July is upon us and the reef perfection of Bali is suffering its usual overcrowding problems. In search of some solidarity we pack our board bags and set the compass to Sumatra with Bali charger Dedi Gun in tow...

Sumatra is the largest island in the Indonesian archipelago and its western exposure to the Indian Ocean means it is rife with surfing potential. The Mentawai Islands just off the central coast of Sumatra have developed into one of the most popular surfing destinations in the world, drawing thousands of surfers each year, but for the surfer who wants a less popular and more individual experience, the southern province of Lampung is the ideal destination.

20-year-old Dedi Satriadin, better known as "Dedi Gun", grew up on the island of Sumbawa and started to surf when he was just 9 years old. His bravery and ability in the water along with his magnetic personality drew the attention of photographer Dustin Humphrey, who together with Ryan and Timmy Turner was at Lakey Peak on a photo-surf trip. Dustin eventually brought Dedi to Bali so he could go to school and also enter surf contests, which in turn led to Dedi travelling to places like Hawaii, California, Mexico, and even Alaska. Dedi has now lived in Bali for over 8 years. However, Dedi's Indonesian surfing experiences have been limited to Bali, Sumbawa and Lombok, and as part of his job as a Rip Curl surf team member is to travel to new places and search for new waves, new people, and new experiences, consistent with Rip Curl's marketing theme of ‘The Search', he was very interested in exploring this area of South Sumbawa and jumped at the chance to go.

So early one morning in late May, Dedi caught a flight from Bali to Jakarta and met me at the Jakarta airport, where we then made a short 30 min hop to Bandar Lampung. On arrival we were met by our driver Yudi, who six hours later deposited us at the Ombak Indah losman just in time for dinner. We gorged out on chicken, veggies, and rice, then unpacked and got our gear ready for the next few days of surfing.

The Ombak Indah was established in the area about 7 years ago by Australian expat Nev Hines and his wife Anni through Freeline Indonesian Surfing Adventures. Nev was one of the first guys to explore and surf in the area, dating back to the early 90's, so it was a logical place to stay, especially given the beautiful lefthanders peeling off down the reef directly in front of the losman!

During the next 6 days we used several forms of transportation to surf the various breaks we were told about up and down the coast. Everything from the steep drops and round barrels of the dangerously sharp coral-reefed Sumatran Pipeline (Way Jambu) to the playful white sand shorebreak at the nearby town of Krui, and Dedi was the star attraction to the locals who usually saw only Western surfers in the water. All too soon our time was up and we had to head back to Bali. At the airport while waiting for our flight from Jakarta to Bali I asked Dedi what he thought of the trip.

He replied "I feel great, because now I know a new place, I met some new people, and I know more about my country. I surfed some great waves too, like Way Jambu. That was my favourite. And the local food was really good too, a bit different style than in Bali, but I always had lots to eat, and that's very important.

The local people were stoked to meet an Indonesian surfer also, so I felt like a star. Thanks for taking me on the trip, and I'll never stop my searching!"

There are several surf camp/losmans in the area, and two of them that deserve a special mention are the Ombak Indah (www.freelinesurf.com.au) and Secret Sumatra (www.secretsumatra.com)