usually made the seven kilometer motorbike ride (on a terrible excuse for a road) and the 20 minute boat taxi ride twice a day. Once there and back in the morning and then again in the afternoon after refueling with lunch. Speaking of refueling, we hit the jackpot in Kuta. Jonathan and I were told about this Warung (Indo for small restaurant) that served heaping portions of their ten menu items for only $1.20 per plate. We ate there everyday for six days for lunch and dinner trying everything they had to offer. Because we were pretty much regulars, the couple that owned and ran the joint got to know us on a first name basis.
One of the days when Don Don's wasn't really breaking we decided to try Insides. It was heaps more crowded and it was a right, not my strong suit being goofy footed. Jonathan did, however, see me drop in on one wave as he was paddling back out and he says that it was easily the most ginormous wave I've ever tried to drop in on. He was expecting to look back and see my board flying in the air but instead he just saw my head as I successfully rode it out. After a few attempts at dropping in and riding white water while trying to dodge the crowd, I paddled back to the boat and snapped some photos of Jonathan.
We had met a few people out in the water and discussed with them some of the other breaks farther east than Grupuk. They mentioned a place called Ekas and said they were up for checking it out if there was a bigger group and we could split the boat costs. So one morning at six A.M. we met up with a dude from Belgium, a chick from East Timor, and a dude from Spain to make the two hour motorbike journey to Ekas.
Once in Ekas we stocked up on lunch snacks, found a boat and headed for the break. In observing the wave from the boat it was easy to see that I would be playing photographer. It was a fast, heavy, barreling wave that looked like it would eat me right up and feed me to the shallow reef below. Jonathan thought different. So while the boys paddled out, East Timor and I caught some rays.
I tried taking some photos of Jonathan but the boat was anchored too far back and all I could see was the waves backside barreling towards the cliff. Jonathan's head wasn't even visible when he caught one because the wave was mas grande.
Our last day in Kuta we woke up sore, burnt and exhausted after surfing six hours a day for six straight days so we decided to explore some of the other beaches instead. Probably the best decision we could've made. We first took the motorbike and headed east stopping at Tanjung A'an Beach, a beach we passed everyday on the way to Grupuk but hadn't stopped at yet. Wow!
Our last day in Kuta we woke up sore, burnt and exhausted after surfing six hours a day for six straight days so we decided to explore some of the other beaches instead. Probably the best decision we could've made. We first took the motorbike and headed east stopping at Tanjung A'an Beach, a beach we passed everyday on the way to Grupuk but hadn't stopped at yet. Wow!
We then hiked up the nearest hill to get an overview of the surrounding area. The waters were so clear and the color change due to the rocks and reef and sand was breathtaking.
In exploring the hills and the views below, we came across a secluded section of beach with absolutely no one around. The sand was white, the water was turquoise and the solidarity was amazing. We spent a few hours basking in the sun and enjoying the calm, cool pool sheltered from the waves by a wall of rocks and reef.
We knew the next stop heading East was Grupuk so we turned back and made our way West past Kuta. Just navigating the roads was an adventure in itself. Several times we would hit a patch of deep loose sand after bouncing down a foot high piece of broken asphalt while trying to keep the bike sputtering uphill at a 45 degree incline - no exaggeration. Unfortunately we were too consumed with keeping the bike under control to have the time to think about pulling the camera out to take note of this.
After about an hour of unforgiving asphalt/sand/rock/boulder road navigation we arrived at Mawi Beach. We had brought along Jonathan's surfboard in case the waves were worth a paddle out since we had heard good things about Mawi. Well, the waves were well worth a paddle out and Jonathan, born, bred and raised in the saltwater, couldn't resist.
After about an hour of unforgiving asphalt/sand/rock/boulder road navigation we arrived at Mawi Beach. We had brought along Jonathan's surfboard in case the waves were worth a paddle out since we had heard good things about Mawi. Well, the waves were well worth a paddle out and Jonathan, born, bred and raised in the saltwater, couldn't resist.
Some of the other things we saw on our little motorbike journey are pictured below.
I think Kuta, Lombok is without a doubt one of my favorite places on the trip so far. If you would have asked me a few days ago if there was anywhere out of all the places we've been that I would live for a while, I would have said no - easily. Now, I would say Kuta, Lombok. Tourism hasn't shot up yet so it was very laid back and non-commercialized. There were very few restaurants and hotels so you really felt like you were off the beaten path. I adored the couple that ran the warung we ate at everyday and I looked forward to each meal knowing that it was going to be amazing. The beaches were so pristine and untouched that you really felt like you were discovering something new to the world. And lastly, the surfing was all that I could have hoped for and more. I literally got to surf until my arms wouldn't paddle another stroke and my hip bones were bruised and knotted from laying on the board - painful but at the same time wonderful feelings because it's a reminder that you just surfed all day long on beautiful waves. And the fact that I got some of the best rides I've ever had and really felt like I improved some made our surf excurssion quintessential.
Sad times...leaving Kuta, Lombok.
Sad times...leaving Kuta, Lombok.