Indonesia and World Tourism News

Panaitan’s Surfing is World of Wave Hunters

June 5th, 2006

The first fine break you might see as you approach south Panaitan’s surfing bay is a legendary left point break known the world over as One Palm Point.
This point break, marked by a single sentinel palm, is one of Indonesia’s lefthand wonders. Waves here peel perfectly from outside to inside, barrelling the whole way over a shallow bottom that inspires paranoia but creates record-time tube rides. Indeed, this is not a place for timid or inexperienced waveriders.

One Palm Point works best on a good-sized swell, a southeasterly and offshore wind, and at a more medium than low tide. It is ridiculously shallow here, so wear any protective gear you can find. Weary of long and lefthand tube rides? Then head for the opposite side of this three-kilometer wide bay where you will find both a big bombora right on the bay’s outside arc-headland, plus, just inside the bay’s entrance, a right hand point break, Panaitan Rights, that is not as reckless as the left at One Palm Point, but sometimes perfect.

Both places experience drastic tide changes, so check them out at different tides.

Outside Panaitan are numerous bombie-type cloudbreaks that rise, crash and seem to disappear. They are spooky, but look around and you might just spot a well-shaped peak. Just as fun and ridable in this deep claw of a bay are a series of inner-harbor breaks which are collectively referred to as Inside Panaitan.

Some of these spots, especially those to the inside-centre of the bay, aresimply soft, fun and relaxing, but one particular righthander located deep inside and on the western, or portside, of the bay can be very good and picks up nicely amplified southerly swells of decent size.

Prevailing winds are bounced around and blow offshore here, so when Outside Panaitan is blown out, this Inside Panaitan playground can be perfect.
source : www.wavehunters.com/java/java_surf.asp

Entry Filed under: Indonesia & Bali Tourism News