Nusa Tenggara is the collective names for the islands strung out between Bali and Irian Jaya. There are over 500 island in the group, but most are small and inhabited. It's noticeably drier out here and there’s more sunshine for more of the year and needless to say, phenomenal potential for waves. The problem is access since the early 1980s there have been increasing numbers of surf cruises going through here. They've already found some world-class breaks, and some of the better known ones now have surf camps or accommodation nearby and are accessible by land as well as sea.
Sumbawa, the long island next to the Lombok, is home to most of the well known
breaks in this area. There are two main surf area on Sumbawa: the west coast,
facing Lombok and a place called Lakai Beach in the south central area of
the island. The west coast is a spectacular line of high cliffs, deep bays
and rugged point. The rock and coral sheves are perfectly positioned to catch
the southern swells, and that’s exactly what happens. Now a days you can cross
over by ferry from Lombok and head directly south towards the famous breaks,
or fly into the main town of Sumbawa besar and dive on a new road over to
the coast. There’s breaks big and small, all down the coast.
The first of the rally powerful ones you will come to is called Northern Rights,
an inconsistent wave that is nevertheless great when it works. Other good
breaks include Labuhan Lalat and a place at the mouth of Fly harbour called
Flies. Just south of the Jelinggah Beach headland is the first of Sumbava’s
really famous waves, the aptly named Scar Reef. This is a typical great heavy
hollow Indonesian left hander that picls up very fast, orars down a reef ominously
towards a headland provides extraordinary thrills and will pound you mercilessly
into a shallow reef if you put a food wrong. Next along is Sumbawa’s most
sought after wave, Super Suck it huge left that seems to go on forever. Like
a number of great waves here, it can be temperamental and when other places
is the area are working fine still delivers not more than mush. Further south
still, Sekongkang Bay, is West Sumbawa's classic break: Yo Yo's. This is actually
waves in one location. The first and best is a superb right hand wall the
Hook, which can get very hollow and give natural-footers a great time. The
other wave, the Wedge, can get even bigger but powers in boards the nearby
cliff lice Make sure you exit before it closes out I or you could have some
very serious problems.
Lakai Beach, in central SumbawaI to de south of a town called Huu, is quite a different proposition. Here you'll find several good breaks in close proximity to each other in the bay, and excellent surf camp accommodation. The main waves are the famous Lakai Peak, one of the few peaks in the country which is equally good an either side; Lakai Pipe, a good, hollow left-hander just near the Pipe; and Periscopes, an excellent right-hand barrel that's right on the local beach.
Beyond this, into the further reaches of Nusa Tenggara, is the realm of surf cruises and surf explorers. When you take a cruise, you rely on your captain to take you to places unnamed and uncharted, in remote, seldom visited places. It's your chance to ride the great waves that in a few short years will be known to surfers all around the world. Some of the best trips at the moment are to Timor, Rota and Sumba.
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