Indonesian Reef or Roads?

As with nearly any sport relying on the forces of nature there is a great and not-so-great season for kitesurfing. You may be lucky enough to grab a short chilly session here and there in winter but the general idea is to set off from Noosa and the Sunshine coast in search of chase the next big adventure... Well at least until spring when Rainbow Bay sh owes us what heaven is like. Martin and myself from The Australian Kitesurfing Acadamy try to disappear for greener pastures when the wind slowes down.

So here is a lil' research i did to pass the time. Enjoy.

Question.

Which is the more dangerous?

Surfing over Razor sharp reefs, covered by a mere 3cm of water at low tide, in Indonesia

OR

Dodging and weaving through the traffic of a busy Kuta (Commercial center of Bali) Street on a, not so reliable, scooter.

Having been fortunate enough to have safely returned from a month in Indo in June, I am in serious debate as to which of the 2 is the most terrifying!

You have 2 choices on the streets in Kuta. Ride or be ridden over, as many of you probably well know if you have ever been to Kuta. My partner at the time had the good sense to volunteer for driving duties while I took responsibility for the 2 surfboard stuck to the side. This involved hanging precariously out the opposite side of the tiny scooter to balance the weight whilst also fending off anything that even looked close to coming in contact with the precious boards. (I'm happy to say a few dings were avoided, although at the price of my dignity. Its hard to keep your relaxed beachy look intact while barking and snarling like a pit bull at people that get to close) If all of this were not hard enough it was achieved while hurtling down the streets at breakneck speed, dodging, swerving and squeezing through impossibly small gaps. 1 miscalculation and its all over for boards, scooter, and people alike.

However, when the inevitable crash came it was not me that ended up banged up. My selfless partner heroically through himself under the bike and I to take the full force of impact. As grand as this sounds we were actually doing a late night/early morning Mcdonalds run after watching the World Cup in The Sky Garden. Doing 3kms an hour towards a corner, misjudging the angle of approach we went into the curb instead of around it. Luckily we were going slow enough so I could just 'step off'. Unfortunately for my friend, he ended up with no skin on his knee and out of the surf for 10 days. Needless to say after that we had the good sense to WALK to Mcdonalds after the game.

The only possible explanation for putting yourself in this situation, In no control over your own life or death, is Pure Trust for the person driving! And let me tell you it takes a hell of a lot of that to make you agree to something as crazy as getting on the back seat of a dodgy scooter in Kuta..... Also the burning need to get your ass out to the line up ASAP on a gorgeous glassy 4ft surf session. :)

My first trip to Uluwatu was definitely memorable. Most of my surfing has been over soft sand banks or the slow long rights of the Points in the Noosa Heads National Park One the Sunshine Coast. At Ulus your shit scared before your anywhere near the water. The decent into the spot where you paddle out is a winding passage of stalls and steep stair cases and bars with viewing platforms, from there you climb down an even steeper set of stairs into the darker cave below. The actual paddle out is through the narrow cave with turbulent water slamming up against the walls and into boulders in the middle. After navigating your way through, the cave opens out into a sweeping sideways current that whips you away as you try to paddle against it, over shallow reef and heavy waves to the line up. At a lower stage of the tide, if I tried to duck dive under one of the waves I would break the nose of my board off on the reef and scrape my fins. And if that wasn't bad enough, after you have spent 3 hours dealing with strong currents, a million Pro surfers and a bloodthirsty reef, you have to get back the same way you came out. PHEW. You can line up the cave and paddle like hell for it BUT if you miss and the current takes you passed, its a long paddle back out and around the line up for another try.

So once again on this trip, I found myself in a position that my mother would never be told about. And once again The pure trust I had for my partner is to blame. Faced with certain reef cuts and possible drowning in front of a crowd of pro surfer onlookers no less. Only the words 'It will be fine just follow me' from a trusted friend, could get me into the water. I will add however, the next time he tells me not to worry about the reef boots I will promptly pegg one at him before retrieving it and putting them firmly on my foot..

I'm happy to report there were no serious injuries while surfing.. . .So is that then the answer I'm looking for and therefore the end of my research? Are the roads more dangerous due to injury caused? Well I would have been convinced at this point as well but for a few little incidents I haven't yet mentioned. Such as my partner coming in 2 hours late from Kuta Reef looking a little white considering he had been in the sun for 5 hours. His leash warped around the coral and took 3 waves underwater before it managed to come unstuck. Yes if it wasn't for a lucky slip of the leggy he would probably still be under there. The currents washing around him were to strong for him to reach down to the Velcro. If you manage not to get your leggy caught then it may be another part of you body wrapped around the reef. On our last trip to Ulu's it was a tide so low the cave was high and dry, and you walked across the reef to get out. I have never seen so much blood in the water. Seriously it was messy. At least 7 guys out there would definitely have to go to the hospital after the session, and that's only if they survive the scooter ride to get there.

For me, there is something that keeps popping up through my thoughts. A consistency in all of this madness. For instance, My boyfriend after nearly drowning, still stayed out for another 2 hours. The skinless guys at ulus paddling back out to the peak bleeding for 'Just one more' before hospital. Getting back on the scooter every morning even after witnessing some horrible accidents, just to get to the perfect spot where the wind is light and off shore. We put ourselves in dangerous situations to surf. Sounds crazy right? Not really. Not when you have experienced the thrill of that Perfect Wave on a clear sunny day with a bunch of your mates cheering you on, and what it took to get you there!

Surfing itself is the search for the perfect rush. The heart pounding jaw clenching drop down the face, which can sometimes feel like throwing yourself off a cliff. And then there is ... ….. The BARREL! Oh, yes. Not a lot in this world could possibly compare. If you haven't watched the digital movie 'Surfs Up', grab a bowl of popcorn and a pillow and enjoy. It says it all.

Still the question remains, which then is the most deadly and dangerous? Scooter or Reef? Well in my experience they are both a terrifying thing to be faced with. Some people will be more concerned with the reef and others the road. How much are we willing to risk for an adventure? What will we be missing out on if we don't risk it just a little. I think the moral of my little study is to not stop doing what you love or let anything stop you from finding it. Even if something scares the hell out of you. You can take the precautions to minimize risk and still get stuck into it and have a blast.

It's worth it!

Thanks for reading about one of my little adventures.

CJ

Kitesurfing in Noosa, Sunshine Coast, QLD

I want you for a minute to close your eyes and imagine what it's like to be totally one with nature. Easy yeah? OK now you are cruising over crystal clear water where you can see dolphins and manta rays under your feet and a kite over your head, all you can hear is the ocean. Now, coming towards you is a beautiful 4ft perfect wave jacking up and about to break. Action! The forces of nature and your own pumping adrenalin kick in to give you the ride of you life!
Beware, fellow thrill seekers. Before falling over your feet charging out the door in search of this ultimate rush, there is something you must know........Kite surfing is highly addictive. It takes over your brain as thoroughly as a couple of jager bombs on a 'quiet one' in the local bar.

So for those of you brave enough to put aside comfort, safety and the pounding jager hang over, the day began for me at Nomads Noosa Backpackers Hostel, where I work and my friends were staying here on the Sunshine Coast. Great Bar, central location, smiley staff and a chance to meet fellow kite enthusiasts to plan the ultimate day out; What I like to call a 'Down-winder'. The holy grail of Kite surfing!

Once you have gathered your gang and gear and have checked the wind http://www.bom.gov.au/, you're looking for a 15+knot South Easterly. Head to the bus stop outside the cinemas (across the road from Nomads Noosa backpackers) and get on the bus south to Coolum. The bus drivers are pretty good about bringing your gear on as long as you try to keep the carnage created by swinging boards and harnesses to a minimum. Coolum is about 10kms from Noosa, 15mins by bus, about 2-3hours by kite ;)

When you hit Coolum, get down to the beach and set up your gear on the golden sands. Stash your pump for next time, launch and do a couple of sweet jumps for the crowd on your first tack out over the waves. Beware of the Surf lifesavers. They are your friends only if you stay well away from the flagged swimming areas. And if they are nice enough to come out to save your ass after you've dumped your kite and have to swim in, then the obligatory 'thank you 6pack' (beer) is much appreciated.

Your goal is to kite surf out behind the breakers, using the broken waves as ramps to get as much air as possible and hooting at your friends. Once out there pick the perfect wave, be towed onto it by your kite then surf it in. Repeat. You will gradually zig-zag your way down the pristine coastline and home to compare waves over a cold beer back at the bar.

So whats the beauty of this cunning plan to zig zag your way back down the coast you ask? No tacking upwind (its hard to zig zag upwind, against the direction the wind wants to take you). Amazing scenery. Abundant marine life. In the right season you can tack out to where the whales and dolphins are playing or in close to shore with the manta rays and sometimes the odd shark appears to keep things exciting. No matter what happens, even after a long swim in that has you crawling up the beach kissing the ground, you can still roll over look up to the sky and thank mother nature for giving you the best day of your life.

I am a Noosa local who works at Nomads Noosa Backpackers Hostel, Noosa Heads, who loves going Kite Surfing at the weekend! I also enjoy working at the Australian Kitesurfing Academy where I have an opportunity to meet and teach some great people starting out in the sport.