Usually at this time of the year we are celebrating the joys of surfing from every corner of the globe. Regular reports from our operators from Indonesia, The Maldives, Samoa and other Pacific Island nations light up our screens with highlight sessions and more than one memorable moment from our range of surf adventures.
Unfortunately that has all been taken away from us, for now.
But, in all of the turmoil comes a few positives. For the first time, maybe ever, local surfers are paddling out to empty lineups and taking their pick in waves they have shared for decades with hungry tourists trying to get their fix. Flailing eco-systems are finally getting a chance to breath after years of continual tourism growth and we are definitely feeling a lot more appreciative of once being able to pack your things and head off on holiday without a care in the world.
Many of the operators who send us regular content are back in their home countries, waiting out this mess. BUT, Local guides and ex-pats who have decided to wait it out, are capturing world famous surf breaks, that have become more well-known for their crowds rather than their quality, absolutely pumping… they are completely empty or surfed with a handful of locals out hooting one another into perfect waves for hours on end.
Below is a small taste of what we are all missing:
Samoa:
- Angus Sheridan, photographer at Salani Surf Resort managed to capture these gems at Salani left while waiting for his flight back to Australia after the Samoan and Australian governments outlined restrictions.
Maldives:
- Local surfer, Ammadey had one of the best sessions of his life at world famous Cokes surf point. Perfect 8-10ft barrels and not another soul in the lineup.
- 5th generation Maldivian surfer, Mickey Nattz took a crew of ex-pat pilots South of Male to a perfect left-hander called Tucky Jo’s.
- Richard Kotch and his team at Lohis, who would normally be extremely busy with guests during April have seen perfect waves at Lohis go unridden unless his team take it in turns in between maintenance and keeping busy around the resort.
Mentawais:
- Ex-pat, Guy Morgan from Mentawai Surf Co is busy building his dream family home at HT’s (Lances Right). Arguably the best right-hander in Indo is completely deserted at the moment and there is no one surfing. Not even Guy can paddle out for a wave with coast guards patrolling the waters since early March.
Pohnpei:
- Lockdown restrictions in Pohnpei have been in place since early March and Allois from Pohnpei Surf Club has been teasing us with videos of perfect P-Pass and no one out. Typically, the surf season in Pohnpei comes to its conclusion in May, but we are still seeing regular fun sized swells.
Sumbawa:
Michael Hill and his family have packed things up from their Bali residence and moved to Lakey Peak Haven to wait things out. A great time to fix a few things up around the haven and prepare for when tourists can come back. Michael has also been surfing perfect uncrowded lineups like Lakeys, Periscopes and Nungas for over a month.
ENJOY!