Pulau
The indigenous inhabitants of this region – the Mentawai people – are known for their intricate tattoo art. Tattooing holds immense cultural significance for the Mentawai people, representing various aspects of their identity, such as age, social status, postcode and spiritual beliefs. They live in harmony with the lush rainforests of each island – mainly […]
Bon Voyage
As our trip comes close to an end, we make our way back to the central part of the island chain, where crossing overnight to Padang is easier. There are endless breaks along the way, so we drop anchor at many, hopefully timing it with the right tides, winds and crowds. It’s been days of […]
1hr with Italo
I know, I know, it’s been a while. Welcome to the Aquabumps offshore edition, where we broadcast from the wave-rich Mecca of Mentawai – a very remote part of the world that I visit annually. Yesterday was a classic; whilst farming a nuggety left, filling our wave quotas, a blue catamaran sped into the line-up. […]
Large
It’s still big and unappealing for surfers. Rogue sets are breaking in the 2-3 times head-high range. While smaller than yesterday, it’s still wild to ride. The icy west offshore winds are not helping either…hard to get out of bed today. Maybe tomorrow, but it will be surfable/enjoyable mostly Thursday and Friday. My family and […]
Fresh Batch
Last night we were gifted a brand new, clean south swell. It’s fun-sized, head high and occasionally;y bigger. The NNW winds are offshore and keeping it neat — plenty of waves, lots of close outs and the odd nugget. Winds should remain north and clean at south-facing beaches like Bondaka. I say this every day […]
Ubiquitous
The waves are plentiful, and the sunshine delightful. It was the first morning you needed to rug up – (around 12 degrees at sunrise). The water, however, remains ridiculously warm, and some are still surfing in boardies! The best (and biggest) waves are at beaches that face east. Bondi still attracted some swell in the […]
PRIME
No, I am not selling Prime drinks on the black market like the kids – it’s a PRIME day – primo – cracker – epic!@# Why? It’s perfectly west offshore and a bit chilly, but the conditions are clean, and the skies have cleared. The ENE swell is peaking, and I saw waves in the […]
Get Wet
Oh boy, we’ve got a 10-out-10, top-notch, fully-sik cracker of a day outside. It’s going to hit 27 degrees while the winds remain light. There’s even a little wave on offer! GO NOW. GET WET while it’s a glamorous beach day. Why? as it’s gonna rain all weekend. And I mean rain hard. 30 mm […]
Drainers
The beach is full of dramatic rips, sweeps and shallow banks. Exacerbated by the lower morning tides, there’s plenty of hollowness and straightness. Nothing too exciting, 2-3 foot (mainly 2) but the super-groms and mini-john-johns were pumped. Sun finally came out, and the winds were non-existent. Clean az. I’m a big fan of Indonesia and […]
Light Patches
I’ve had a few weeks off the cameras and indulged in rural quality time with the family. Today I photographed Bondi, and even in that short time away, the light has changed somewhat. The autumn sun’s position is right around the back of Ben Buckler now, seeping side onto the beach…I like that angle. The […]
Bondi Colours
I was up early, fossicking in the dark, stalking sunrise colours. It paid off as the clouds over Benny B got lit! I had the 16-bit 100-megapixel medium format beast blazing as the morning progressed through the different lighting stages. On the beach, waves were breaking around the waist to shoulder high. It looked pretty […]
Unclouded
Autumn – I love this time of year. It’s when the sun tweaks around the back of Ben Buckler and rises into the bay, side onto the waves. You’ll see a lot of silhouette shots from here on, my fave. The water remains warm as the air drops. West winds are plentiful in autumn, which […]
OneWave 10
It was a sea of Fluro this morning as the OneWave crew celebrated ten years of supporting mental health in the community. They attempted to join North Bondi with South Bondi in a human chain (with the odd Mexican wave). Good to see all the other groups like 440, Salties, Clubbies, all joining in. The […]