Coco Ho tucking into a barrel at Uluwatu without the help of a Jet Ski. Photo: Mason Ho//YouTube
The debate over whether (or how) to regulate the use of Jet Skis at surf spots has become an innate part of modern-day surfing. Recent viral videos of Jet Skis driving through the lineup at Uluwatu and Balangan on the island of Bali have rekindled the dialogue.
Indonesian surfer Piter Panjaitan posted a video on his Instagram that read, “Donkeys trying to do step-offs at two-foot Racetrack…Anyone know these guys? Tag them! Getting comfy, hei? ‘No Jet Ski in the lineup!!’”
The comment section drew the attention of prominent figures in the Balinese and global surf communities. Notably, James Hendy, the Director of Rip Curl Indonesia, Balinese surf legend Mega Semadhi, and Jon Pyzel of Pyzel Surfboards all chimed in with negative sentiment towards using Jet Skis at Uluwatu.
“It’s very disrespectful for us,” Panjaitan told The Inertia when contacted for more details around the first Uluwatu incident. “I know people make mistakes, but this guy should come forward and apologize.”
Panjaitan explained that there are dozens of companies that rent out Jet Skis on Bali from Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, and Uluwatu. It’s been getting more common since last year, and the discontent among locals is boiling over. Panjaitan took the Uluwatu incident personally because his children and friends were surfing when the Jet Ski dangerously passed within several meters of surfers.
“You cannot do that because it just escalates,” said Panjaitan. “If there are no repercussions, then somebody else will do the same.”
Panjaitan is not anti-Jet Ski, he just says there is a time and a place for it. When Uluwatu gets to a certain size, he doesn’t have a problem with Jet Skis. He also points out that other waves on the peninsula are empty, hard to access by land, and are better suited for the machines than Uluwatu.
“You can rent (Jet Skis) out to tourists, but find somewhere else,” he said. “I don’t want to make a fuss about it, because everybody has a right to own a business here, especially if you are respectful to the locals and the lineup.”
After we spoke with Panjaitan, he released a statement calling out Saltwater Cowboys, a company with a 100-foot ship anchored off Padang Padang that serves as a floating hotel, beach club, and Jet Ski-rental hub.
It was determined that the Jet Ski operator in the viral Uluwatu video was a private party and unrelated to Saltwater Cowboys, but the skis at Balangan belonged to the company. Some Instagram commenters, including Hendy of Rip Curl, took the opportunity to air out grievances towards the company.
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“You cannot talk about etiquette and respect and then say in the next breath that 99 percent of your business is renting Jet Skis to tourists,” Hendy commented. “There is zero etiquette or respect for anyone in that.”
When Saltwater Cowboys was reached for comment, a representative explained that they have a strict policy that Jet Skis remain 500 meters from the surf zone (a statement contradicted by the recent Balangan video). They said that every renter is given a safety briefing, signs a liability waiver, and submits identification. In the “five percent” of cases where users break the rules, they claim they are quick to rectify the situation and return the Jet Ski to the boat.
“We get a lot of requests for people asking for tow-in or step-off services, and we just decline unless it’s in high season when there are waves everywhere and we can go somewhere empty,” said the company representative. “As soon as we see someone going close (to the lineup), we go out and intercept.”
When the Uluwatu video went viral, Saltwater Cowboys said they created a private Instagram group with all the relevant stakeholders to clarify the situation and create a cordial dialogue. Then, when the subsequent Balangan video was disseminated on social media, they released a statement saying, once again, that they were meeting with the locals to hash out a solution.
Prior to the statement regarding the Balangan video, Saltwater Cowboys acknowledged that there are two exceptions to the company protocols, which appear to be at the center of the debate: professional surfers and foils.
Saltwater Cowboys have rented out its skis for step-offs at Uluwatu to professional surfers who they view as respected and competent – people like Gabriel Medina, Frederico Morais, Nic von Rupp, Pete and John Mel, and Yuri Soledade, among others. Some surfers accuse these pros of snaking paddle surfers and operating in a non-empty lineup – claims that Saltwater Cowboys refutes for the most part.
Regarding foiling, the company representative admitted that they have rethought their policies.
“One area where I think we were sloppy at the beginning is with the foil guys,” they explained. “The foil guys color outside the lines, meaning we can be around the corner at Temples where there’s nobody out, we tow them in, and then they end up at Racetracks because they can pump their way through the lineup. It’s a bit more of a challenge because the ski needs to go pick them up. I think we’ll probably end up reducing that this year and just saying, ‘OK, foil stuff is only going to happen in different remote locations, not at Racetracks.’”
Panjaitan says he’s identified who was using the private ski in the viral Uluwatu video and is awaiting a response. But the video underlined a wider, suppressed frustration with the various Jet Ski-rental companies that have now been thrust more clearly into the public eye. When asked if this debate and resulting discussions among locals had led to any resolutions (before the Balangan incident), Panjaitan said we’ll have to see.
