Surfing Rote (Nemberala)

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

SW swell, SE trades

T-Land is a long left on the reef at Nemberala, on Rote. It has three sections (the Point, the Middle and the Inside), and on a good swell they link up into rides of 200 metres. It's walling, sometimes hollow and forgiving when you make mistakes.

It gets longer and faster as the swell grows without getting much more dangerous. At 3ft it's easy, at 8ft it's exciting, and even above 10ft fit surfers can paddle into it. The dry-season SE trades blow offshore all day, and the reef is deep enough to be forgiving.

Nemberala is a slow town of lodges and losmen facing the lineup, with seaweed farms in the shallows. The crowd is rarely more than pleasant. Bring a few boards, because they'll all get used.

Right Reef · Best May-Sep · 4-10 ft · Crowd 1/5

Big SW swell, SE trades

Bo'a is a right on the coast south of Nemberala, on Rote. It needs more swell than T-Land, and when it has it you get fast, bending walls, one of the best rights on the island.

Longer-period SW swells make it work, from 4ft to 10ft, and SE trades clean it up. Depending on the tide the sections go from open walls to short hollow bits. On the biggest days, when T-Land is busy, Bo'a is a good option with space.

It's a scooter ride past seaweed lagoons and through Bo'a village. There's a warung and not much else. Often it's just a few locals, a few lodge guests or no one. Everyday shortboard, step-up for bigger swells.

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

SW swell, E wind

Do'o is a hollow right on a small, uninhabited island about 10 km from Nemberala, off the west coast of Rote. It's fast and powerful over shallow reef, and on good days it barrels.

It needs a solid south-west swell, east winds and the right tide, and it doesn't work very often. When it does, there are very few people out. It's for advanced surfers only: the reef is shallow live coral, so wear booties and bring a spare board.

You get there by chartered outrigger boat from Nemberala, which you can arrange on the beach. Bring food and water.