Nias / Lagundri Bay · Indonesia
Surfing Bawa (North Nias)
A right reef in Nias / Lagundri Bay, Indonesia, for advanced and pro surfers.
Bawa is in the Hinako Islands, off the west coast of Nias. It's a big, powerful right that needs a real SW swell to break well, and then it produces long, shifting walls where positioning and a strong paddle make all the difference.
You can only get there by boat, from Nias or from the camps in the Hinakos. There's no village to speak of. The sets swing wide over a big area, so most of the challenge is reading the ocean. It works from 6ft to 15ft on east winds, and the channels are deep.
Most people combine it with Asu on the other side of the island group, staying in a basic camp or on a boat. Bring big-wave boards and spares.
When to surf
Bawa (North Nias)
Bawa (North Nias) is at its best from June to July. Conditions it likes: Big SW swell, E wind.
April to May: Good
The season builds, lineups are empty and camps charge shoulder rates
June to August: Prime
Peak power at Lagundri and Krui: the classic window
September to October: Good
Clean swells continue, crowds drop off
November to March: Quiet
Rainier and smaller but rarely flat, and cheaper
The year across Sumatra-Nias
Waves near Bawa (North Nias)
Asu
13 kmNias / Lagundri Bay · Left Reef · Advanced / Pro
Lagundri Bay-Nias
51 kmNias / Lagundri Bay · Right Reef · Advanced / Pro
Afulu
53 kmNias / Lagundri Bay · Left Reef · Advanced
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: The losmen row on Sorake point is the classic: rooms from $10 with The Point breaking in front of your balcony, negotiate long-stay rates. Resorts on the hill add pools and AC. ATMs are in Teluk Dalam (20 min) and can run dry; carry cash. Known places: Kabunohi Sorake is a small resort right on the point, and Keyhole Surf Camp is run by a local family about 100 metres from the wave.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Nias / Lagundri Bay guide.
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