Ujung Bocur surf break South Sumatra
Ujung Bocur, (Aka Karang Nyimbur), (Aka The Point). Though some may debate the original name of this surf break there's no debate that this wave picks up the most swell in the Krui area.
Ujung Bocur's been called everything, an old man's wave, a hoax, A grade, D grade and even World Class. Truth be told it's quality is so inconsistent it could be any of those depending on the day.
Irregularities in the reef and a very narrow swell window make this an extremely fickle surf break. There are seldom three days in a row when it's excellent.
On most days it's a series of sections that link together on some waves. Take-off zones that shift depending on the size of the wave coming through. A southerly swell usually misses the outside section altogether. Larger southerly swells makes it break wide. Swells with too much west in them makes it as good as close out.
When the sections all lineup it's 200 meters long with wally carving sections and some shallow tubes on a low tide.
On average, during peak season one swell hits the coast every 11 days lasting approx 5 to 6 days. Only one in three swells will be coming from the magic SSW (210°). Do the math.
You need losts of time to score perfect waves at Ujung Bocur. On a trip less than 4 weeks you may not see this break at it's best.
A common sight 2.4 mtr Ujung Bocur breaking wide
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Quality: | Can produce World Class days when all the conditions line up. |
| Wave Type: | Reef |
| Direction: | Left |
| Best Wind: | EbN to SSE |
| Best Swell: | SW (best is a narrow 205° to 210°) |
| Best Tide: | Incoming or Outgoing - Mid to low |
| Access: | Paddle out |
| Crowd: | 20-35 Feb → Mar, 50-65 Apr→May, 65-80 May→Sept |
| Dangers: | Sea urchins, stonefish, firecoral, kooks dropping in or ditching their board in your face. |
Vibe in the water
Gird your loins !
Ujung Bocur is a 200 mtr long wave that can't handle a crowd and with 40 to 70 wave hungry surfers in the lineup things get ugly. Peak season months of July and August are the worst. Expect being snaked, droped in on and blocked by Australians working the lineup in packs.
If you're not prepared to snake people and be aggressively competitive in the water this wave will be your worst nightmare. Sitting out on the shoulder and waiting for the leftovers is a strategy that doesn't pan out well at this break.
There's no one to lay down the rules as the local surf community's interest in surfing is almost purely financial.
Do you think I like this stupid fracking haircut! I do it for the bule.~ Tanjung Setia surf guide
2026 saw the Chinese Olympic surf team based themselves at Ujung Bocur for the second year in a row. Feb to July the 15+ team members working the lineup creating extremely competitive conditions during this once favoured time of the year. If your planning a shoulder to peak season trip to Ujung Bocur you may want to check the Chinese Olympic Surf team's training schedule with the Pesisir Barat Tourism department.
The paddle out
There are two main places to paddle out, best place depends on swell size, tide & current.
North side of reef
There's a channel on the north side of the reef. This is the most popular way out for visiting surfers who seem to like a long hard paddle and the risk of being washed onto the Surgeon's Table.
South side of the breaks outside section
This route is used by many locals and only requires patience, good timing and an ability to read the swell. On most days this is the easiest and fastest route.
The construction of a 1.8 mtr high breakwall in Feb 2024 can make the paddle back in on 1.1+ mtr tide with 2 mtr swell a challenge.
