Tidal bore surfing in Indonesia ( the Seven Ghosts )

I already wrote about tidal bore SUP surfing in Alaska. This unique phenomenon only occurs in a small number of rivers around the world. Alaska's Cook Inlet is just one of them.

These tsunami-like waves are surfing's new frontier. They can travel for up to 20 miles an hour and can get even stronger as the river gets narrow and shallower, reaching recorded heights of up to 30 feet, offering riders opportunities that can't be found in the ocean.

But not every river has a bore. In fact, tidal bores only occur in an estimated 100 rivers in the world and only during extreme tidal ranges.


Recently, one of such rivers has been discovered ( and ridden ) by Rip Curl's pro surfing team in Indonesia. Hidden deep in the heart of the Indonesian jungle, the river is known to locals as "The Seven Ghosts". Normally, the waves on this river don't get more than head-high. The Rip Curl boys struck gold: