Ever had one of those days where you stand on the beach, thinking how good the waves are, then get your ass handed to you on the way out? Yeah, May 30 at Uluwatu was one of those days.
Even when it’s not huge, solid Uluwatu can dish out some serious poundings. Some of the worst poundings are the mental ones; the ones where you’re paddling and paddling and paddling and paddling, and the sets just… keep… on… coming.
Duck dive after duck dive after duck dive after duck dive. You emerge from the first, a bit breathless, and paddle on. Emerge from the second, your wind still there, but diminishing. Emerge from the third gasping a little. “Paddle on,” you tell yourself.
Then you look towards the horizon and there are endless lines marching towards you. Another wave on the head. Gasping even more this time. Shoulders are tiring. Lungs are burning. How you yearn for a break, even just a small one! But no, says Uluwatu. No breaks for you. Eventually, after your duck dives have gotten shallower and you realize you’re making negative headway, you turn back towards the beach and give up. It hurts the soul, doesn’t it?
That happens to one surfer in the video you see above, but the waves roaring through were worth it. You gotta pay to play, and that’s the price of entry when Uluwatu is at the size it was at the end of May. It’s been good for a few days now, and Padang Padang was gold, as was the Bombie and the Outer Corner.
See more from Surfers of Bali on YouTube.
