Surfing Lakey Peak (Hu'u)

Left & Right Reef · Best May-Sep · 3-10 ft · Crowd 4/5

S-SW swell, offshore mornings

Lakey Peak is the main wave on the Hu'u reef in central Sumbawa. It's a shifting A-frame with a hollow left and a rampy right off the same takeoff.

It's very consistent. The reef picks up S/SW swell almost every day of the season, the morning land breeze cleans it up, and the tide changes it through the day. 3-6ft is the best size. On bigger days the focus moves down the reef to Nungas and the takeoff at the Peak gets critical.

The camps and hotels face the wave, so you're in the water in a minute, and the lineup fills up at first light with good surfers from all over. It gets shallow on the inside at low tide and there are sea urchins. A standard shortboard is fine.

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

S swell, E wind, mid-low tide

Lakey Pipe is a short, slabby left a few hundred metres from Lakey Peak. It throws a thick, square barrel over shallow coral, and there's no wall to speak of after that.

You drop straight into the barrel and either come out into the channel or hit the reef. Mid to low tide makes it hollower. It works at 3-6ft, and mornings in the SE season are cleanest. When the Peak is crowded and the tide is right, a small group of tube riders sits here.

Advanced to expert only. Wear booties and watch at least ten waves before paddling out. From the cliff it's one of the best waves on the reef to photograph.

Right Reef · Best May-Sep · 3-8 ft · Crowd 2/5

S swell, W-NW wind (mornings)

Periscopes is a hollow right about ten minutes' walk east of Lakey Peak. It runs fast down its own coral spur and is often better than the Peak, with far fewer people.

It's a morning wave. The land breeze keeps it clean early and the trade wind usually arrives by mid-morning. Mid tide with 3-6ft of south swell is best: the takeoff throws quickly into a barrel, then there's a wall for one good turn before the inside closes out.

The walk along the beach keeps the crowd down. Wear booties and be careful at low tide. Many people surf the Peak at dawn and Periscopes after breakfast until the wind comes up.

Left Reef · Best May-Sep · 3-10 ft · Crowd 2/5

S-SW swell, E wind

Nungas is a left down the reef from Lakey Peak that starts working when the swell gets bigger. Sets that are too big for the Peak swing wide and line up here into walls of 200 metres or more.

It's bigger and longer than the Peak but breaks over deeper coral and at a slower pace, so 6ft Nungas is realistic for strong intermediates. On the biggest days it's the main wave on the reef and holds double overhead.

Paddle out from the beach south of the Peak or drift down with the current. E/SE mornings, mid tide and 4-10ft are the usual conditions. Bring a board with some paddle and rail, because this is a wave for long turns.

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

Big S swell, E wind

Cobblestones is a right at the end of the Lakey reef, in front of a rocky shore below the cliffs. It doesn't break on normal swells and only comes to life with a big south swell, when it holds waves the rest of the reef can't.

On those days the regulars move down from the Peak and the cliff fills with people watching. The waves run from overhead to much bigger, with real weight. The shoreline is all rocks, so check your leash and plan how you'll get out.

When the swell is normal, there's nothing here. East winds clean it up and mid tide makes it easier. Bring at least a step-up.