Surfing West Sumba

Left Reef · Best May-Sep · 3-10 ft · Crowd 1/5

SW swell, SE trades

Occy's Left is a long, hollow left on the reef at Nihiwatu, on the west coast of Sumba. Only guests of the Nihi resort can surf it, and there's a limit of ten surfers a day.

The takeoff is easy to get into and the wave bends down the point with walls and barrels. It's consistent right through the dry season. It works from 3ft to 10ft on SE trades.

You book your surf slot along with your villa, and if you're not staying there you can only look from the beach. Sumba itself is very different from Bali, with horses on the beach, traditional villages and megalithic tombs inland, and not many tourists.

Beach Break · Best May-Sep · 3-8 ft · Crowd 1/5

SW swell, E wind

Marosi is a wide bay of golden sand in west Sumba, with shifting sandbanks and a reef at each end. There are waves for most levels and usually nobody out.

In the middle you get wedging beach-break peaks, off the western rocks a left when the swell comes from the right angle, and rights at the far end when the banks allow. It works at 3-8ft on dry-season SW swells. Go in the morning, before the east wind, and look from the headland first.

There are no camps, rentals or signs, just grassland and locals riding horses along the beach. Stay in a homestay, bring small notes and learn a few words of Indonesian. Bring your own boards, water and repair kit.

Left & Right Reef · Best May-Sep · 3-8 ft · Crowd 1/5

SW swell, E-SE wind

Pero is a fishing village at the western tip of Sumba. Lefts and rights break over the reef by the rivermouth, between the fishing boats, and half the village watches from the seawall.

The peaks move with the sand and reef. It's best at 3-8ft on E-SE mornings, and the left off the point is the best wave. The waves are fine rather than famous. Most people come for the village life as much as for the surf.

Dress modestly on land and ask before taking photos. Homestay meals are with local families, and there are traditional villages and megalithic tombs a short scooter ride inland. Bring your boards and some patience.