You know those sessions where you don’t really expect all that much, but you just feel like getting wet? They happen more often than the sessions that are absolutely perfect, but the rarity is what makes the perfect sessions so perfect. Even better than absolutely perfect, though, is unexpectedly, absolutely perfect. Which is what happened on the first real swell of 2024 at Padang Padang for a few lucky early risers.
“The swell arrived a bit early, catching a few people out and cutting down the usual numbers dramatically,” wrote Global Zoo. “It was far from a classic afternoon out there, but still lucky to get it working so early in the season.”
Padang Padang, as you know, does indeed get better than it was on the day in the video above. But it also gets very, very crowded. It’s widely considered among the best lefts in the world, and it’s certainly a bucket list wave for anyone who enjoys surfing perfect waves — which is all of us.
Sitting on the Bukit Peninsula, Padang Padang faces into the southeast trade winds, which gently hold the wave back until it finally folds over on itself, creating the perfect tubes and long walls it’s known for. Since forecasting technology has become commonplace, however, it’s a tough spot to surf when it’s working. The crowds can be pretty intense, and the surfers there are some of the best in the world.
Pulling up to one of the world’s highest-quality waves with conditions like this and just a handful of people out is a little bit like stumbling across a pot of gold, and you can bet the surfers who were lucky enough to score this firing left-hander when the crowd is this light were counting their blessings.
