Supersuck

With a name like Supersuck, you can expect this wave to not be a walk in the park. If truth be told, it is quite a serious wave. It delivers some serious tube time to those hunting barrels. It is not the place for beginners to venture out, no matter how inviting it looks. It has a lot going for it, though. With the always warm water and relatively easy access, it is often quite busy, with loads of visitors hoping to snag one of the sets at one of the best waves in Indonesia. On its day, it rivals some of the best lefts found in the archipelago.

Being a left-hand barrel with a few tricky sections at times, Supersuck is favoured by the goofy-footers and those natural-footers who are comfortable with grabbing their outside rails and pulling in. You’re not doing much more than threading barrels or setting up the next section when it’s grinding. If you can ride backhand barrels somehow, you’re in. The barrels stay wide open and seldom pinch shut. Many a stoked natural-footer has been blasted out of a tube with a look of shock and stoke on his or her face.

The reef is shallow, and it is recommended to surf Supersuck on a pushing tide to full high. If you’re going to surf it at a lower tide, you might find yourself in serious trouble, as the waves can suck dry, leaving exposed coral heads. Not ideal if you’re paddling out and your board gets marooned on a coral head with a set approaching. Reef boots and a wetsuit top are often used by those in the know, as even 1,5mm of rubber can prevent your back from being badly rasped on the coral. There are also some large urchins, so tread carefully when negotiating coral heads on the way in or out. One barrel, though, and it’ll all be totally worth it.