Lagundri Bay

Last updated

Lagundri Bay is a horseshoe-shaped bay at the southern end of the island of Nias off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. It is a popular tourist destination and a noted surf break.

Nias island in Indonesia

Nīas is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago of which the island is the centre, but also includes the Batu Islands to the south-east and the small Hinako Islands to the west. Nias Island covers an area of 5,121.3 km2 (1,977.3 sq mi). It is mostly a lowland area rising to around 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. There were 756,338 inhabitants on the island at the 2010 Census. The latest estimate for January 2014 is 788,132.

Sumatra island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands

Sumatra is a large island in western Indonesia that is part of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island that is located entirely in Indonesia and the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2.

Indonesia Republic in Southeast Asia

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's largest island country, with more than seventeen thousand islands, and at 1,904,569 square kilometres, the 14th largest by land area and the 7th largest in combined sea and land area. With over 261 million people, it is the world's 4th most populous country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population.

Contents

Lagundri Bay surf break

The main break in Lagundri Bay, often also called "The Point," "Soraki Point," or simply "Nias," is a barrelling right-hander breaking over reef along the western side of the bay. The correct name of the point where the wave breaks is "Soraki" (which apparently means "many reefs"). [1] A break further out along the bay is called Indicators, which breaks dangerously onto dry reef and is surfed only on rare occasions.

On the opposite side of the bay, a left-hander called The Machine breaks sometimes, but needs a very high tide and large swells. "Kiddies Corner" is the name of the inside section of the wave at "the Point." All the waves have been affected by recent uplift from the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake.

2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake earthquake

The 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake occurred on 28 March off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. At least 915 people were killed, mostly on the island of Nias. The event caused panic in the region, which had already been devastated by the massive tsunami triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, but this earthquake generated a relatively small tsunami that caused limited damage. It was the third most powerful earthquake since 1965 in Indonesia.

Start as surf location

The surf break was discovered in 1975 by travelling Australian surfers Kevin Lovett and John Giesel. Accompanying them to the bay on 18 June 1975 when they first surfed it were Peter Troy and Wendy Adcock of Australia, New Zealander Michael Day and Australian Patrick Waite. Lovett and Giesel, aged 20 and 22, were travelling through south-east Asia, living rough and pursuing the surfer's dream of perfect uncrowded waves. They were drawn to Nias by a map they saw in a chieftain's house in North Sumatra. On their final sea leg to the island they found legendary surf traveller Peter Troy and his partner Wendy Adcock. Michael Day, 25, a former surfer, and Patrick Waite were travelling in Indonesia and just happened to arrive at the time of the discovery.

On the island and after traveling 15 km through jungle they finally reached the bay and were greeted by, as Lovett put it, "Relentless sets of smokin' 6-to-8 foot almond-eyed waves". (That's 6 to 8 Hawaiian scale.) Those who surfed it for the first time were Kevin Lovett, John Giesel and Peter Troy. Michael Day, who swam in the break, could speak Indonesian and, at the request of Lovett and Giesel, asked a local to build a shack for them, and he agreed. That was the beginning of the surf village now there. Lovett and Giesel lived there for 3 months surfing it alone.

Hawaiian scale is an expression of the height of a wind wave affecting water. It is the expression conventionally used by surfers in Hawaii and is also used in Australia and parts of South Africa.

Giesel and Lovett, and the others who were with them at the time of the discovery, made a pact to keep the place secret, but word leaked out over the years. Giesel never got to enjoy Lagundri again, he suffered repeated bouts of malaria he'd contracted on their travels and died of pneumonia just 7 months later. Lovett maintained his connection with the place, returning many times and getting involved with helping the local people. In around 1995 he learnt from the local siulu (chief and head magician) that the two had actually been in considerable danger from headhunting, which still went on back in 1975.

Malaria Mosquito-borne infectious disease

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases it can cause yellow skin, seizures, coma, or death. Symptoms usually begin ten to fifteen days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. If not properly treated, people may have recurrences of the disease months later. In those who have recently survived an infection, reinfection usually causes milder symptoms. This partial resistance disappears over months to years if the person has no continuing exposure to malaria.

Pneumonia Infection of the lungs

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung affecting primarily the small air sacs known as alveoli. Typically symptoms include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and trouble breathing. Severity is variable.

Headhunting

Headhunting is the practice of taking and preserving a person's head after killing the person. Headhunting was practised in historic times in parts of Oceania, South Asia and Southeast Asia, West and Central Africa, Mesoamerica, and Europe. It occurred in Europe to the end of the Middle Ages in Ireland and the Anglo-Scottish border regions, and until the 20th century in Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, and western parts of Herzegovina.

New Yorker writer William Finnegan surfed Nias in 1979 and wrote about it in his 2015 memoir Barbarian Days. [2]

2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake

The 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake (28 May 2005) devastated the local village, and caused an uplift up to several metres over much of the island, with some eastern parts of island also reported to have sunk several feet or more in places. A number of structures both within the local village and throughout the island were toppled (with reportedly several thousand deaths, particularly in the north of the island), and a small tsunami also occurred, apparently up to the height of door frames on the first floor at Lagundri Bay, which also caused damage to houses and hotels within the bay.

Locals report that the tsunami arrived about 15–20 minutes after the earthquake. A number of people in the local village lost their goods and livelihoods from this earthquake and tsunami. The uplift seems to have been part of a regular cycle of megathrusts followed by gradual sinking. On this occasion the uplift was about 2 feet within the Bay itself, and it has actually improved the main surf break, but reduced the quality of the others.

Where previously The Point only broke from about 4 foot and up (Hawaiian scale) it now breaks from 2 foot and the main section of the tube has lengthened from 7 seconds to perhaps 9 in good conditions, with a second tube section a little further down from the main part of the wave on occasions. On the other side of the bay however The Machine has suffered, needing an even more fickle combination of large swell and higher tides to be surfable.

Characteristics

The wave characteristics of "the Point" have long been considered world-class, and include: a remarkably easy paddle out; a machine-like, jacking, perfect almond-shaped tube (particularly when >4 feet) and which has reportedly held waves up to 15 feet (Hawaiian scale-that's ~30 feet wave faces) since the earthquake; and a sculptured wave face which is partially smoothed out by a weak 'reverse current'- which sucks water from the bay into the wave and acts to 'smooths out' the breaking wave face, even under light onshore wind conditions.

The wave jacks and pitches quickly out of relatively deep water, and has surprising energy and roundness over about 4 feet (Hawaiian scale), particularly since the earthquake, also breaking in relatively deep water (at least for the roundness of the barrel) on all tides. The world-class section of the wave only breaks for about 60-80m, before it dies out in deeper water, afterwards forming a slow moving, low-quality wave which breaks for around another 100m or so ("Kiddies Corner").

The water within the surrounding bay has a sharp and remarkably deep drop-off, and it is likely the peculiar, long and narrow U-shape of the bay acts to focus the incoming swell energy onto the main part of the point, to produce both the weak 'reverse current', and the consistently almond-shaped tubes.

Other Nias Island surf breaks

There are other waves both to the west and east of Lagundri Bay, which have been variably affected by uplift from the earthquake. A medium quality left-hander breaks about 2 hours walk west from the main point, called locally "the Shark Hole," and another very dubious right-hander breaks about 15 minutes walk to the west of the main point. There are waves to the north along the west coast of Nias island, one of which, "Afulu," has apparently been severely affected and reduced in quality by recent uplift.

Related Research Articles

Surfing sport that consists of riding a wave

Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found in the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore. However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.

Waimea Bay, Hawaii Bay on Oahu in Hawaii, United States

Waimea Bay is located in Haleiwa on the North Shore of O'ahu in the Hawaiian Islands at the mouth of the Waimea River. Waimea Valley extends behind Waimea Bay. Waimea means "reddish water" in Hawaiian.

Laird Hamilton American surfer

Laird John Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model.

Simeulue Regency Regency in Sumatra, Indonesia

Simeulue Regency is a regency in the Aceh special region of Indonesia. It occupies the whole island of Simeulue, 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra, with an area of 2,051.48 square kilometres. It had a population of 80,674 at the 2010 Census; the latest official estimate is 84,933.

Indonesia was the first country to be seriously affected by the earthquake and tsunami created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004, swamping the northern and western coastal areas of Sumatra, and the smaller outlying islands off Sumatra. Nearly all the casualties and damage took place within the province of Aceh.The time of arrival of the tsunami was between 15 and 30 minutes after the deadly earthquake.

Teluk Dalam is a sub-district in the South Nias regency, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. Its area is 490 km2 (190 sq mi). In English, Teluk Dalam means "Deep Gulf". As of 2004, Teluk Dalam has 39 villages with a population of 76,750 and a population density of 157/km². Teluk Dalam has various tourist sites, such as Sorake Beach, Lagundri Beach and Bawömataluo which hosts Nias traditional houses of hundred years ago.

Surf culture culture associated with the sport surfing

Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion, and lifestyle surrounding the sport of surfing. The history of surfing began with the ancient Polynesians. That initial culture directly influenced modern surfing, which began to flourish and evolve in the early 20th century, with its popularity spiking during the 1950s and 1960s. It has affected music, fashion, literature, film, art, and youth jargon in popular culture. The number of surfers throughout the world continues to increase as the culture spreads.

G-Land

G-Land, also known as Plengkung Beach, is an internationally renowned surf break situated on the Grajagan Bay, Alas Purwo National Park, East Java, Indonesia about half a day by road from the popular tourist destinations of Bali. G-Land is most commonly reached via boat charter from Bali.

Banyak Islands district in Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh Province, Indonesia

The Banyak Islands are a group of inhabited islands located between Simeulue and Nias off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia's Aceh Province. Surveys of the area approximate around 71 islands and additional mangrove stands in shallow off-shore areas, although locals count 99 islands. The largest island in the group is Tuangku, with the principal town of Haloban. Two other major islands located either side of Tuangku are Bangkaru and Ujung Batu. Tuangku is separated from Bangkaru by a fault line.

Simeulue island in Indonesia

Simeulue is an island of Indonesia, 150 kilometres (93 mi) off the west coast of Sumatra. Its capital is Sinabang.

The Hinako Islands are a group of small islands off the west coast of Nias Island in the Sirombu District of the West Nias Regency, part of the North Sumatra Province of Indonesia.

September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes earthquake

The September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes were a series of megathrust earthquakes that struck the Sunda Trench off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, with three of magnitude 7 or greater. A series of tsunami bulletins was issued for the area. The most powerful of the series had a magnitude of 8.4, which makes it in the top 20 of the largest earthquakes ever recorded on a seismograph.

Surf break A permanent obstruction on the seabed which causes waves to break

A surf break is a permanent obstruction such as a coral reef, rock, shoal, or headland that causes a wave to break, forming a barreling wave or other wave that can be surfed, before it eventually collapses. The topography of the seabed determines the shape of the wave and type of break. Since shoals can change size and location, affecting the break, it takes commitment and skill to find good breaks. Some surf breaks are quite dangerous, since the surfer can collide with a reef or rocks below the water.

SurfAid International

SurfAid International is an international charitable organization working in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia. It was founded by Dr. Dave Jenkins of New Zealand in 2000. In 1999 he was on a surfing trip in the area and saw the health problems of the local people. SurfAid's early efforts were focused on providing health education to the people and mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria.

Babi Island is an island located in Aceh, Indonesia.

Surfing in Indonesia

With more than 13,000 islands and warm water all year, Indonesia is considered an idyllic destination for surfing.

Simeulue people

The Simeulue people are an indigenous group of people inhabiting Simeulue Island off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. They are mostly found in Teupah Barat, Simeulue Timur, Simeulue Tengah, Teupah Selatan and Teluk Dalam districts. The Simeulue people speak Simeulue, a Northwest Sumatran language closely related to Sikule and Nias (spoken in neighbouring Nias island. The language also has a strong Acehnese and Malay influence.

Uluwatu, Bali

Uluwatu is a place on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia. It is home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple.

References

  1. ↑ "NIAS SURF SPOTS | Surfing Guide". Surf Indonesia. Retrieved 2019-04-21.
  2. ↑ William Finnegan, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life. Penguin, 2015.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.