Destination: Indo

Trippers: 3 surfers and 2 bodyboarders.
Duration: 5 weeks.
Waves: ranging from 4ft perfection to killer 10ft.

Sponsors: Small Planet, Buzzard Bodyboards.

Indo's mental, your first time in Kuta will always be a memorable one. Cars beeping, traffic and people everywhere most of them trying to sell you crap.

First day we got introduced to paradise, sick waves at a secret river mouth with no one to be seen, but it took a while to get used to the heat. 

After a week of surfing crowded perfection on Bali's Phuket peninsula we headed east to an island called Nusa Lenbongan, we arrived and there was this mad festival where they were digging up bodies, putting them all in a big box, spinning it around and then burning it. I was like "this is fucked up". The waves at a secret spot called Shenanigans were big, cold and scary. The upwelling just of the break meant the waves were cold and thick. It was more like West Oz than Indo I was real cold.

Soon it was time to move on out. Next destination Lombok, an island known notoriously for heft, and murder. We surfed Maui every morning before the onshore picked up. This place as like real scary not because of the heavy waves but because of the gangs that hide in the hills and mug you when you come out. Our bodyguards (that are advisable here) were like sitting in the jeep holding there knives shaking for fear of the gangs. A week before a surfer got his arm cut off at this place and shoot outs have been known to happen were multiple people get shot. Anyway the waves were real good here and we got heavy 7ft barrels onto a lava reef. 

Next Sumbawa, by this time one of the guys was suffering from an ear infection and had to bail for Bali. Sumbawa was super hot and total third world territory. The Waves? unreal bodyboarding style sucking beasts. We were at Supersuck on the worlds best bodyboarding waves. The day before World champ Andre Bootha and Mike Stewart left and they took the crowds with them. For three days I got up at 5.00am and surfed supersuck to myself getting barrels so long I could daydream in them. Sumbawa caused loads of coral cuts, meaning fissy acid.

Back in the Bali, it felt ever so safe to what we were used to, a day after we arrived we got to Dreamlands and it was well over 10ft just macca, so a trip up to the bone crunching Padang Padang was in order. Listening to Bad Religion to hype me up didn't help much this place was dangerous anyway let alone at ten feet. Ten minutes later I was paddling over 10ft beasts with the worlds best knowing that I would have to take it drop knee cause I can't surf left prone. It was a sick session, I was the only English guy out there it was life and death, pushing deep onto the inside, my mind got warped, the barrels turned pink and my mind was fucked from getting too deep and get worked by these beasts onto the reef. 

The end was near and Inow had a beard, the last day we got probably the dodgiest days of all, it was 10-12ft Ulwata and probably too big for the old drop knee, however I did get a couple of 1 minute long rides on the biggest waves I've ever surfed. My mate almost drowned when he snapped his big gun. A 12footer landed right on his back smashing his head open on the coral. 

We went home that evening very tired and wanting to get back too the sanity and safety of England. See you there next year. Marcus Whitney
 

Sharkbait:

After the trip, Marcus' back ligaments gave up and formed lumps on his back. He had to have an operation at Christmas. At the moment his injuries still prevent him from surfing and no one knows why. He thinks that maybe it's the Hindu Gods getting him back for eating their offerings.Whatever, here's hoping you're back in the water soon Marcus.