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Hello readers!

For members and those of you who access WO often, you’d know that around 3 days ago our beloved blog has suddenly been deleted by a hacker.

What was so cool about it, is that the hack happened when the only one who has the sole admin priveleges to delete the blog, was smack-dab in the middle of nowhere! I was on my way to G-Land on a motorcycle!
on the way to Plengkung, East Java - aka G-Land
Another side to the coolness is simply, huh, why us? What had made WO soooo so so important for someone to hack and delete? I couldn’t think there is even a REMOTE possibility that a ‘cyber terrorist’ found any necessity to hack WO, and wow, could it have been me myself, sleepwalking through over 40 miles of panther and tiger forest, not to mention the odd poisonous snakes in every nook and cranny, and managed to find a cybercafe, while sleepwalking, accessed my wordpress account, entered the correct password, and deleted the blog?

I think not.

It is still way cool though! :cool:

Nonwithstanding, allow me to extend our thanks to the WORDPRESS TEAM, to have such impeccable support and great understanding, in restoring back our lovable blog!

WO admin – the lazy surfer signing off for now, with impeccable pictures in my mind of epic G-Land, which I must confess, one of the most lovable places to visit for surf on the Planet!

a ghostly lovable captures sight - I used a motorcycle to get thru the natural reserve forest, he had a better alternative!

a ghostly lovable captures sight - I used a motorcycle to get thru the natural reserve forest, he had a better alternative!

Yes, Wayang Ombak has a special limited package especially set up for SINGAPORE SURFERS, wether you are a first time learner, second timer, polishing your moves, intermediate OR expert!

FRIDAY 07aug:
- fly by air asia SIN-BDO (bandung), you can choose the early one or the later one, no problemo, we suggest the later one
- you will be picked up directly from the airport by bandung surfers using an aircon kijang van, then transported directly to BATUKARAS SURF SPOT, mineral water and meals included, necessary stops included like money changer, atm, etc
- SURFER VANPOOL transport maximum 10 guests (2 mpv’s), no minimums, we transport you even if you are alone

FRIDAY NIGHT:
- stay just a few seconds walk from the beach, choice of CAMP UNDER FULL MOON LIGHT on the beach or a 6-bed shared a/c room – camp: max 4 guests – room: minimum 4 guests
- have a moonlit dip swim if you want!

SATURDAY 08aug:
- SURF, SURF, SURF – for beginners the bandung surfers can give u advice if u need some, or, ask for a one-to-one surf lesson from the local surfers of Batukaras (for a fee)

SATURDAY NIGHT:
- BBQ seafood beach party by the bonfire for all guests, whether from camping facilities or from rooms

SUNDAY 09aug:
- SURF, SURF, SURF – for beginners the bandung surfers can give u advice if u need some, or, ask for a one-to-one surf lesson from the local surfers of Batukaras (for a fee)

SUNDAY noon:
- check out from rooms (campers get the benefit to still have the camp intact) – stuff and baggage can stay outside room but hey, dip in the water again for more surfing!!!

SUNDAY NIGHT, after dinner:
- a/c van transport from BATUKARAS to Bandung airport or to anywhere in Bandung city, mineral water and meals included

MONDAY EARLY MORNING 10aug, dawn:
- van arrives in bandung airport first and foremost, so guests who booked for the eearly flight can comfortably catch it
- after airport guests, other guests will be taken to wherever within bandung

COSTS:
- VANPOOL Bandung airport – BATUKARAS – Bandung = 250,000 IDR per head – meals and water included
- 2 nights CAMPING and 1 seafood BBQ dinner = 100,000 IDR per head – BBQ drinks is water only
- 2 nights shared room and 1 seafood BBQ dinner = 250,000 IDR per head – BBQ drinks is water only

so, total cost for campers = 350,000 IDR
total for roomies = 500,000 IDR

OTHER DETAILS and COSTS:
- SINGAPORE-BANDUNG-SINGAPORE flights is served by AIRASIA budget airline, tickets can be booked online at http://airasia.com, you will have to book and buy your tickets yourself, and send us proof of booking (airasia emails you your confirmed booking details, just forward that to our email, wayangombak at gmail dot com)
- 1 SGD now buys around 6,300 IDR
- per day allowance for food from local eateries, allow yourself a generous 50,000 IDR per day allowance, this is for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- you can bring your own board, or just rent one at the beach surfboard hire is from 50,000 to 100,000 IDR a day, surf lesson is 150,000 for two hours, one-on-one – all surfboard hire and surf lessons are by BATUKARAS SURF CLUB
- breakfasts are not included in room / camp costs, however, roomies get free morning coffee and tea
- LIMITED SPACE, THERE IS 6 SPACES LEFT, BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR AIR TIX, SEND US A MESSAGE OR SEND EMAIL TO SAY THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED
- BATUKARAS HAS ENTERED THE DREADED BLUE BOTTLE JELLY FISH SEASON, WAYANG OMBAK HAS FORECASTED THAT DURING YOUR STAY THERE WILL BE MINIMUM JELLIES PRESENCE, BUT IF THEY ARE TOO MUCH, WE WILL TRANSPORT ALL GUESTS TO A NEARBY SURF SPOT WHERE THERE ARE NO JELLIES

THANK YOU! … thanks for your continued support, thanks for your encouragements, and most of all, thanks for all the great feedbacks and critiques that made this site a much more pleasurable place to surf!

We know the redesign isn’t really fully ready yet, but we’re more than half way there! … so, here’s a fun something for you! Recently I came over this poster from a friend of mine in UK, for those of you who know the flick, 1984, and know what’s happening in most ‘developed’ countries, will have a nice chuckle seeing it.

from Celt Islam Soundsystem - visit Celt’s myspace page and check out his work. Celt is now based in Manchester, one of his well known gigs is ‘Drop Beats not Bombs’ in collaboration with a number of dj’s and electronic musicians.

1984 - Point taken!

West Java

Batukaras, Reef (Karang), Bulak Benda, Bojongsalawe, Keusik Luhur & Batu Hiu:

Less-than solid swell outlook throughout wed 01 apr 2009 to sat 04 apr, the swell charts may look good, but for the swell direction and periods this time frame gives, its generally not looking too solid for the batukaras – keusik luhur – pangandaran – nusakambangan swell quadrant.

Almost every break will see below-average performance, EXCEPT some surprise sets that can happen in these breaks, as now it is new moon spring tide with rather shallow low tides and higher high tides, with great offshore slight winds in general:

  • Bulak Benda for mid to before-peak high tide, less organized sets during fri & sat
  • Batu Mandi for higher than mid-low tides, possible hollower sets during fri & sat
  • Nusakambangan west coast reef, careful, gnarly but nice and hollow
  • Average almost solid Keusik Luhur

Things may change for the more solid and more stoke for this surf spot quadrant from Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 05-07 apr, but as the spring tide changes to almost neap tides, most probably only these will work great:

  • Batu Mandi
  • Batu Hiu, Bojongsalawe, Karang
  • be careful in Bulak Benda, sneak freak sets alarm and ’square wave’ alarm is officially rung! :-D
  • Surprisingly, Keusik Luhur will look very clean albeit the lesser depths on the break during this time frame.
  • batukaras – legok pari will have below average surf because of the tides, but because of its protected cove location, some slight short period east swells, and rather okay mid tide waveforms, Wayang Ombak’s call is chill & spill for batukaras!

Cimaja, Turtles, Ombak Tujuh, Ujung Genteng, Karangsari, Sunset, et al:

  • forget about Loji, Karangsari, Karang Haji, Cikembang
  • although the bothersome sand deposits are not all away yet, turtles will look solid and a whole-day affair, neap tide heaven!
  • ombak tujuh neat, tidy, consistent throughout
  • cimaja good in the mornings and before dusks, nope, no freak sets likely, but will work more solidly from saturday to tuesday, 04-07 april
  • ujung genteng is tricky, wrong winds
  • forget about sunset – karang hawu, its going to be a whole day strange waves sessions with moving points, or a whole day solid with okay though under average rides

Sawarna, offshore islands, panaitan, malingping

  • best bet Sawarna
  • offshore islands nice and solid over average, good winds, no buts! – get yourself moving!
  • Panaitan will be under average, but as everyone knows who has been there, below average Panaitan is bliss enough
  • we will make no calls for malingping reefs, though some beach breaks will be okay to get wet in! :mrgreen:

East Java

Pancer, Teleng Ria, Klesem, Watu Karung, Srau, et al:

A visit to this area is always enigmatic and somewhat of a dreamscape. There is almost always something happening and a great wave with no one on it, at each and every second possible. However, the forecast for the period of 01 – 07 apr 2009 is not looking too good, except for:

  • Pancer Point, though still murky due to sediment run-off from nearby river mouth especially after monsoons, it will start working well, but please, BEFORE saturday only, low tides only, and its not going to be too big. Just shoulder high. If you are lucky, you will see what Pancer is really made of during a double-up swell set on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 05-07 apr 09
  • Watu Karung only on high tides between wednesday tomorrow 01 apr to saturday. Make the wave. Barrel sessions, left and right.
  • Srau Pandan will be enigmatic and full of urchins! lol
  • Srau Portal only during mid-high to high tides, during NO winds (onshore season now)
  • best bet is the daytrip klesem, wicked indeed!

Bali

For anyone who is in Bali now, lucky you! This seven days starting tomorrow Wednesday 01 apr 2009 all west coast Bali lefts will turn alive and kicking! Almost all will be at least average for its own conditions, all offshore winds, some will be over-average, but we’re not telling!

Hey guys, you there yet?

B)

Remember that Wayang Ombak members were supposed to go check out these two indonesian islands which has no reported surf before? The surf trip we like to call “Surf Hunting”? We were supposed to have one during the end of 2008 (last year, for those who don’t keep track on the current year, lol) … Well it catastrophically failed, but oh so very almost so over-wonderfully !!! :-D

It was early December 2008. The stage was set for a handful of members and friends to embark on the trip, coz almost all the swell window faucets were closed off … at least, to all the main surfing destinations in indonesia it was really smack-dab in the middle of ‘its probably a better idea to surf lakes’ swell season!

True enough, every single surfbreak that has gained popularity as main surf destinations were not only under 50%, they were under 15% performance!!! – which by the way, is usually a good time for beginners or learners (first timers) to go check out some of the more gnarlier spots and check em out! ::mrcool::

I was the most wired up to embark on this trip. We were to have an old school surfer coming from Singapore, some mates from Oz, one intrepid Malaysian surfer, and four locals (including myself).

So when the time came when the forecast for the best possible swell-wind-tides scenario for these new spots came into being, I checked around for transport to get there, did rough calculations for the whole trip (which was going to take at least 3 weeks), sent notices thru text and email to the Wayang Ombak Surf Hunting 2008 posse, and waited …

One suddenly was offered a job which he has just taken for under a fortnight, he couldn’t go. Flu and general sores came to the ozzies. The Malaysian had to receive his family who is coming from afar. I said, cool, all I need to do now is visit Batukaras and Pacitan to check out who can go.

Before Batukaras, I called Diki and Bali up. Diki still has his in-law from germany visiting him, and still hard at work in construcing his home. He couldn’t go. Bali had to stay home and take care of his Mom who was rather ill. Okay, scratch Batukaras, I said to myself, I’ll just travel eastward with my family to Yogyakarta then Pacitan to see if good ol Doc Surfer can come, he’s probably one of the most hardcore surf-wave-hunters in indo, I bet he’d be delighted to come! … I mean, I still have to go there and pickup my other longboard who was entrusted to a guy named Momon in Pacitan, right? so the travel plan (and pre-itenary) was eventually set.

One thing for sure, me and my family were really eager to get the hell out of Bandung, as soon as possible, because we totally know what’s gonna happen in the very near future, say like after the 24th of December? … yuck … Bandung is just gonna be pure puke-a-logy, full of out-of-towners seeking the hideous ‘metropilitan thrill’, which usually just means wasting a lot of energy for nothing and at the same time contribute heavily into the destruction of the planet! Not to mention contributing to the destruction to one’s self.

In all fairness, to us, who love Bandung dearly, from the 27th of December to around the 3rd, Bandung will simply just not be Bandung anymore. It will rear its beautiful face to be covered with an ominous ugly mask!

BEFORE 27th, as the 27th is Saturday, we already have the craziness of people having their days off during 25 and 26 December … so Bandung will suddenly have the population of cars almost rivaling its own population, a staggering 2 million cars, motorcycles, buses, public transport, etc. On top of that, all roads leading to Bandung will be overtly congested.

Enough details? trust me, even during writing this post I felt I’d like to puke. But as with every downturn, there are always up sides for those who are willing to just give it a glance and take the step! :-)

So me and my family were geared, really really looking forward to escaping monstrous Bandung! The Doc has set his time to receive us. I got us the train tickets, Banudng-Yogyakarta, then organized a car to take us from Yogyakarta train station to Pacitan, a nice cheap lodge near town centre!

Part 2: Bandung-Yogykakarta by a night train called “Turangga Malam” – Cool totally uncrowded surf sessions with the Doc – a further awakening to the problematic few surf locals of pacitan – a new years eve to remember – off to Surabaya with no goodbyes – the train ride to Rogojampi near Banyuwangi, close to G-Land – etc

newsflash

Hello, welcome to our blog!

I’m dropping a quick post to let you know that we’re still away surfing and can’t really soon finish this blog’s ‘new looks’ design.

It just may take a while. Sorry, peeps! :)

Just a short update on things wayang ombak side:

  • wayang ombak handles mostly custom surf trips in and around west java, east java, south sumatra and west sumatra … just about anywhere there’s blissful waves that are uncrowded! … read this for a heads-up about our surf trips
  • wayang ombak mostly handles trips that have a great chance of the best conditions in the places of destination, sorry, we DO NOT and WILL NOT make custom surf trips for you if it is scheduled on less-than-average conditions!!! … read more about it here
  • currently for all of our surf destinations, the conditions are not ideal, that’s why we do not have trips yet at the moment – our first trip for 2009 may be mid-March, with details about it already available in this blog by mid-February
  • now we are on a surf trip, actually! :cool: it’s our members-only ‘Surf Hunting’ trips that are more of a chancy trip to find new surfbreaks – it’s the adventure that counts!!! – click this for our memberships
There is only one earth. Take Care of it. :mrgreen:

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