Big Storm Brewing Even Bigger Swell – Indian Ocean – June 2009

Stomach butterflies born of excitement and anxiety. That’s what many surfers in Australia, Indonesia, and yes, even here in the Northern Hemisphere are experiencing. As of this writing, a massive purple blob is rotating underneath the African continent moving from the Southern Ocean towards the Indian Ocean. This storm promises to deliver double to triple overhead surf to Western Australia, Indonesia, the Mentawai Islands and beyond. Hit and split surf travelers, those lucky individuals who can drop everything except their board and passport, are doing just that. This storm and the accompanying swell, if everything behaves as forecast, is by far the largest of the season in the Indian Ocean.

Kandui Island Resort USA marketing manager Anthony Marcotti is already fielding phone calls and trying to fit surfers into the schedule. “ It’s going to be the biggest swell so far,” said Marcotti. “Granted it is mid-season, there is plenty more to come, but we are getting lots of calls about availability. Surfers are very keen. I hope the swell lives up to expectations. It sure looks like it will.”

According to the major forecasting sites, including Surfline, WaveWatch and Magic Seaweed, the groundswell is expected to be 8’ at 17 seconds from Southwest. On Friday June 12, the storm will more or less take up the entire southern portion of the Indian Ocean. The swell is expected to hit Bali with a full head of steam on Tuesday, June 16. Of course depending on where you are, actual wave face heights will range from 8-feet to 20-feet.

Stay tuned for imagery, stories and video.

Helpful links:
WAVEWATCH
KANDUI ISLAND RESORT