Location: Kuta Beach, Bali
Today, the students headed out to the famous Kuta Beach for an afternoon of surfing, with the group split into total newbies and veteran shredders like Griffin, Kasey, Jackson, Cristian, Allie, Nico, Ava, Finn, and Siena. Those new to surfing got a lesson, and those with previous experience were given tips to improve their turns and balance. The waves were awesome, with experienced surfers on the larger, slow-breaking rolling waves and new surfers starting in the white water and some graduating into the larger break. They surfed for almost two hours, and it flew by, but their sore shoulders will remember it in the morning. Instructors told. Students that surfers like Kelly Slater and John John Florence had surfed these same waves, and regardless of whether we were brand new or spent our days on waves back home, everyone left with a huge smile on their face, even if they’d majorly wiped out once or twice. Then, they explored Kuta, getting lunch, shopping, and hanging out.
While everyone was having fun times in the waves, other people were having fun times on the boat – perhaps even more fun. Smash was servicing the two generators on board that powered the boat (and the 100x gravity Bali Time Chamber). While Tom was replacing and flushing the coolant from the main engine. I mean, I. This is Tom.
Meanwhile, Steph, Allie, and Jake were buying 35 days’ worth of groceries for 25 people – enough to fill 18 shopping carts across three grocery stores. The Bali store employees were so helpful, although concerned about how big our family could possibly be and whether we were opening a restaurant. Allie and Jake met up with the students to go surfing, and then we all filled just about every square inch of Vela with groceries when we all got back – a miraculous feat ending around midnight. We had a delicious dinner of chicken wings prepared by Jackson and then celebrated Allie’s birthday with some cake, which may or may not have been celebratorily smushed in her face.