G-Land
Encyclopedia
G-Land is an internationally renowned surf break situated on the Grajagan Bay, Alas Purwo National Park
, East Java
, about half a day by road from the popular tourist destinations of Bali
. G-Land is most commonly reached via boat charter from Bali.
Back in the days before there were international flights arriving in Bali you would have to go domestic via Jakarta and you would fly over G-land on your approach to Bali. There was a core group of American surfers, of which I was a part, living here and whenever we would fly over we would go into the cockpit to get the best view. We knew we had to go there, so in 1972 we organized the first expedition to G-land. I had a 16' Hobie Cat at the time, so I carried all the supplies along with my 2 buddies, Bob,and Ray with our boards. The other 5 guys went by local transport overland and arrived in Grajagan village near the river mouth and had to walk about 20 km along the beach with their boards. We sailed into G-land and beached the boat, which was our base camp for the next 10 days of perfect double overhead glassy conditions. The first day in the waves we looked in at our campsite and it was being raided by the monkeys. After that we would trade off at guard duty. We had very little fresh water and would have to collect it off the sails when it rained. After 10 days of roughing it and everyone with saltwater rashes,but nothing worse, the 3 of us sailed back to Bali, and the other 5 started their long journey back. And that's the real story on how G-land was discovered.
Soon after the discovery, Mike Boyum helped set up the first surf camp at G-Land, which was possibly the start of the surf camp concept that has since spread across the globe. Balinese surfer Bobby Radiasa took over the operation in the late 70s and still runs it today. From the days of the original Boyum/Bobby's camp other camps have opened at G-Land offering various standards of accommodation and facilities to suit a range of holiday budgets, with Bobby's Camp the premier camp.
, so it is exposed to large swells generated by low pressure systems
circling Antarctica, many thousands of kilometers to the south. G-Land is situated on the eastern side of the Bay of Grajagan, so it has a westerly aspect; i.e. at right angles to the predominant swell direction. As a result, swell wraps around the point and into the eastern side of the bay, producing long, walling left-handers, which peel at a rapid rate along a half kilometer stretch of shallow coral reef
, forming perfectly hollow tubes that remain open the whole way.
The wind at G-Land blows offshore between the months of April and September, which also happens to be when the swells are at their largest and most consistent. Since the swells are generated by low pressure systems circling Antarctica, their regularity coincides with the passage of these lows. So, the swell arrive in pulses, each lasting for a couple of days, with a couple of days between each swell.
Waves tend to be bigger and better at high tide
, so it's best to plan a surf trip for the week following a full or new moon
, since this is when the tide is high during the middle of the day.
is moving northward, sliding under the Eurasian Plate
at a rate of 67 mm/yr. Occasionally, however, the tectonic plate suddenly slips a much greater distance, resulting in an earthquake. In 1994, a major earthquake, registering 7.2 on the Richter Scale, occurred in the Java Trench
, 205 km SW of G-Land. The quake triggered a tsunami, which swept through the surf camp about 40 minutes later. The runup at G-Land was estimated to have been as high as 5.6 meters. No lives were lost at G-Land. However, 223 people perished further west, where the villages of Rajekwesi, Pancer and Lampon were almost completely levelled by the tsunami.
Surfer John Philbin
was at G-Land on the night of the tsunami. He described hearing the surf and thinking it must be big. "But when the roar grew louder, I sat up inside my mosquito net, and just as I did, a churning wall of water blew through my hut." Richie Lovett described the experience as "being hit by a train at full speed". Richard Marsh initially thought a tiger was attacking them, but then realized it was a wave. Marsh and Lovett were swept hundreds of feet into the jungle by the wave. "I was completely panicking. It was a matter of surviving, just grabbing onto things to stay above the water, trying to keep all the debris away from my head and, above all, to get a breath." Marsh said. Lovett had to be returned to Australia for medical attention. "The hut had disappeared and I was entwined in logs and trees and bits of bamboo. When the water started to subside. I was stuck with my legs pinned under a whole lot of logs and rubbish."
The other surfers visiting G-Land when the tsunami struck were Monty Webber
, Gerald Saunders, Rob Bain, Shanne Herring, Simon Law, Kevin Komick and Neal Purchase. (Please provide full list.) Australian surf photographer Peter Boskovic, aka "Bosco" was at G-land during the tsunami. documented by the Tsunami Survey Team.
The G-Land surf break has been divided up into several sections. The first, at the top of the point, is called "Kongs," which breaks up to several hundred metres in length, and can hold quite large sizes (from about 2 to 12 feet+, Hawaiian scale
). It is not usually a barrel, nor genuinely world-class, but more a series of takeoff zones with some long wall sections, although it can also barrel on occasions. This section picks up a lot of swell, and is rarely less than 3 feet, and can be a saviour when the rest of the point is too small. This wave can sometimes link up with the next section called "Moneytrees." Moneytrees works from about 2 to 10 feet (Hawaiian scale, or about 4 to 20 feet wave faces), usually breaking over several hundred metres, and is a long, testing, barreling, world-class wave. The barrels become more critical the lower the tide and the larger the swell. Moneytrees may also occasionally link up with the next section called "Speedies," with an outside takeoff section between the two called "Launching Pads." "Launching Pads" can catch the surfer offguard, as it can break a significant way out to sea in larger swells. "Speedies" is the heaviest wave at G-Land, but can be a perfect, very round barrel for several hundred metres, rideable from about 2 to 8 feet+ (Hawaiian scale). It usually needs larger swells, and low tide can be very dangerous. Most severe injuries at G-Land have occurred at "Speedies."
It is not common to ride a wave more than about 300–400 metres at G-Land, even though the section of the point where rideable waves break is considerably longer (over 1 km long), because the waves usually don't link up with each other.
The dry season
(May to October) is far and away the best time to go. That is when the offshore southeast trade winds blow and the swell, pouring out of the Southern Ocean, is at its biggest and most consistent.
Another right hand wave is situated about a one hour or more drive, and boat, west of G-Land, which has been featured in Indonesian surf magazines, and dubbed as "Reverse G." It is apparently a quality, long, right hand wave (the 'reverse' of G-Land) but which is very difficult to get to, requiring some boat access, and furthermore only works in off-season winds (about October to April).
Alas Purwo National Park
Alas Purwo National Park is situated on Blambangan Peninsula in Banyuwangi regency, at the southeastern tip of East Java province. The park is famous for its wild Banteng and surfing location at Grajakan Bay....
, East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
, about half a day by road from the popular tourist destinations of Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
. G-Land is most commonly reached via boat charter from Bali.
Tourism
- Discovery
Back in the days before there were international flights arriving in Bali you would have to go domestic via Jakarta and you would fly over G-land on your approach to Bali. There was a core group of American surfers, of which I was a part, living here and whenever we would fly over we would go into the cockpit to get the best view. We knew we had to go there, so in 1972 we organized the first expedition to G-land. I had a 16' Hobie Cat at the time, so I carried all the supplies along with my 2 buddies, Bob,and Ray with our boards. The other 5 guys went by local transport overland and arrived in Grajagan village near the river mouth and had to walk about 20 km along the beach with their boards. We sailed into G-land and beached the boat, which was our base camp for the next 10 days of perfect double overhead glassy conditions. The first day in the waves we looked in at our campsite and it was being raided by the monkeys. After that we would trade off at guard duty. We had very little fresh water and would have to collect it off the sails when it rained. After 10 days of roughing it and everyone with saltwater rashes,but nothing worse, the 3 of us sailed back to Bali, and the other 5 started their long journey back. And that's the real story on how G-land was discovered.
- Surf Camps
Soon after the discovery, Mike Boyum helped set up the first surf camp at G-Land, which was possibly the start of the surf camp concept that has since spread across the globe. Balinese surfer Bobby Radiasa took over the operation in the late 70s and still runs it today. From the days of the original Boyum/Bobby's camp other camps have opened at G-Land offering various standards of accommodation and facilities to suit a range of holiday budgets, with Bobby's Camp the premier camp.
Geomorphology
The south coast of Java faces the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, so it is exposed to large swells generated by low pressure systems
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
circling Antarctica, many thousands of kilometers to the south. G-Land is situated on the eastern side of the Bay of Grajagan, so it has a westerly aspect; i.e. at right angles to the predominant swell direction. As a result, swell wraps around the point and into the eastern side of the bay, producing long, walling left-handers, which peel at a rapid rate along a half kilometer stretch of shallow coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
, forming perfectly hollow tubes that remain open the whole way.
The wind at G-Land blows offshore between the months of April and September, which also happens to be when the swells are at their largest and most consistent. Since the swells are generated by low pressure systems circling Antarctica, their regularity coincides with the passage of these lows. So, the swell arrive in pulses, each lasting for a couple of days, with a couple of days between each swell.
Waves tend to be bigger and better at high tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
, so it's best to plan a surf trip for the week following a full or new moon
Lunar phase
A lunar phase or phase of the moon is the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. The lunar phases change cyclically as the Moon orbits the Earth, according to the changing relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun...
, since this is when the tide is high during the middle of the day.
Tsunami
Java is situated in a tectonic subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian PlateIndo-Australian Plate
The Indo-Australian Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding ocean, and extends northwest to include the Indian subcontinent and adjacent waters...
is moving northward, sliding under the Eurasian Plate
Eurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
at a rate of 67 mm/yr. Occasionally, however, the tectonic plate suddenly slips a much greater distance, resulting in an earthquake. In 1994, a major earthquake, registering 7.2 on the Richter Scale, occurred in the Java Trench
Java Trench
The Sunda Trench, earlier known as, and sometimes still indicated as the Java Trench, located in the northeastern Indian Ocean, with a length of and a maximum depth of , is the second-deepest point in the Indian Ocean after Diamantina Trench, which is 8,047 metres deep...
, 205 km SW of G-Land. The quake triggered a tsunami, which swept through the surf camp about 40 minutes later. The runup at G-Land was estimated to have been as high as 5.6 meters. No lives were lost at G-Land. However, 223 people perished further west, where the villages of Rajekwesi, Pancer and Lampon were almost completely levelled by the tsunami.
Surfer John Philbin
John Philbin
John Philbin is an American surfer who has appeared in television and film.John first began acting in high school, around the same time he began surfing. Choosing acting over wrestling, John joined a drama team that went on to win awards throughout his high school career. Upon leaving high school,...
was at G-Land on the night of the tsunami. He described hearing the surf and thinking it must be big. "But when the roar grew louder, I sat up inside my mosquito net, and just as I did, a churning wall of water blew through my hut." Richie Lovett described the experience as "being hit by a train at full speed". Richard Marsh initially thought a tiger was attacking them, but then realized it was a wave. Marsh and Lovett were swept hundreds of feet into the jungle by the wave. "I was completely panicking. It was a matter of surviving, just grabbing onto things to stay above the water, trying to keep all the debris away from my head and, above all, to get a breath." Marsh said. Lovett had to be returned to Australia for medical attention. "The hut had disappeared and I was entwined in logs and trees and bits of bamboo. When the water started to subside. I was stuck with my legs pinned under a whole lot of logs and rubbish."
The other surfers visiting G-Land when the tsunami struck were Monty Webber
Monty Webber
Monty Webber is an Australian cinematographer whose work is primarily surf films, with an emphasis on water photography. He lives at Angourie Point, on the New South Wales north coast, where he surfs, writes and makes films that stretch the medium to the point that they are recognised...
, Gerald Saunders, Rob Bain, Shanne Herring, Simon Law, Kevin Komick and Neal Purchase. (Please provide full list.) Australian surf photographer Peter Boskovic, aka "Bosco" was at G-land during the tsunami. documented by the Tsunami Survey Team.
Surf break
A very long, world-class, barreling left hand reef/point break breaks along the east side of Grajagan Bay. It has long been considered one of the world's best left hand waves. The correct name of the point upon which the main wave breaks is "Plengkung." The wave becomes shallower and more critical the further down the point one rides the wave. It is one of the most consistently rideable waves in the world in season, with offshore winds and often plentiful swell between the months of, roughly, mid April to mid October.The G-Land surf break has been divided up into several sections. The first, at the top of the point, is called "Kongs," which breaks up to several hundred metres in length, and can hold quite large sizes (from about 2 to 12 feet+, Hawaiian scale
Hawaiian scale
Hawaiian scale is the conventional wave height measurement used by surfers in Hawaii, also used in Australia and parts of South Africa.The measurement is always in feet and scaled so the actual height on the face is roughly twice what's quoted. So a 3-foot wave would be head high , or 2-foot...
). It is not usually a barrel, nor genuinely world-class, but more a series of takeoff zones with some long wall sections, although it can also barrel on occasions. This section picks up a lot of swell, and is rarely less than 3 feet, and can be a saviour when the rest of the point is too small. This wave can sometimes link up with the next section called "Moneytrees." Moneytrees works from about 2 to 10 feet (Hawaiian scale, or about 4 to 20 feet wave faces), usually breaking over several hundred metres, and is a long, testing, barreling, world-class wave. The barrels become more critical the lower the tide and the larger the swell. Moneytrees may also occasionally link up with the next section called "Speedies," with an outside takeoff section between the two called "Launching Pads." "Launching Pads" can catch the surfer offguard, as it can break a significant way out to sea in larger swells. "Speedies" is the heaviest wave at G-Land, but can be a perfect, very round barrel for several hundred metres, rideable from about 2 to 8 feet+ (Hawaiian scale). It usually needs larger swells, and low tide can be very dangerous. Most severe injuries at G-Land have occurred at "Speedies."
It is not common to ride a wave more than about 300–400 metres at G-Land, even though the section of the point where rideable waves break is considerably longer (over 1 km long), because the waves usually don't link up with each other.
The dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
(May to October) is far and away the best time to go. That is when the offshore southeast trade winds blow and the swell, pouring out of the Southern Ocean, is at its biggest and most consistent.
Other nearby surf breaks
There are a few other, smaller waves further down and within the bay, which include "Chickens," "20/20," "Tiger Tracks" and a few unnamed others. These waves generally only work on larger swells, but are surprisingly good alternatives when the main point is big. All of these waves can barrel in the right conditions, which generally require higher tides. There are also some right hand waves on the other side of the peninsula at G-Land, but which are fickle, requiring large swells, and no wind or off-season winds.Another right hand wave is situated about a one hour or more drive, and boat, west of G-Land, which has been featured in Indonesian surf magazines, and dubbed as "Reverse G." It is apparently a quality, long, right hand wave (the 'reverse' of G-Land) but which is very difficult to get to, requiring some boat access, and furthermore only works in off-season winds (about October to April).