Riding the wave

For pirates, the 'X' on the treasure map is famously associated with the location of a buried treasure.

As in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
But for surfers, secret spots on the high seas are rarely delineated on maps. The discovery of one is more fortuitous than plotted.

Scott Chambers, managing director and surfing instructor
at Surf Dubai, found a secret spot during an "epic swell" in G-Land, a renowned surf break in east Java, Indonesia. Though he has surfed the waters of Brazil, England, France, Oman, Sri Lanka and Australia, he cannot forget the G-Land experience.

He describes it as "scary yet incredible" and recalls cases of
fractured ribs, a punctured lung, broken leg and near fatal head laceration on the day. The G-Land surf break picks up swells from Antarctica. A year ago he returned to the area and realised the conditions were going to be perfect for that secret spot.

"We timed it well. Everyone was scoring fun barrels [where the wave is hollow when it breaks]. We still talk about it," says Chambers, who has surfed for 13 years.

In Dubai, the surfing season runs from November to April; peak months are January and February. Chambers promoted Dubai as a surfing destination at the recent ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour in the Gold Coast; he was sponsored by Quicksilver. He says the sport in Dubai is much younger compared to California, Florida and Hawaii.

It is however gaining popularity. "We have more than 500 surfers who know the potential for waves along Dubai's coastline. Some may speculate that Dubai's wave quality isn't sufficient to make it a viable surfing destination; I believe artificial reefs and surfing wave pools could offer a bright future," he says.

– Carolina D'Souza is Lifestyle Features Coordinator, Friday