Slowly but surely, Indonesia is unveiling another significant realm of wave territory on its Pacific side. Depending on who you are and where you come from, it’s called Maluku, Moluccas or Moluques. My love story with Maluku started in 2004 when US photographer John Callahan planned a media
Way back in 1990 I met Matt Cruden at Lakeys. He was traveling with another surfer (John) from the central coast of NSW. Both were accomplished surfers, very much at ease in the powerful Indonesian surf.
Epic Surf Trip to the Central and Malè Atolls aboard the Ocean Sapphire
By Richard Kotch | 09th Nov 2022
First impressions of the boat had us frothing. The Ocean Sapphire feels solid and confident - she’s an impressive vessel (later in the trip we met other surfers who were experiencing serious bouts of ‘boat envy’ when they anchored nearby).
What to expect on a Maldives Surf Charter - An "occasional surfer's" perspective
By Steve Adam | 21st Sep 2022
It's been a month since I returned from our long-awaited surf holiday to the Maldives. I had the privilege of spending 10 days under the guidance of 11 other women who supported me to achieve goals way beyond what I thought I was capable of. You see, I had already decided before I got on the plane
Mentawais Surf Charter - If you haven’t, you should!
By Bodhi Safa | 15th Aug 2022
Last week we wrote an article about how the Maldives by charter is a must-do. This week we’re pulling focus away from the Maldives and heading southeast into the warm, turquoise waters of the Mentawais.
6 reasons why the Maldives is better by surf charter
By Geraldine Royal | 04th Aug 2022
This article is a little tongue in cheek and probably shouldn't be read by anyone. Full disclosure we love resorts and know that sometimes they just hit the spot. Other times a Surf-Charter is good for what ails you. The below is an opinion piece and if you're considering a resort for your next
Why it pays to book ahead… especially from 2022 onwards.
By | 15th Jun 2022
The dust seems to be settling on the last two years, it was a tumultuous time for sure but since (around) March 2022 ‘normal’ looks a lot more like how ‘normal’ used to. That glorious statement aside there are a few tremors still running through that sense of normalcy. They’re the realities of a
Indian Ocean Surfing - Your Favourite Surf Puddle is Back!
By | 17th May 2022
As borders open, restrictions ease and global travel is once again introduced as a mainstay there’s an immense amount of joy among the surfing fraternity - the Indian Ocean, the surfer's true Disneyland, is back on the list. Over the last two years, there was a sting caused by seeing social posts
Ppass cheat notes with Allois from Pohnpei Surf Club, Micronesia. Allois tells us the secrets of the break as well as what board to bring if you want a taste of this paradise.
In this months Stoked article, we caught up with Allois from Pohnpei Surf Club! Join us as we chat about the highlights and challenges from the past 2 years, as well as the hopes for the future in the wake of Covid.
We caught up with Jaco & Caylin at Kingfisher Resort, Mentawais for this months Stoked article! Join us as we chat about the highlights and challenges from the past 2 years, as well as what's on the cards this coming season at Kingfisher Resort.
Lohis cheat notes with Richard Kotch, someone who knows North Male's most consistent wave better than anyone else! A swell magnet, Rich talks us through why Lohis is the best place to be based for a Maldives surf trip and how to maximize your wave count.
Renowned photographer and former Lohis Surf program manager, Richard Kotch, recently re-joined World Surfaris as one of our surf travel experts. We caught up with Richard for this month's Stoked article.
There’s much more to the Mentawai Islands we all love and know... In collaboration with White Horses Magazine, this is a first-person story by John Barton, who spent years providing daydream surf material to the outside world through social media as a surf travel photographer , until he realized
Surf Trips You’ve Never Heard of With Antony Colas
By Tamryn Sims | 16th Dec 2020
Antony ‘Yep’ Colas is undoubtedly one of the world’s most prolific surf explorers, racking up a total of over 220 surf trips to 52 different countries, in the last 32 years. Here’s a fun fact: Yep also represents World Surfaris in Europe as a senior travel consultant! We’re pretty stoked to have
Words by Donna McDonald, owner-operator at Matanivusi Resort. We wondered who was pranking us when we got a phone call at midnight back in August. The not-so-funny person on the other line simply asked us “what’s the weather like?”. As it turns out, this wasn’t a joke at all! The call was from the
Lockdown Love with Jaco & Caylin: Kingfisher Resort
By Tamryn Sims | 12th Nov 2020
Kingfisher Resort is a gateway to a world of freakishly perfect waves, fascinating culture, diverse surroundings and endless adventure. Jaco Steyn and Caylin De Reuck have had all of this and more to themselves this year due to the global affect of Covid-19, and we’re insanely jealous! Shiieessh
How to Survive A Global Pandemic: A Q&A with World Surfaris Leaders Josh & Steve
By Tamryn Sims | 10th Nov 2020
We won’t lie, 2020 has proved to be one of the most challenging years for us in the history of World Surfaris. The effects of Covid-19 have had a tremendous impact on our every-day operation as an international surf travel company, and there is still no end in sight. But, rather than sit in
With over 20 years of experience surfing and living in Indonesia, Michael Hill – General Manager of World Surfaris Indo and owner of Lakey Peak Haven – has never experienced a year like 2020. Isolated in Sumbawa, Indonesia with his wife and three kids, Michael tells us a bit about what life looks
We thought it was about time to get serious and talk business, so we linked up with one of the leading surf charter operators in the Mentawai region for a bit of a Q&A. Gaby Spinola, Managing Director of Mentawai Surf Charters kindly gave us the run down on how to set up a successful surf
It's the last day of your dream surf trip. You've caught a fish or two, enjoyed a couple beers by the pool and delicious fresh food, you've scored endless empty waves, and you've slept bloody well because of it. You're soaking up the last few moments of pure bliss in your bungalow before your
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your annual (biannual if you are lucky!) surf trip? Probably not a 4/3 wetsuit, hood and booties! For most of us, it would be images of translucent blue barrels rolling down a coral reef pass, a palm fringed desert island backdrop, boat
Surfing in Papua New Guinea has grown in popularity over the past decade. With thousands of miles of coastline and hundreds of possibilities, PNG is a surfers paradise. It is also the only surfing region on earth with a dedicated surf management plan that supports operators, guides and non-for
If you have progressed your surfing beyond beginner level and are enjoying it, you will probably experience a stage in which all you think about is surfing and all you want to do is go surfing. Every day. Full stop. Nothing else. For some, the stage lasts just a few months, maybe a few years. Then
While it is definitely preferable to the alternative, there aren’t many advantages in growing into an old surfer. And by old, I don’t mean 30, Dipstick. I am talking about the 60 plus years of age mob. Yes, it is a bit of a travesty that some of us manage to live that long. The days of sleeping
We all have our favourite places to travel and favourite waves to surf. The Pacific Ocean has literally hundreds of accommodation options to go with their smorgasboard of quality waves. It can be a little daunting knowing where to go and what to look out for. So, we have analysed 7 of our most
I start this article with a confession. One that I am very embarrassed about. I had never been to Fiji. Just 3 hours flight time from Australia. With an abundance of surf options. And not just good surf options – fabulous surf options. Having only just discovered the treasure trove of surf that is
Having grown up in a fairly sporty family, naturally I was thrust into every sport imaginable. Tennis, Soccer, Rugby, Basketball and Athletics. Despite being fairly fit as a result of this lifestyle, nothing could prepare me for paddling out into 6ft+ waves at my local. Taking set after set on the
I sit here pondering probably my 24th attempt at a lead paragraph, still pyjama clad at 11am, crying newborn and all the sleep deprivation that comes with it, unfortunate ‘home-made’ coffee and an un-touchable pub a stones throw from my home office (study nook in the kitchen). My world, like many
It's like we have gone back in time. Charter boats are docked, surf resorts are closed and no one can enter, let alone leave their home countries. The Indian Ocean in particular is getting a nice break. Natives are surfing by themselves maybe for the first time ever and we are seeing wildlife
6 Reasons why Samoa should be your Post Covid Surf Trip
By Ronny Long | 28th May 2020
Samoa is an un-spoilt natural paradise where crystal clear waters meets pristine rainforests. This jewel of the Pacific is made up of two distinct islands, both with pumping surf that picks up swell from every angle. The main Samoan Island of Upolu and its smaller neighbour, Savaii attract swell
5 Reasons why the modern wavepool is a game changer!
By Nate Bos | 01st May 2020
Don't be surprised to see wavepools step up post-corona virus and take a bigger role in satisfying peoples need for good quality waves. 100% natural and premium surf experiences will always be preferred but talk to anyone who has surfed in a wavepool already and you will hear, its the real deal!
I don't want to be THAT guy...you know the one, the Kiwi who has moved over to Australia for a better life - where the wages are higher, jobs more plentiful and the weather is (generally) more tolerable. The Kiwi who wont miss an opportunity to let anyone, who unwittingly falls within earshot, know
We have all been guilty at some point in our surf travels of committing acts of stupidity. Seasoned surf traveler, Troy Smith recently found himself enjoying an early season Indo surf trip with a handful of close mates. It got him thinking about Rookie Errors surfers make early on in their surf
We have all been guilty at some point in our surf travels of committing acts of stupidity. Seasoned surf traveler, Troy Smith recently found himself enjoying an early season Indo surf trip with a handful of close mates. Originally a passionfruit farmer from the Sunshine Coast, Troy is a firm
The Hinako Islands are a tiny island archipelago 8-10kms off the coast of Pulau Nias. Although it is estimated the area was first surfed in the mid 70's, it wasn't until Tom Curren and the film crew of Ted Grambeau and Sonny Miller featured Asu and Bawa in a 1994 feature film. Since then, Asu and
It seems improbable, but Pohnpei, that verdant, reef-ringed isle in the North Pacific, has an image problem. Or more correctly it has a marketing problem - a mismatch between the waves we see in the surf media and the reality on the ground. You see, ever since Palikir Pass was first exposed to the
Flexible schedules, fun waves and an amazing culture. Until very recently, Taiwan has slipped under the radar as a surf destination. The warm waters host dozens of classy set ups - beachies, river-mouths and points - all set against the backdrop of lush, tropical mountains. Taiwan is a tropical
We have all been guilty at some point in our surf travels of committing acts of stupidity. Seasoned surf traveler, Troy Smith recently found himself enjoying an early season Indo surf trip with a handful of close mates. On about the third day a mysterious stomach bug ravished the remote surf camp.
Marriage OR 'Compromise' as its commonly known is a beautiful thing. Its the coming together of two people who get along swimmingly...in the ocean...preferably with waves. Well, at least that's your idea of it. Post-Nuptials is a big deal! You are only meant to have one crack at it, so why not make
20 Bizarre locations to surf before 2020 by STAB Mag
By Ronny Long | 01st May 2019
Light the campfire, shuck me a fresh oyster and pop the lid off that moonshine! Surf travel is too easy in the new age, to Stab, signals the need to dial that trajectory a little further. While we’re unashamedly partial to a body of water that houses enjoyable waves in close proximity to a city
As more and more wave pools come into fruition, more and more surfers begin asking the same question. "Will wave pools change the way we think about surfing?" Just a few years ago, Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch nearly broke the internet with promo videos of surfers riding endless number of beautiful
Unfortunately for a large number of surfers, work and/or family commitments can often get in the way of how often we get out for a paddle. Before we know it, countless days turn to weeks, sometimes turn to months without so much as a glance at your boards gathering dust in the corner. Meanwhile
2019 to be a Pivotal Year for Longboarding around the World?
By Tom Wegner | 02nd Apr 2019
A few weeks before the 2019 Noosa Festival of Surfing, Thomas Alexander, John Finlay and I were discussing the notion that something big was on the move in longboarding. Popularity in the sport is on the rise, equal prize money for men and women and a new-found interest from sponsors gives us all a
You know, there's nothing quite like waking up in a remote corner of paradise, walking a few short steps down to a world renowned point and watching a few empty drainers slip and peel over a reef. Perhaps that is one of the more perfect moments in surfing? Or maybe, should time and tide suit you,
Uncrowded surf breaks, untouched natural rainforest, amazing sunsets and warm tropical waters await you for one of the best surf trips of your life. Just North of Nias lies an idyllic tropical oasis that has filled surfers dream-bank for years. The Banyaks is one of surfing’s last frontiers in
The leg rope has been a necessary surfing commodity since the mid 70's when surfers experimented with 'home-made' leggies made of rope looped through the middle fin and a soft hanky tied around their ankles. Snapped ropes and limbs followed, but experiment often leads to solution and nowadays the
Legendary board shaper, Allan Byrne died dramatically in a motorbike accident in Bali in 2013. Good friend and World Surfaris ambassador, David Scard famously scattered his beloved friend and mentors ashes at G-Land shortly after. AB, known for his Byrning Spears and their famous six-channel bottom
It takes a certain type of person to paddle into mountain-sized waves, heck, it takes a certain type of person to even paddle out. David Scard is no stranger to big waves and made a name for himself at getting really good at seeking out mega swells all over the world. He started a business known as
If you have ever been on a surf trip overseas, there's a very good chance the place you stayed had someone in charge of your surfing itinerary. The surf guide plays a pivotal role in your surf trip and they often make the tough decisions on behalf of the group in an attempt to maximise time in the
In a world where we are spoilt for choice and constantly fed information, it's hard to determine what's real. I'm here to tell you Hudhuranfushi Resort is about as real a surf trip you will ever experience! It's so good, I've used my 'real' name as the author!
Here's why your next trip should be on a surf charter
By Bodhi Safa | 29th Oct 2018
When it comes to planning a trip away, there's little better than getting a group of mates together, chartering a boat to exotic locales and spending as much time in the water as humanly possible. How about jumping on board with an expert team of surf guides, those who know sheltered spots when the
It is no secret that nuzzled amongst the 1,100 islands that make up the Maldives, there are pristine and ripe surfing setups capable of delivering some of the most ripable waves on the planet. You see, those 26 atolls that make up the Indian Ocean nation, harbour dozens of AAA surf spots,
Surf trips don’t all have to be the same! Embrace the uncertainty, South Africa calls! With a coastline as diverse as the people who call it home (The Rainbow Nation!), South Africa is a fantastic alternative to the “go – to” destinations we return to year after year and direct flights to
5 minutes with a Surf Photography legend - 'Swilly'
By Josh Allen | 18th Sep 2018
Simon Williams, better known as ‘Swilly’, has been in the line up with lens in hand for over 30 years now. His work has been splashed across hundreds of surf magazines, his camera has captured some of the most influential surfers of our time. If you’ve stumbled across an image that tugged at your
The Mentawais is arguably the mecca of surfing for travelling surfers! So why not dive straight into some cheat notes from the people who know the region better than anyone...
Ruler edge lines, luxurious accommodation and white sand beaches...These are just a few reasons to fill yourself with the sunny side of life, Maldives style!
If you are about to head off on your annual surf trip its important to remember an increased wave count equals increased physical activity which can take its toll on your body. Are you prepared?
For thousands of surfers around the world, the annual boat trip with your mates is the pinnacle of surf adventure and exploration. For many, this trip can be a dream come true. Everything from the excitement of paying for your spot, the banter with mates in the build-up, getting on the boat for the
6 things to consider when choosing your next surf charter:
By Ronny Long | 28th Jun 2018
Heading out on a Surf Charter or just thinking about it? Wherever you're at, there are six very important factors that you should consider. From picking your mates through to laying down that extra cash to get an experienced skipper. Here's our definitive guide to nailing down a great Surf Charter.
JS Industries has been knocking around for a more than a quarter-century. Lead shaper and company director Jason Stevenson rose as an industry golden child due to his innovation and adaptation, 25 years on JS Industries maintains a podium standing. In the board shaping and manufacturing industry,
There's a theory called 'Male Y chromosome extinction theory' it's interesting in a very scientific way. Simply put, over millions and millions of years of evolution, the Y (male) chromosome has disintegrated past the point where it is no longer necessary for life and some theorists believe it will
It’s day 10 on my 13-day surf trip, tomorrow we begin our steam back to port, then to the airport and then back home - these salt encrusted board shorts and another pair have been the mainstay of my attire. The rest of my luggage shamefully hides a plethora of clothing that can I now only think of
After a decade of surf guiding in the Maldives Stumpy explains why a full season in the Outer Atolls is the right decision. Peter ‘Stumpy’ Wallace is your typical ‘old salt’ surfer. Long greying hair, relaxed stride, easy smile and an amicable persona that seems content to sit back and watch as the
It's been noted that the Mentawais is one of the worst-kept secrets in surf history. While undoubtedly still capable of dishing up 'the goods' the Mentawais isn't going to be a just a 'you and your mates' kinda deal anymore. That is unless you score late season... Low season is typically January
Brutal title huh and full disclosure we're not basing this on anything. There was no vote or community selection criteria we just like the look of these waves. Maybe we’ve surfed a couple of them or have put a deposit down for the trip... but basically we just regularly take five minutes to stare
This one is for the longboard fraternity. To those who delight in the early take-off, the smooth long glides, to never struggling in the smaller sets, to making it on the flat days. To all the fun and skill of navigating and maneuvering over 7ft of fibreglass and making it look easy. Love your mal’
A Mentawais surf trip is a rite of passage, a coming of age for surfers. First pioneered by a small group of surfers in the 1980’s the Ment’s became a jealously guarded secret. The surf world quickly became alight with spectacular imagery referred pseudonymously as the ‘sinking atolls’.
5 Trips That Your Non-Surfing Partner Will Love Too
By Bodhi Safa | 20th Nov 2017
Marrying the annual surf trip with a romantic escape is a tough gig. With annual leave the rare commodity that it is, you can't afford to be frivolous. And, let’s face it, not everyone has the understanding partner that happily turns around and nonchalantly declares “That’s okay Dear, you go on
"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." - Isak Dinesen This time of year surfers across Australia look to head overseas to escape the crowds, beat the heat, explore new horizons and surf the waves of a lifetime. With the bulk of holidays fast appearing on the horizon, World
Summer delivers a mixed bag for surfers. Without getting all synoptic and referencing El Nino vs La Nina surface temperatures or delivering lengthy forecasts spiels that may or may not occur, you're kinda left with the usual suspects. The usual suspects being, infrequent, mainly wind swell pulses,
Pic: Shieldsy, P-Pass - Pohnpei. There's a drop in the conversation and the silence that rushes in to fill the void is interrupted by a distant thunderous sound. Another wave is coming. The others in the lineup let out a hoot of excitement and paddle to find their place. I don't share the
