It’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and Indonesia has come alive with a few solid early-season swells for Bali and all the islands. Surfing in Bali has become all but dysfunctional due to the crowds, jet skis zipping through crowded lineups doing tow-ins/step-offs on three-foot days, and the number of learn-to-surf schools everywhere. Due to the incredible traffic gridlock on most days, there are now talks of speedboat runs getting surfers from various points on the Bukit to the airport.
Indo Swell Trains
Still, Nias has been consistent, G-land has been copping loads of swell, and there have been reports of good surf in the Mentawais and on the various breaks in Sumbawa. There have also been good reports of excellent surf in South Sumatra, with few people making the trek.
The Surfing Doctors are very active right now, with volunteers at the Surfing Doctors-assisted Friends Of Nias clinic and a crew out at G-Land, including Dr Vorster, Dr Plotkin and Dr Goodworth, and Matt Larrson, the Medical Student. Dr Chapman is currently doing a stint at Kandui Resort, and Dr Hatelely is on duty at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro with Trevor Lawrence Brown, the physio.
The doctors in G-land are also overseeing the development of the new infirmary at the Jawa Jiwa surf camp, and things are looking great on that front.
Nias
Lagundri Bay has had some excellent days/ weeks of surf, and those surfers on duty at the Surfing Doctor’s assisted Friends Of Nias surf camp at Sorake Beach have been scoring at the main break. Reports are filtering in of excellent scores at the Telos. Dr Simon Nothling is the Surfing Doctor helping with the Friends Of Nias clinic.
To learn more about the Friends of Nias not-for-profit organisation, get details on how to volunteer, get to Nias to work at the clinic, and maybe score some seven-second barrels (for real), head over to the FON website or find them on Instagram at @friendsofnias.
G-Land
Some serious swell lines have been pouring through across the Bali Straits at @jawajiwagland in Grajagan Bay, Alas Purwo National Park, East Java, Indonesia.
One such sudden rising swell caught a few surfers off guard, with a decent fin chop and a pretty gnarly head injury while Dr Vorster was on duty. With the good work of Dr Vorster and other doctors in the camps, these soldiers received good treatment for their injuries, with very satisfactory outcomes.
Kandui Resort
Over at Kandui, Dr Chapman has treated surfers, locals, and Kandui staff for various ailments and injuries, but nothing serious. The winds have been less than ideal, and there hasn’t been too much charging or carnage on the reefs of Nokanduis or Rifles and other such heavy water spots, but the conditions are changing, and it looks like there is a cycle of good surf heading for the Playgrounds shortly.
When that place lights up, the reefs are shallow and sharp, and there will no doubt be some surfers kissing the coral.
Check out the Kandui Resort website for more details on this dreamy location.
Margaret River Pro
At the Western Australia Margaret River Pro Championship Tour event, there have been minor injuries and scrapes, mainly from the dreaded inside reef on the rights, as surfers force close-out moves and finish over the dry shelf to maximise points.
Local surfer Ben Spence needed to be braced up by The Surfing Doctors on duty after one particularly wipe-out before the contest started. You might remember him from a starring role in the surf movie Breath, based on the book by Tim Winton, and getting into the Margaret River event in 2022 after winning the local trials.
For more on the Margaret River Pro and how your surfers are doing in your Fantasy League, check it out – Western Australia Margaret River Pro.
Surfing Doctors Annual G-land Conference
Fresh off the URBNSurf Sydney Conference, the 2025 Surfing Doctors Conference is next up and is scheduled to run from 20th to 30th September. If you are keen to join the Surfing Doctors and head to the conference in the jungle, then jump onto the Surfing Doctors website, find our registration page, and register your interest in joining the Surfing Doctors. Unfortunately, the numbers for the conference are limited.
If you wish to contact anyone at the Surfing Doctors, these contact details should help:
Founder
Phillip Chapman
Secretary
Dave Hateley
Treasurer
James Dent
You can also find The Surfing Doctors on Instagram and on Facebook.