| Nias Rediscovered |
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Words by Brad Whittaker
Photos by Matt Johnson and Noah Hamilton
The waves of Nias, first discovered by Peter Troy, Kevin Lovett and John Geisel have been credited for opening the door to what may have become one of the most photographed and videoed island chains on the planet, that being the Mentawai, Telo, Simelue and Hinako’s.
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Nowadays for some, the perfection surrounding the waves of Nias has been shrouded in mystery and tainted by the 2005 and subsequent earthquakes and Tsumani. But is this the actual reality? and have those events, coupled with the explosion of the surf charter and tourism caused Nias and her surrounding islands to lose their shine?
Well that all depends on your perspective of surfing. An eclectic group of surfers were sent on a surfing holiday with a difference... The surfers would rediscover the waves of Nias and just as the early surfing adventures did before luxury surf holiday travel, they would reconnect with the local communities.
The full version of that introduction will be played out in a film currently in production. In the mean time lets unpack the purpose activities the team focussed on as well as the key surfing locations of Nias and the nearby Hinako Islands.
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Lagundri Bay
Perhaps Jason Childs 1989 photograph of Dugga Warren still encapsulates this surfing location best. On our trip however, we found out that Lagundri Bay is much like any other perfect surf break that is not perfect all the time. For those trying to get a slice of it’s real magic you will find that it is quite accessible to travelling surfers and if the place is firing you’ll be shacked like never before.
| | Kahana Kalama enjoying the playful inside section at Lagundri Bay. |
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Accommodation is readily available and as long as you are aware of the expected living conditions it’s a great place to visit. Most have reported that this wave has improved since 2005 but if possible plan to surf more than just this break if you to travel to Nias.
With so much intrusion on the local surf scene at Lagundri and thanks to Glyndyn Ringrose and Bethany Hamilton’s sponsors, our team connected with the locals by running a small surf comp. Unlike many of the other breaks in the area the local kids really rip and their stoke in being recognised rather than pushed aside by travelling pro’s was very evident.
| | Ringa congratulates Serga who is also one of the Indow Jiwa boat crew. |
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Asu
It is located on the nearby Hinako Island chain and is a moderate to heavy lefthander that has both tube and wackable face sections as identified in this photo of Bethany Hamilton.
| | Bethany constantly pushed herself throughout the trip, never taking a backward step. |
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I am not sure if Asu was better before the earthquake but it is awesome now anyway and a great wave to challenge your surfing. Asu is having some issues with fresh water due to regular earthquake activity so as part of our purpose activities our team laid concrete slabs around two wells that UNICEF have funded.
In tropical heat we limited resources we found this to be a very challenging but equally rewarding experience. Telling a group of surfers they won’t be surfing tomorrow morning is interesting but watching them connect with the locals and give something back is amazing.
| | Brad Whittaker and Bethany Hamilton forming up the concrete slab. |
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Bawa
Located in the Hinako chain, though many have surfed it none have conquered it quite like Tom Curren in 1994, surfing his Tommy Peterson fish during the search series. The famous inside “Fish Bowl” (no reference to TCs board) has gone now and the exposed coral on the shore gives the place some cross chop but as Dan Marczuk found on our trip, it’s a wave still worth discovering.
The Kids Club on Hinako was our destination whilst we were near Bawa and spending some time with the kids gave all of us all loads of laughs and made us realise how easy kids growing up in Australia have it.
| | Kirk Beyer enjoyed much more that great waves on the trip |
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The other waves...
I cannot help but leaving a little mystery in the story and whilst the three waves I identified are the most famous, there are a handful of other great waves to surf around Nias.
| | Glyndyn Ringrose exploring every inch of a rarely surfed lefthander on North Nias |
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Amazingly in this surfing paradise most of local villagers don’t surf but with the safety of very idyllic beach breaks and armed with boards donated by Global Surf Industries we had the opportunity to share with the local kids the joy of catching their first wave. For all of us this was just as enjoyable as our own individual surfing moments on the trip.
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Whilst land camps are available, boat access allows you to take advantage of the predominate wind patterns in the area and therefore the full wave spectrum. You will mostly find the Nias breaks are best in the morning with either of the Hinako waves firing in the afternoon.
| | Brad Whittaker getting what we all want from an Indo trip |
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Getting to Nias is much easier than the journey that faced 70s and 80s surf pioneers. Unlike the other islands in the area there is also the option of direct flights to Nias from Medan. This takes the otherwise rather hectic bus and ferry ride out of the equation. Never the less the hustle and bustle of travel in this part of the world is still evident.
| | Boats like the Indojiwa make access to Nias much easier |
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Wind, tides, UV ratings, air temps and outlook provided by
