You know your surfed out when the surfs absolutely pumping yet your too exhausted to even paddle out…! Two surfs a day for days on end will do that to you.
Nusa Lembongan surfing is a funny thing. You can’t just paddle out whenever you want and expect to score waves. It is all very tide dependent. My routine on this beautiful island surfing wise has pretty much been groundhog. Rise and shine at dark, cup of Bali tea to wake up, then a paddle out to arrive at my favorite break ‘Lacerations’ to be the first one out as only first light appeared, this being about 6am, and often being the only one out for 30 minutes or so before anyone joined me. Sometimes it has been so dark at first with not being able to see quite where to sit I didn’t know now big it actually was or where to position myself until a set would break. One morning a set broke right on my head! In that case I knew I wasn’t quite out far enough.
These spots only break for about 2-3 hours at the turn of high tide. Sometimes on that 2 hour mark it is like someone just turns the switch off and the waves literally just stop! Each morning I’m out just before the high surfing a few small warm up waves for about 20 minutes before the high hits and the waves really start pumping and the barrels start working. Right about that moment the sun starts to rise. No better experience surfing perfect waves while watching a perfect Bali sunrise, for me anyway.
After so many waves with my shoulders and arms starting to turn to jelly it’s time to head in for breakfast. The paddle out, and in is good 10 minutes, but through channels so at least so no waves cleaning you up on the way out. So it’s either your jelly arms & shoulders ending your first surf or the ‘switch’ is turned off and the waves just stop. Then all you can do is to fill in the time until high tide comes around again, which always consisted of a post surf massage followed by a bintang.
One particular time I was eating lunch at the great Ware Ware Restaurant and noticed ‘Playgrounds’ reef starting to break and looking good. I scoffed down my lunch, grabbed my board and paddled out. As soon as I arrived in position, the waves completely stopped. The switch had been turned off. I sat for 30 minutes in hope of a wave before paddling in without a wave surfed.
On this trip I had it made as high tide was at around sunrise & then again late in the afternoon so I was scoring perfection twice a day. If high was around lunchtime you would only be able once a day. Bali karma works for us again. Late afternoons consisted of sitting on the balcony watching the surf go from dead flat to 2ft to 4ft to 6ft and picking that moment that it starting pumping again and heading back out for some more Bali perfection.
After days of this routine my body was begging for a rest! This one day I gave up perfect waves, as I just couldn’t acquire the energy to go again. Even if I could paddle out I would probably have drowned.
You know your surfed out when the surfs absolutely pumping yet your too exhausted to even paddle out…! Two surfs a day for days on end will do that to you.
Nusa Lembongan surfing is a funny thing. You can’t just paddle out whenever you want and expect to score waves. It is all very tide dependent. My routine on this beautiful island surfing wise has pretty much been groundhog. Rise and shine at dark, cup of Bali tea to wake up, then a paddle out to arrive at my favorite break ‘Lacerations’ to be the first one out as only first light appeared, this being about 6am, and often being the only one out for 30 minutes or so before anyone joined me. Sometimes it has been so dark at first with not being able to see quite where to sit I didn’t know now big it actually was or where to position myself until a set would break. One morning a set broke right on my head! In that case I knew I wasn’t quite out far enough.
These spots only break for about 2-3 hours at the turn of high tide. Sometimes on that 2 hour mark it is like someone just turns the switch off and the waves literally just stop! Each morning I’m out just before the high surfing a few small warm up waves for about 20 minutes before the high hits and the waves really start pumping and the barrels start working. Right about that moment the sun starts to rise. No better experience surfing perfect waves while watching a perfect Bali sunrise, for me anyway.
After so many waves with my shoulders and arms starting to turn to jelly it’s time to head in for breakfast. The paddle out, and in is good 10 minutes, but through channels so at least so no waves cleaning you up on the way out. So it’s either your jelly arms & shoulders ending your first surf or the ‘switch’ is turned off and the waves just stop. Then all you can do is to fill in the time until high tide comes around again, which always consisted of a post surf massage followed by a bintang.
One particular time I was eating lunch at the great Ware Ware Restaurant and noticed ‘Playgrounds’ reef starting to break and looking good. I scoffed down my lunch, grabbed my board and paddled out. As soon as I arrived in position, the waves completely stopped. The switch had been turned off. I sat for 30 minutes in hope of a wave before paddling in without a wave surfed.
On this trip I had it made as high tide was at around sunrise & then again late in the afternoon so I was scoring perfection twice a day. If high was around lunchtime you would only be able once a day. Bali karma works for us again. Late afternoons consisted of sitting on the balcony watching the surf go from dead flat to 2ft to 4ft to 6ft and picking that moment that it starting pumping again and heading back out for some more Bali perfection.
After days of this routine my body was begging for a rest! This one day I gave up perfect waves, as I just couldn’t acquire the energy to go again. Even if I could paddle out I would probably have drowned.
