Sumba Surf Travel Guide
GalleryWith its small population, dry tropical climate and traditional rural villages Sumba feels very different from other surfing destinations in Indonesia. The roads are infrequently used, and there’s very few accommodation options. This means UNCROWDED WAVES.
The trick with a Sumba surf trip is to book early. With only a few rooms available, you want to be quick in planning and booking. As a reasult, you’ll score fantastic waves with nobody, or just a few people, around.
Best Waves in Sumba
Occy’s Left
Also known as God’s Left for good reason. The wave out the front of Nihi Sumba Resort works at any size, but the bigger the better and it gets extremely fast and hollow at low tide.
Mangkudu Left
A deep water wave that picks up a lot of swell. It can have a large lineup with multiple take off areas and peaky bowls. Typically open faces for carving and occasional barrel sections. An extensive stretch of reef for long rides – be prepared to do some paddling.
Miller’s Right
Located in Tarimbang this is probably Sumba’s most ridden wave. The fast, hollow sections on the long righthander split the crowd and there are also softer shoulder sections for surfers of all abilities riding all crafts.
The Hole
The Hole is considered the perfect spot for more advanced surfers to enjoy powerful waves with daring peaks and breaks. Expect no channels, where waves end into a cliff.
Sunset Left
Boasting powerful left hand waves and challenging breaks, this particular spot should only be ridden by advanced surfers who delight in heavy surf sessions.
Pinnacles
A fun right hand wave that works on all swells, best ridden on mid tides and in the morning, as it’s sensitive to the changing winds. You can expect barrels to happen on lower tides and in the right conditions.
Kerewe Right
One of the longest right handlers in Sumba on its day. Normally breaks in different sections along the reef offering a variety of options for various levels of surfers. Some sections more hollow than others but a super fun wave for everyone. Normally very uncrowded because of how long the wave is.
Rope Burns
Running along the cliffs at the end of a beach, the right hand waves of Rope Burns work best during mid tides and on big swells. For experienced surfers only. If bigger swells are rolling in and you’re chasing more serious waves, Rope Burns delivers barreling rights over sharp reef—an advanced, world-class wave when it’s on. Some say it might be the best on the island…
Cocos
A fun left and right hander off the edge of the reef, offering a few vertical turns before finishing on the sand. Perfect for intermediate and advanced surfers.. Working best on low to mid tides, but it can also be good on a higher tide and mid-size swell. Occasional sand bank movement can create another right hander slightly down the beach.
Sanubari
The breaks on Sanubari Launching Pads carry tricky waves to navigate, and their occurrence is not very consistent. Best ridden during mid to high tides and medium to bigger swells.
Pantai Marosi
Big, shifty, deepwater right with power and long hold-downs. In a small swell, there’s a fun, hazard-free beachbreak.
Pero Lefts
Highly consistent, this wave holds as big as it gets. Pero Lefts can be excellent as swell is refracted heavily into big bowl sections with ample tube-time.
Pero Rights
Pero Rights are tricky and unforgiving with a sketchy cliff dead-end section. It also needs to be well overhead before it even starts breaking, making it a low consistency, experts only wave.
When's the surf season in Sumba?
Sumba’s long southwest facing coast picks up all the swells that generate in the Indian Ocean during winter. April to September is the most consistent and comes with the southeast tradewinds which the best breaks need. However late season, especially October to December can provide glassy days and solid swells, with some more rare waves also springing to life. With a deep ocean trench off its exposed coast Sumba it is remarkably consistent.
Attractions
Sumba is surrounded by some of the most beautiful and untouched white-sand beaches on the planet. Culturally it is home to Indonesia's most prized ikat (patterned textiles), while the annual Pasola festival, which features a mounted spear-fighting competition has to be seen to be believed.
The Country
With over 255 million people, Indonesia is the world’s 4th most populated country. Consisting of thousands of islands, Indonesia is rich with tropical oceans, delicious fruits, and impressive volcanoes. Even with the nation’s large population, there are many opportunities to escape the crowds by visiting the country’s outer islands, rainforests, and beaches. Over the millennia, Indonesia has been controlled by many world superpowers – including the Dutch, French, British, and Portuguese. Since the end of World War II, Indonesia has remained a free nation with a constitutional government. Because of this diverse history, Indonesia has a unique blend of island culture, Western Colonialism, and Islamic lifestyle – making it a unique experience for any world traveller. If you enjoy respectfully meeting new people, you will undoubtedly find the people to be as beautiful as the oceans.
Getting There
There are daily flights from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar (DPS) to Sumba Island’s Tambolaka Airport (TMC), which take about an hour. When planning your trip from any Western nation, remember to get your passport and visa ahead of time.
Travel Information
Time Zone
UTC+06:00
Currency
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Calling code
+62
Electric
230 Plug type V, C, F
Sumba Surf Resorts
Nestled on the pristine shores of Indonesia’s Sumba Island, The Sanubari offers an exclusive escape blending barefoot luxury with an authent
Nestled on the pristine shores of Indonesia’s Sumba Island, The Sanubari offers an exclusi
Sumba Surf Charters
Enquire
Disclaimer - The trip booked is operated by independent operator(s) and is not part of or in partnership with Perfect Wave Travel. Perfect Wave Travel acts as an agent only. We sell various travel related products on behalf of numerous transport, accommodation and other service providers, such as airlines, land based accommodation and boat charter operators. Perfect Wave Travel obligation is to make travel bookings on your behalf and to arrange relevant contracts between you and travel service providers. Perfect Wave Travel has no responsibility for these services nor do we make or give any warranty of representation regarding their standards. All bookings are made subject to the terms and conditions and limitations of liability imposed by these service providers.
Terms and Conditions - All bookings are subject to Terms & Conditions. By submitting this booking form you have confirmed that you accept and will be bound by these terms.
Award Winning
World Class
Customer Service
Global Company
Multiple Locations
Around The World
Traveller Care Guarantee
24/7 Worldwide
Emergency Support
Perfection Pass
The World's First
Surfer Loyalty Program
Best Price Guarantee
Find A Price Cheaper
And We'll Match It!