LEARNING TO SURF IN BAli
ON THE WATER SURFING WAS WHERE I FOUND THE MOST PEACE AND ENJOYMENT DURING MY ENTIRE TRIP.
I’ve had surfing on my bucket list for years now. Prior to Bali, my failed attempts at surfing included barely standing up on a board at a friend’s wedding in South Florida many years ago and neglecting to stand up once during a session with my family during my 40th birthday trip to Cabo. This was an entirely different story, for two reasons: one, quality instruction and two, water temperature.
Researching surf camps, retreats, instructors, etc. was one of the first things I did when I booked my trip. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go all in with a camp or a retreat for a week, plus I was on the fence about the hostel/camp-style accommodations at some of the retreats. After hours of googling, I emailed a travel agent friend of mine, Meg Austin (Meg is a Vail-based luxury travel agent who specializes in ski and scuba travel. Hi, Meg!). She connected me with an agent friend of hers, Diane Embree, who specializes in custom travel planning for Indonesia and Bali. Diane referred me to Dana Hamann at The Bali Wave who runs a private surf instruction and coaching business with her business and life partner, Samo.
I decided to reserve three days towards the end of my trip with Samo, thinking that would give me ample time to boost my core muscles and endurance. When I attempted to surf in Cabo, I was not working out at all and had no core or upper arm strength to speak of. I wish I started surfing with Samo at the very start of my trip. It was, hands down, my favorite experience in Bali.
Firstly, Samo and Dana were just awesome. For anyone who wants to learn to surf in Bali, don’t just rent a board on Kuta beach and throw yourself at the waves or just find any instructor on the beach and get jumbled up with a larger group. If you’ve never done it before, there’s so many tiny details to think about as a wave is approaching. Paddle, decipher which way the wave is breaking, stand up, balance, steer. Once you’ve got it down, it’s pretty fluid, but starting out it feels like a mountain to master.
Samo never let me down once. Dana is American, from California, and Samo is Sumatran. Both are incredible surfers; Dana’s a graceful longboarder and Samo is a competitive big wave surfer. He moved to Bali after winning a surf competition in Sumatra and was sent to Bali for another comp, which is what prompted his move there. I now consider both of them friends and can’t wait to go back to Bali to spend more time with them on and off the water.
Back to surfing though. Would you believe that on my very first wave I stood up and rode it all the way to shore on Kuta Beach? Granted it was a beginner board that’s easier to balance on, but that’s how good Samo is. During my first lesson, Samo spent almost four hours with me and we finished the day with sunset Bintangs on the beach. He even drove me at home on his scooter, and often picked me up and dropped me off for the remainder of my lessons. I also mentioned the water temperature above. Bali water is like bath water. You can stay in that water without a wetsuit for hours and not get cold. I have Reynaud’s, which means my fingers and toes usually cannot handle cold temperatures for extended periods.
On day two, I moved on to a regular board. I know – I couldn’t believe it either! I was almost certain that I wouldn’t be able to do it because finding balance was so much more difficult. The wonderful thing about private instruction and Samo in particular is that when a wave is approaching, they make you take it – so you don’t have the time or ability to chicken out. After day three when we moved on to a new beach at Jimbaran Bay, I felt more confident and less sore. Paddling was the hardest, most tiring part for me. My lower back muscles and arms had never had such a workout. I also knew that three days wasn’t going to be enough, so I reserved another day and then after that, I was scheduled (sigh) to leave Bali.
I had a great day on the water on my fourth day – finally figuring out how to properly steer and balance myself when on the water. I even rode some bigger waves. Don’t believe me? I have video evidence. So naturally, when Samo asked me if I wanted to do the following morning, I couldn’t think of a better way to start my final day in Bali before my late night flight to Melbourne. We finished that final morning session the way we started, with 9 am Bintangs on the beach to celebrate our new friendship and me becoming a surfer!
“An idea was born here, too. I am still working out exactly what this all means, but ultimately, my new business will offer a component of “Marketing For Good,” that works to support small businesses in more meaningful ways.”
An idea was born here, too. My 20+ years of marketing experience has been exclusively centered around luxury hospitality. I love what I do. I get to create marketing strategies that connect people to life enriching travel and dining experiences. The human connection point in hospitality marketing is what gets me out of bed everyday. All that being said, I also want my marketing expertise to really help people who need it, by better establishing and positioning their businesses and collaborating with them to target individuals who will benefit from their services and offerings. I want to help destinations and industries get back on their feet in this post-COVID world. I am still working out exactly what this all means, but ultimately, my new business will offer a component of “Marketing For Good,” that works to support small businesses in more meaningful ways. Keep an eye out for more on this topic.
THE BALI WAVE
Go follow @thebaliwave on instagram, people. Then book a trip to Bali and learn to surf with two incredible humans.
