Surfing Waves

After the failed surf trip to Taiwan would you believe it too big on one side due to typhoon and next to nothing the other side of the island, but a great trip none the less!
My 64th birthday present is a trip in May to another outpost to Nemberala in West Timor area of Nusa Tengarra in Indonesia. It's a major trek but there is promise at the end of the rainbow!

There are number of resorts? and some camps but this one needs to be special as my wife is taking me, good news other than getting there there is nothing to spend money on barely even an internet connection due to limited band width. So surf surf surf, this 64 year old body plans to morph into a lean mean paddling machine. There is a great left hander and some scattered rights there are some possible deathslabs (not my style) and a report will be forthcoming.

I've gone east in Indonesia before but only as far as Lombok so again new ground!!!
For all the old farts and fartesses reading the forum get yourself traveling if you can there are waves all over the world that can accommodate your level of surfing.
Take the drop, take the trip even it is only to the beach around the next corner. Broaden your surfing and your mind.
Warm water and memories await

How exciting, another trip on the horizon

I'm not familiar with Nemberala so had a quick look on google. The images returned confirm why you've picked this place. This image in particular kept cropping up. mmmmmmm



Let me know if there's a spare ticket

Now why would you want to go there i wonder???

KS

How do you get there - via Timor? (from Darwin?) The trip there could be an adventure in itself.

Gonna give us 'older but not quite 64' kids some tips on how to be surfing Indo at 64? Peptides? Yoga? Or just surfing and an honest life?

Hi DTC yes the trip is an adventure but much less so than in the 70s and 80s to the wider parts of Indonesia.

Fly to Bali overnight stay in Kuta and then fly to Kupang in West Timor, I wouldn't try a trip through from East Timor (crossing borders that have recently known conflict evoke scariness and anxiety for me).
My wife and I stay a night in Kupang then a 2 hour hi speed ferry across to Roti then a two hour drive to the SW end of Roti. Stay for the surf trip and reverse the journey back.

The two scariest parts are internal flights in Indonesia, especially if you go by lesser airlines, very risky and ferry crossings. As a for instance in the harbour at Sengiggi there are two old Manly Ferry Hydrofoils rusting in the mud along with a number of antique car ferries plying the Lombok strait, I usually stay outside with my surfboard ready to be a life raft + the interiors are usually perfumed with a mixture of diesel, seasick vomit and clove cigarettes.

Now your next question, how to be surfing at 64, well just do it, don't get hung up on performing like a 20 year old, stretch your limits and your body, do exercises like yoga, I do Qi Gong , Tai Chi and Taoist Yoga I have massages and I eat well, You will never find me inside a MacDonald or KFC, I played high level Rugby Union moving down the divisions until I was 40 since it was not Rugby League I never used peptides or ox blood.
Occasionally as Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests I use Ginseng and special herbs but no endangered species.

I use Western Medicine sparingly and appropriately, I will use anti malarials when I go to Indonesia, I use antibiotics when I have a bacterial infection (which is rarely).
I also wear my father's genes he was fit and mentally alert until he died from a fall at 93.

One basic ingredient I recommend to everyone, do everything you can to enjoy your life in as natural state as possible, stress is the monster that stalks our being

Thanks Jaffa - luckily I also have good genes (my dad is a competitive dinghy sailor at 70) and in my job I see lots of very stressed people and am glad I am naturally not like them. Just have to take up some yoga. Maybe get rid of the kids, they are always high stress.

Yeah, ferries in some countries are a bit of a worry - I remember travelling down a river in China on an overnight ferry that was quite 'interesting' (the cabins were shorter in length than me, which made sleeping hard; and the toilets were a 1/2 pipe that led to a hole in the hull so the water just sloshed back and forth 'clearing out' the debris). But that was on a river - the ocean is a different story and nothing like cruising past some rotting ships to make you feel secure. Surfboards are good for many things!

And then at the end an Indonesian traffic experience. You will need a massage and a surf after that.

The guys who travelled around with a board in the 70s and 80s were quite remarkable.

Been talking with a few of the locals who have been to Roti.
Some health thoughts, dry season when the swell is there is dry at the same dryness of Broome in Australia, so anti malaria les are still a precaution but maybe not entirely necessary, but just one malarial mosquito can do you in.

There has been typhoid and cholera at several places among some home stays and lesser resorts a couple of years ago, so proper hand washing and personal hygiene can combat that.
Awareness of food preparation where you are staying is helpful..

Reef cuts the normal treatments apply, hopefully a supply of limes too.
Always treat coral cuts ASAP, coral infections are rapid and dangerous.
Alcohol and iodine wipes are great, travel insurance, the more isolated. The surf the better your insurance needs to be , make sure there is an adequate evacuation cover, often now resorts and oat trips won't accept you without documentary proof of insurance.
The ability to self manage minor injury is important.

Fun and an ability to look outside and experience how other cultures live is one of the great rewards.

The Roti Newsletter, the swell is building across Indonesia and comes from the SW perfect, it is only small and will get bigger as we head to May, the Monsoon has begun to shift and is starting to become offshore
Jaffa is begin to get so level headed he is frothing from both sides of his mouth

surf patrol wrote:How exciting, another trip on the horizon

I'm not familiar with Nemberala so had a quick look on google. The images returned confirm why you've picked this place. This image in particular kept cropping up. mmmmmmm

nera.jpg

Let me know if there's a spare ticket

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!

Do I detect a small amount of excitement?

In seven days I'll have to gloat,
about my journey to catch a boat,
a ferry bound for surf remote
and there upon that desert isle
endless surf will make me smile.
My wife has come along with me
she doesn't surf, so you'll see
she'll read her books under a palm tree.

We'll wine and dine at our resort
on coming back I will report!

Forget the gloat, really we are so blessed to be able to do trips like this as grey grommets!

Grey grommets - better than grey nomads

dtc wrote:Grey grommets - better than grey nomads

Even got the T shirt

I'm sure you'll have a blast

Hi,
My mates have been four times so far, all in their 50s and rave on about it. Only thing last year, 3 out 5 got typhoid. They stayed at that place with the Latin American couple running it and said everyhwere cheaper was a disaster zone. Please do report back!

Aqualife wrote:Hi,
My mates have been four times so far, all in their 50s and rave on about it. Only thing last year, 3 out 5 got typhoid. They stayed at that place with the Latin American couple running it and said everyhwere cheaper was a disaster zone. Please do report back!

Hi,Aqualife, welcome to SW, wow you have so much to offer this forum, especially on a women's perspective on things like local behaviours towards women ( like Aragum Bay) it wouldn't even register for a male surfer.

I'm staying at the Nemberala Resort apparently the typhoid camp had the toilets leaking into the well.

There are quite a few well run camps so not all is bad.


Other places I would recommend in remote Indonesia are Kandui resort in the Mentawais gets my AAA+ rating ,
Heaven on the Planet on Lombok at Eka gets a A+ Nusa Lembongan spots are good but are now day tripper spots.
If you like Vanimo, Kavieng and Vanuatu offer some breaks and taking your children is an experience as they are well loved there! You also would know all the health drills.

I will get back to you and I'll get me wife's perspective on it for you!

Righty O I'm here after flights two days island hopping! First day chest to head high good waves on the dropping tide. 30 in the water spread over 3 peaks no problems.

Smaller surf today for the morning glory nose rides above ankle deep coral, for wipeouts ensure no water penetration.
Ally's right in my world, my wife is happy too, for Kitey we go to learn how to make the local moonshine from lontar palm trees!
Nice

Raining back here...

Do we get some pics or have to wait? Still can't get my head around surfing over inches deep water with a coral bottom. I guess as long as you dont fall off!

Posting pictures will difficult, the mice pedaling this end of the net are super slow and I'm only carrying camera gear that will download to my Mac
It's high tides 5.5 meters difference between tides on high unless the swell is huge no surf. Nap time!

I intend to do a photo session from a boat or by walking out on the reef, but water protection for the DSLR could be problematical..... If I go down a hole dead camera the breaks are a 500 meter walk. We'll see.