One big swell hit in my last week and I was very glad I had the 8.9, with the waves well over head it gave me the assurance to drop into the big ones. This day I rode at Uluwatu and knowing paddling out of the cave two hours after high tide would have been a disaster I opted to go from Padang Padang where there is a channel. As I paddled out I quickly realized the channel was closed out due to the size of the swell and period. I had my GoPro in my mouth as attaching it to the paddle and going out through heavy surf is not a wise idea. I was then sucked over to Impossible’s and wore no less than ten waves on the head before I managed to scramble out. The Rip Curl Padang Padang comp was on this day so the spectators would have had a good laugh at this.
It’s a fifteen miute paddle up to Ulu’s from there, as I approached I could see some big sets coming in and I knew then it was going to be good. When it’s big at Ulu’s you have to be very aware of your positioning on the reef so that you don’t get caught on the inside, if this happens your leash will snap for sure. With hundreds of waves on Bali alone Indo is an amazing place to go and sup, with its rich culture and diverse nature it’s a must go to destination to tick off your wish list. More user friendly waves can be found at Kuta and further up the coast at Canggu.
One final tip – pack your boards with extra care as two of my sups have had significant damage done to them buy the airlines, foolishly I had my paddle on the outside of my sup bag in a holder, this came out at baggage collection in 2 pieces. SUP
