Weather Forecast

Kalau kita melihat ramalan cuaca yang ada di TV Indonesia semua hanya menyebutkan kondisi cuaca suatu tempat dengan diskripsi yang sederhana. Misal:  Jakarta, Cerah, suhu berkisar 28 deg. sampai 33 deg.... that's it. Hanya sebatas menyebutkan keadaan langit, cerah, berawan, berawan sebagian, atau hujan. Lalu menyebutkan suhu minimum dan suhu maksimum. Ketika menyebutkan ramalan cuaca untuk kota-kota besar dari 34 Propinsi di Indonesia, forecaster membacakan nama kota dan deskripsi seperti itu berulang-ulang. Yang membacakan data-data itu setiap hari pasti juga jenuh dan bosan apalagi yang melihat dan mendengar. Disamping itu kondisi cuaca sebenarnya tidak bisa dipukul rata, setiap saat cuaca di suatu tempat itu berubah. Diantara yang mempengaruhi perubahan cuaca setiap harinya adalah pergerakan udara yang terjadi akibat dari perbedaan tekanan udara di lokasi yang satu dengan yang lainnya.

Ada cara yang menarik untuk menyampaikan acara Ramalan Cuaca, selain itu ada unsur mendidik di dalamnya. Saya pernah melihatnya di sebuah stasiun Televisi di Eropa. Disitu diterangkan posisi dimana tekanan udara yang tinggi (+) dan dimana tekanan udara yang rendah (-). Perkiraan besarnya tekanan udara dan arah pergerakan udara dari positif ke negatif, pergerakan udara dingin dan udara panas, dan dijelaskan juga perkiraan tingkat kelembaban udara. Dengan demikian dapat dilihat arah pergerakan angin, perkiraan kecepatan angin, dimana lokasi-lokasi yang akan terjadi penumpukan awan, dimana akan jatuh hujan, seberapa deras hujan yang akan terjadi, dsb. Dengan demikian dapat diperkirakan juga kemungkinan terjadinya bencana, puting beliung, taifun, curah hujan berlebih yang menyebabkan banjir dan tanah longsor.

Ketika melihat weather forecast melalui internetpun saya lebih suka informasi dari situs-situs yang dapat menjelaskan banyak hal tentang keadaan cuaca dengan sebab dan akibatnya, sayang situs dari BMKG juga tidak banyak memberikan informasi yang mendidik masyarakat tentang cuaca, padahal sangat penting sekali. Bukan informasi yang sifatnya hafalan, tapi ada sedikit ilmu pengetahuan tentang kejadiannya. Semakin dini kita mengetahui sesuatu tentu lebih baik, itulah gunanya ramalan, seperti halnya weather forecast.

Sanur Bali Windsurfing (again)

I found many information in the internet forum asking for windsurfing in Bali and people are telling others that there are some good wind in Bali but no windsurf facilities. Also, it is not one time tourist pass in front of our friend's, Pedro, windsurf station comment : "Oo, I never know that there is windsurfing in Sanur".

This is not true that there's no windsurf in Bali. Windsurf in Bali start already since long time since the era of Robby Naish in the 70's. Many local windsurfer admiring and fans of Robby Naish, at least they know when we are talking about him. And there's Indonesian windsurfer, Oka Sulaksana, he is now almost 40 years old, he was very strong in South East Asian and Asian competition when he was young. But that's it, and the developing of this sport in this country is very slow, this is correct. Yes, as a windsurfer and as an Indonesian I am not happy with this.

But it was long time ago when not much facilities to windsurf in Bali. These last two years around 2009 until this time 2011, there's some changes, little bit development in windsurf community in Bali. With dedication to the sport we (me and my husband, thanks to him) run a windsurf shop in Sanur area called 'Jump and Jibe', where you can find complete equipment and accessories and repair parts. Pedro a guy from Flores, the other island in Indonesia, he was several years living in Japan, with his friends he start running a windsurf station at Mertasari beach called 'Ocean Cowboys', live up the beach with better and more modern equipment compare to several old crapy windsurf station in Sanur area.

I agree when people say windsurfing in Indonesia not developing very well compare to the potensi of the country. Our problem is there's no support from Indonesian goverment to developing it. We found many Mistral One Design used in several rental place, coming from Porlasi, Indonesian Sailing Association, those stuff are used for the KONI (sport organization) before. It is true that boards for slalom, freeride, or wave sailing are really really hard to find. Okey a wave sailing board not really need in Bali, because the wind and good wave never come together. But slalom and freeride boards with medium to bigger size sails is needed. Our experience in importing stuff for our shop is we are robbed and pressed by the goverment system, I think the situation is worse than during the Dutch colonial goverment. The import rules, the trading rules, the shop registration, the taxes, all are crazy. It is an antagony, and contra productive to the tourisme campaign made by the goverment and the Board of Tourisme.

Anyway, the aim of what I write now is to tell the world that Sanur - Bali can be one of your windsurf destination. And with all the troubles we have in developing windsurf in Indonesia you still can windsurf in Sanur Bali with good equipment and reasonable price. And when you need information about when and where to windsurf in Bali just call us in +62 812 814 959 34 or check our web site: www.jumpandjibe.com or email us at : info@jumpandjibe.com or jumpandjibe@gmail.com or check our Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/JUMP-AND-JIBE-Windsurf-Center-Shop. We can arrange your windsurf tour or to help you make deal with Pedro's windsurf station: www.baliwindsurfing.com or to get contact direct to him. His place also a place for tourist information.

Friday, 7 May 2010

Sanur-Bali, Friday 7 may 2010.

We went to the beach not far from our shop, we’d to visit our friends which run a windsurf
rental called Ocean Cowboy. It was about 1 o’clock, there’s a light wind 6-8 knots, just
perfect for learning. We saw nobody likes to go in the water. A learning board that Pedro
has just laying in the sand, in front of the desk counter. Okey, let’s spend little bit to
rent our friend's board Hans said. He is not a “light wind” surfer anymore but he likes to
animating people to go in the water. That’s we always do as well in Tripoli-Libya.

As usual many windsurfer are just waiting to the others to go in the water when the wind
less than 10 knots. They are already windsurfing since long that they think they know
everything about windsurfing. Some of them even don’t know how to jibe. And as usual then
the beginner also will do the same, they think if the more "advance" sailor not go in the
water then they should not go as well. That’s why it always necessary to find somebody to
become a volunteer to start jump in the water first.

Phillip, the boy in Ocean Cowboy rigs the 6.5 m sail and preparing a Starboard Go for Hans
then little bit later there ‘s an Irish guy start to rig up his sail too. He is not yet go
in the water but at least he is interested in to go in the water. And after Hans playing
with the Go and played with the little sail he took, did some duck jibe, clew first and also
some stupid thing, few minute later two beginner ladies started as well.

About 2 hours later the wind pick up and the tide not much down. Hans gave back the Go and
used his own Lorch board and 7.8m North rig. And finally more and more people in the water,
windsurfers and kiters. Until the sun went down the wind still blowing steady around 12-14
knots we just didn’t have light for night surfing. BUT It was a wonderful day for the
windsurfer. And remember: Be a volunteer, need somebody to start in light wind condition,
help the beginner to learn more because there’s a lot of things to learn in windsurfing and
always something to learn.