Part 3 of 4.
Friends of Nias: consistent community-based medical work
The Friends of Nias clinic exists as a community medical centre. Its main workload comes from treating local families, managing chronic conditions, childhood illnesses, infections and routine injuries. The clinic was established by the late Dr Raf Ghabariel to provide consistent, reliable healthcare to residents with limited access to larger facilities. That remains its core function. To find out more about Friends Of Nias, check out the ‘about us’ section on the FON website.
The Clinic and the work done by Friends Of Nias is all based around the perfect right-hander that starts barreling at about six-foot, and can get bigger than 10- foot on the right days. There are big wave surfers and professional surfers visiting all the time, and there are plenty of other waves in the immediate area and just around the bay.
The waves at Lagundri consist of the main break which is further broken down to Nias and Corner or Kiddies Corner, a perfect peeling wave when the surf is small. There is The Indicator, that is pretty much unrideable since the Tsunami and The Machine, that is also exposed at most tides since the Tsunami. There are also two more waves around the corner that get big and impressive on the right conditions.
Heading out, there are the Telos islands and the Hinako islands, featuring Asu and Bawa. Bother these two waves were irreversabily changed by the afore-mentioned Tsunami, with Bawa split into two separate waves and Asu shorter and less perfect than days of yore. Still, great options, and the Telos has some of the finest beachbreaks in the whole of Indonesia. Still the wave at Lagundri Bay is the jewel in the crown and the reason why everyone returns to this dreamy location. An easy paddle out through the keyhole, a gentle drift into the lineup, and a reef that is less threatening than many other locations in Indonesia.
The vibe in the water is usually also less intense than most as the waves are more user-friendly than places like G-land, and there are days that are suitable to the average surfer and to those surfers who are still at the beginning stages of their surfing journey.
Read More: Jack Wilkinson – Reflections on the Surfing Doctors Conference and Friends of Nias, 2025. Part 2.
The Surfing Doctors support the clinic through rotations that fit into the existing community-focused structure. Their role is to supplement capacity, assist with predictable surf-related cases and align with clinic staff on resource and patient management. The operational priority remains the local population, with surfers accommodated when workload allows.
Nias offers a different operational environment. Lagundri Bay is a less-accessible, more predictable right-hand reef that attracts steady surf traffic.
Transport to and from the clinic depends on road conditions, vehicle availability and daylight, which in some cases affects how quickly cases can be escalated to external facilities.
Friends Of Nias has well-structured systems and rotations and has a constant flow of Doctors and medical crew heading on out to Sorake with the guidance of the staff, both in Australia and at Lagundri Bay. The Surfing Doctors’ involvement in Nias follows a structured rotation system. The Surfing Doctors operational framework, developed by Chapman, David Hateley and James Dent, aligns perfectly with the needs of a community clinic. Dr Simon Nothling is a Surfing Doctors stalwart who coordinates the Surfing Doctors’ presence at Lagundri, ensuring smooth integration with the existing team and systems. It’s a process that works effectively.
Rotations give doctors experience in managing infections in high-humidity environments, communicating with local staff, and working within limitations. This differs from G-land, where the pressure comes from environmental speed and access challenges. Nias embraces long-term, community-based medical support alongside incident-driven responses.
Every year the World Surf League rolls into town to run the Nias Pro WQS 6,000 event, and it is one of the most popular events on the WQS tour year after year. The waves are always good for the event, the vibe is good, and the organisers are removed enough to run their own show, and it is a very effective showcase of the wonders of Lagundri Bay.
As a result, Lagundri Bay remains a major surfing destination, and the clinic beside it plays a critical role in keeping both locals and visitors safe. Nias provides the Surfing Doctors with a stable platform for consistent medical practice in a surf-consistent environment with predictable case patterns.
Read more: Surfing Doctors 2025: Lookback Part 1 – Operational culture and this year’s key gatherings.
Read more: Surfing Doctors 2025: Lookback Part 2 – G-Land
Nias Gallery © WSL
