Not Bali, Sumbawa
Met up w/ my friend Dave in Kuta, Bali where we stayed a couple days. Kuta wasn’t as crowded and hectic as it can be since the main tourist season has ended and the rainy season is kicking in. I picked up a board for $320 USD w/ a promise that I could sell it back to the shop for 50%. I tried it out on Kuta Reef a couple times. Didn’t work too well in the smaller waves, but paddles nice and fast. It’s 7′.
From Kuta we booked a ticket to Bema, Sumbawa (island east of Lombok) and a return ticket from Mataram, Lombok (island east of Bali). After some minor travel confusion we ended up at a “resort” (20 bucks a night that I split lol) parked right in from of Lakey Peak, a famous surf break. It was firing the first day I was here and I saw waves and rides of a level I’d only seen on videos before this! The wave sucks water off the reef and I saw a couple guys get barrelled and/or taked huge drops. Unfortunately, those waves are a bit out of my league so I mostly just hung out on the shoulder. Since then I’ve gotten some great rides at other breaks…really enjoying it and finally improving my shortboard skills which are lacking to say the least!
Anyway, it’s been a really great experience so far. Not much to do here besides surf but take pics and the food is pretty good. We were on a waiting list to fly from here to Lombok and just got reservations on 10/4, which is good news b/c we would’ve had an 8 hr drive to the Ferry if we didn’t get them!
I fly back to Bali on the 7th and I’m already considering extending my stay there by a week or so. I’ll have less time in Thailand, etc, but i think that’s ok. …will update soon to let you know how it pans out and will post pics as well!