As the swell pulses into the 8ft range the intensity out at Padang increases on the last two days. Matt got some bombs and conquered what he came here to do, and that was get big barrels. Mac earned a lot of credit pulling into heavy rights on his backside as well. These last few days we concentrated completely on getting the best tides, wind and direction of this swell. Checking it every 30 minutes to find the peak of perfection when Padang will barrel perfectly. Getting out at Padang is easy but getting is a challenge for any surfer. Multiply that by 2 and you have the pain in my ass swim to get in each session against a huge rip current, sharp reef and tons of water moving in and out of the channel. Boards were broken and egos were tested out there. It was an all out effort for each session, wearing us all out. Everyday there would be stories told and eye lids shut by 730 at night. By the end of the three days of swell my fever had gone down and my flu was starting to wear off. A half rest day came and I was able to take a break but not before shooting every morning and evening each day for landscapes and waves. Indonesia is an incredible place. The locals out in the water are fairly mellow if you are using your head with them and not being a smart ass american. Speaking of Americans we have still only run into 3 total Americans on the trip. Everyone is either from Europe, Brazil or Australia. Monkeys seem to pop up everywhere from time to time and are fairly non aggressive, so I had to through in a monkey pic. The shots above are from Padang and Impossibles. The trip is nearing its end and our bodies are nearing their the complete urge of having our beds back home! Stay tuned for more!
Boca Raton Photography & Design
Ben Hicks
