Thursday, August 17, 2006

Sumbawa


This island, much like neighboring Lombok, is much drier than Bali and other parts of Indo. The land is mostly barren with many steep cliffs dropping straight into sea. The two main surfing areas are West Sumbawa and the Lakey area.

West Sumbawa is mostly made up of hollow lefts that are best accessed by boat charter. The charters will pull up and anchor at the best breaks for easy access to the surf. This area has many steep cliffs that offer scenic backdrops to the epic surf.

The Lakey area can be accessed by charter, as well as by ferry and overland transfers, or flights from Bali. Here there some hotels and surf camps located right in front of the main breaks of Lakey Peak and Lakey Pipe, with other waves within walking distance. Most waves are a long paddle or walk across the reef depending on the tide, reef booties are recommended.

During the dry season (May – October), the tradewinds blow from the southeast offering offshore winds to the lefts of West Sumbawa. Alternately, the winds in the wet season (November – April), blow from the southwest which results in more right breaks with offshore conditions like Yo-Yo’s. Water temperatures are in the mid 70’s, but a vest or springsuit can come in handy on windy days. The sun is directly overhead this close to the equator so lots of sunscreen and rashguards are highly recommended.

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