Every surfer’s dream is to get barrelled. A barrel, or tube, to a surfer is what cocaine is to a drug addict. Bali has plenty of opportunity to bring that dream to life. If you can’t get barrelled in Bali, you can’t get barrelled full stop. The sharp coral reefs allow an array of hollow sections but with these opportunities also comes plenty of risk. Come off at the wrong time and the reef will happily introduce itself to you. I’ve had plenty of these hollow sections gift me the dream but every so often you get more memorable ones. Lembongan Island provided me two of these memorable ones in one day.
The first was at a break named ‘Lacerations’. The name says it all. Come off here and you will be donating skin grafts to its insanely sharp coral reef. When it’s firing, the wave is a barrel machine. The challenge is to be ready when it’s turning on and the local Balinese surfers that are all over it. The small take off area means there can be a lot of jostling. I always get chatting to them and if I’m lucky they will allow me a chance to catch one of the better sets. I had paddled out at first light and had got a few great waves, but it wasn’t until the back end of my session that the tide allowed for the barrels to make their appearance. I had been waiting patiently for my next wave for a while when I saw a set approaching. I moved into position and to my delight the local Lembongan boys waved me onto the first wave. The nerves kicked in, mainly as I didn’t want to waste the opportunity they have given me, if you fail, they’ll be less likely to offer you more opportunities.
I paddled hard, eyeing off the dangers lurking below. The water draws off the reef so hard here. The hollow ones have you taking off sideways directly into it and you are almost guaranteed a barrel if done correctly. If done incorrectly, you are most likely going to be punished. It’s not called ‘Lacerations’ for nothing…. If you make the barrel, you are then given a nice wall of wave to play with down the line. I took off and instantly dropped into the barrel. As I raced through it, I could almost feel my fins scrapping the reef. I could clearly see the opening down the line, praying I would make it and soon enough was shot out like a cannon. I could hear the screams of joy from the locals as I then took off down the line and rode the rest of the wave until it died off in the channel inside. I paddled back out thanking the Indonesia gods, and of course the local Balinese boys. For sure, one of the best barrels I’ve had in Bali. Show respect to the locals, be friendly and you might be lucky enough to get the barrel of your life.
The second was late in the afternoon at a wave called ‘Playgrounds’. Although the name suggests otherwise, when a decent size swell hits, there still comes plenty of risk. The sun was beginning its descent to the horizon over the clear waters of the Lombok Strait. A beautiful time to surf and always a great way to end the day.
The surf was not huge but certainly big enough the get the blood running. I had had a few quick ‘cover ups’ but was still burning for another barrel like the one earlier that day. Then it came. I saw a bump at the outer point which was an indicator that a set would hit ‘Playgrounds’ in about one minute so I moved into position. It was the biggest set of the afternoon. As I started paddling the water drew off the reef and I could see through the crystal clear water to the threatening shallow coral reef below. It allowed me an easy drop into a long bottom turn then was thrown into one of the widest barrels sections I had seen here. At first the roof of the wave was brushing my head and I thought I was gone but then the barrel just opened up and everything seemed to go silent and turn to slow motion. The sun was shining through the back of the wave lighting up the barrel beautifully and after what seemed an eternity, it spat me out so hard it nearly blew me off my board. The wave continued on but I was so stoked with the barrel I just kicked out off the wave in awe of what had just happened, letting the Balinese groms take advantage of the rest of the wave. It was super quick, super deep and super wide but it also had this gentle feel about it. Just as good, yet so different than the one in the morning.
A surfer’s dream come true twice in one day. What more could a surfer ask for?
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