The biggest swell to hit Bali in living memory

Any surfer who’s a surfer has seen the biggest swell of living memory go down at Bali & all around Indo a couple of days ago being Wednesday 25th July 2018! Mind blowing is one expression that a good mate expressed and I think best describes what went down. I witnessed the unbelievable event go down via social media and through mates sending me footage from Bali. The day after ‘Big Wednesday’ all the stories started coming out.

The week prior a huge swell landed thus starting the lead up to the Mega Swell. The swell was was called the biggest in years many unbelievably great huge waves were ridden. However, while this swell was happening another enormous red blob landed on the map and the forecast appeared much much bigger than the islands of Indonesia had ever seen before. The day the Mega Swell hit waves were breaking in places that had never been seen breaking and most places maxed out. The safety of the channel was no more as huge sets would close out through the channels. Biggest swell in 25, 40, 100 years was been tossed around. Nias, up the top of Indonesia, was absolutely mind blowing! Big, nasty and dangerous and never before seen as it was. Back down the Indonesian coast in Bali all the hype was about Uluwatu and it didn’t disappoint.

Early morning it was hard to see just how big it was. The early morning mist. The morning sickness of the raw ocean. Then as the tide lowered and the wind swung offshore it turned on. A handful of gutsy guys with boards up to 12ft in length attempted to paddle out. A few made it, a few didn’t. Then 2 mates, a Brazilian & a Russian, came along racing out over the huge swells on a Jet Ski ready to tow each other into the biggest waves of their life. Once on one the wave after being towed in all he looked was a spec on this massive face which must have been pushing 25ft+. The wave was amazingly perfect reeling down the reef never ending. The question has been raised is it the biggest and longest wave ever ridden at Uluwatu.

Another young 23 year old Aussie chose to paddle in and also made history with the size of his waves and his gutsy effort. He also copped a 2 wave hold down at one moment. I’ve heard one guy spent 5 hours out their to get just 2 waves in between the bomb sets. A boogie boarders leash snapped at Uluwatu and he spent 3 hours, battling the never ending swell, getting washed down to Bingin, kilometers down the coast, to get in at 8-9pm. Another guy missed a wave at ‘Temples’ Uluwatu and turned to face 20-30ft waves about to land on him. His leggy snapped on the first wave and he had to dive under a set of 10 bombs. Apparently he swam out the back but was washed around the point and cliff. Also, apparently, he is ok. Kuta beaches were washed away in parts with waves pushing up onto the pathway. Keramas on the East Coast copped a beating with warungs being nearly washed away and Nusa Lembongan was unridable and dangerously insane.

I’m sure there’s tons more stories to come out. So many near death experiences but thankfully no loss’s, although plenty of battered bodies and broken boards. Hats off to all that gave it a go. Once in a lifetime. The question now lies ‘Will the next MEGA SWELL be even bigger???’.