Scar Reef

Scar Reef

A serious title for an absolutely world-class wave, Scar Reef is probably the best wave in Sumbawa. It is also one of the most respected, and there is an old saying, ‘everyone who surfs here has scars.” On the lee side of Benete Point, in a beautiful bay, it thunders down a long and corrugated reef. Fast and solid take-offs, a long and ominous-looking wall and all sorts of sections characterize this anomaly of a wave.

Scar Reef is known to have one of the sharpest coral reefs in Indonesia, is part of the adventure of West Sumbawa, and it is always recommended to surf it at a high tide. The wave changes as a result of the tides can be pretty drastic. Shallow and dangerous-looking backdoor-only barrels with a killer close-out at low tide can turn into makeable bowls as the tide moves up. The high tide sessions, at times, can be fun and rippable, although consistently fast and needing commitment. Scars handles a big swell, so bringing a step-up or two is a good idea if you want to charge. It is also known to break boards, so there is nothing wrong with getting a heavier glassed barrel board if you’re planning on staying for an extended period.

The trick to surfing Scars successfully, whether on your forehand or backhand, is two-fold. Firstly, you need plenty of speed. No need to slow down or stall for barrels here. Instead, keep your pedal to the metal. Secondly, when a section pops up and looks like it might shut down on you, there is an excellent chance that if you backdoor it, you’ll make it. After a few sessions and some time watching the more experienced riders, you’ll start understanding the backdoor nature of many of the sections and know when to pull in.

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