Dirty Hippies

Dirty Hippies is a powerful, hollow left-hand reef break in the Kertasari/Moro Bay surf zone of West Sumbawa. Known locally as Jurang Sate, the wave breaks over shallow coral reef and can produce thick, fast barrels when a solid south-to-southwest swell reaches the coast.

The wave isn't especially long, but it makes up for that with intensity. A steep takeoff leads quickly into the barrel, with the wave racing across the reef toward a heavy finishing section. Smaller conditions can be considerably more manageable, but once the swell increases Dirty Hippies becomes a serious Indonesian slab best suited to experienced surfers.

Dirty Hippies is all about the barrel.

Incoming Indian Ocean swell hits the shallow reef and causes the wave to stand up quickly, creating a steep takeoff followed almost immediately by a thick left-hand tube.

On smaller days, the wave can offer fun walls and a somewhat more forgiving surfing experience. As the swell increases, however, Dirty Hippies becomes dramatically more serious. The lip gets heavier, the barrel grows deeper and the margin for error becomes considerably smaller.

For experienced surfers comfortable with shallow Indonesian reefs, Dirty Hippies can deliver some exceptional barrels with considerably fewer surfers than Indonesia's more famous destinations.