Working overseas in Brunei, Sunshine Coast surfer Malcolm Oosterbeek was happy to discover he didn’t have to miss out on too much surf. In fact he’s got more than he bargained for. WORDS AND PHOTOS: MALCOLM OOSTERBEEK When I decided to take up a two year teaching contract in Brunei I had come to terms with the fact I would be kissing goodbye to the coastal surfing life I had on the Sunshine Coast. I had heard rumors that Brunei had (some) surf. I even found some footage on You Tube, but I assumed this was a freak occurrence. How wrong I was!
As far as the waves go, they are short and wedge-like, generally running off man-made groynes - I still can’t work out who put them there though, or why. The waves are punchy and steep at low tide and very workable at high tide. Given the right swell it can get quite heavy. I definitely know that!
For the last year and a half Brunei has been home to my wife Lyssa and myself, and let me tell you, I‘ve surfed more in that time than I did living on the Sunshine Coast QLD.
The surf culture is growing quickly here with locals, but is still mainly expats who are teachers or Shell workers. I would say our community consists of about 25 surfers. I only really ever see five of them at one particular time. Any more than five of us out is a rarity so competition for waves can be non-existent. The locals that do surf are still enjoying learning from us.
Quick Info - Brunei is not Dubai, there are no camels or desert. Forgive me if your geography is great, but most people ask me how I am going in the desert. Brunei is 70% jungle that meets the coastline and is situated in Borneo, with a quick step to enter Malaysia. It faces Vietnam across the South China Sea. Brunei Darussalam (The Abode of Peace) is its full name. It is an oil-wealthy country and being tropical and steamy hot, there’s no need for any wetsuits or rubber. Brunei is a Malay Islamic monarchy which has a low population of less than 400,000. The Sultan is the King, and is one of the richest men in the world, said to be worth US$55 Billion. He supposedly has a car collection worth US$4 Billion alone. The waves are seasonal, but come August, things change here dramatically. Most swells are from 1-3 foot with the odd bigger day. Come December, the surf can be very consistent and you can find yourself hoping for one flat day to rest the weary body. But, given the seasonal nature, it would be a crime not to keep going. To make things better... we only work half a day here. My shift starts at 1.00pm and finishes at 5.30pm. And that leaves plenty of time to take in the swell.
A friend of mine here is still waiting for the right sized and angled swell for a mythical sand and rock point up the road to break at a decent six foot with endless lefts. I’m yet to believe this... All in all, the season may only last five months maximum, but the extra time you get here due to lower work commitments and fewer surfers presents one surfpacked period. To top it all off Indonesia and Mentawais are a stone throw away and very cheap. I have just booked tickets to Mentawais for $85 AUS. It pays to know the locals here too, because most of them have housing in places like Mentawais. Anyway, when my contract ends here I’m sure I will be stoked to leave my tax free earnings, return to the Sunshine Coast and share the surf with my fellow Australian surfers, who no doubt will be calling me into any wave I like?
If you see that the Philippines and Vietnam are unfortunately getting hammered by a typhoon Brunei will be getting some epic waves. Unfortunately for typhoon affected areas this lasts for a good five months. The water in Brunei is chocolate brown due to the tannins and jungle run-off. It contains a lot of silt and debris. The only real pest is the occasional croc, but locals assure me they’re only near the river mouths. My eyes still wander when in the line up though! Driving down the highway the beach is not obvious till you turn off, drive down a gravel road through dense jungle and then it clears as it hits the coastline. Sadly, most beaches are littered with rubbish. It makes one realise how important educating our generations about the environment is. Unfortunately this message doesn’t seem to be conveyed here to all. 82
jul/aug 2012
Jul2012_Smorgas_travel - Brunei.indd 82
2/07/12 10:21 PM