“For so long, I felt like Bali was just one of those destinations you had to go to being a surfer and from Hawaii. I had heard so many things about it, that I knew at some point I had to get there,” explained Ashley Johnson.
Rosie Jaffurs added it was her third time going to Bali, and every year is a culture shock to merge onto the chaotic streets and new discoveries. “Every summer a lot of the North shore surf community ends up heading to Indonesia because of the good waves and affordable living. Every time I have gone there it's been for a month, the longest I am ever away from home. Arriving in Bali it is kind of shocking, the smells, the scooters, the lifestyle. It is very different from home. Fast paced living, hustling and late nights,” Rosie said.
We talked more with Ashley and Rosie about their most memorable moments traveling together, and what the hype is all about.
All photos by Bryce Johnson.
Rosie: Exploring new places and to just GO are the biggest things I learned about this trip. You can't just stay in your comfort zone, you have to pull the trigger and get out there. There is so much to this world we can experience but we can always come up with billions of excuses as to why you can't do this or that. To me, you’re missing out on what life has to offer. This being my third trip to Bali and finally getting away from what I have done the previous times really opened my eyes as to how much I miss when I let others tell me it isn’t safe to do this or that, but to just GO!
I finally got out and away from the main tourist traps and went into the country in Bali. It is absolutely breathtaking. Coconut trees upon coconut trees and the most unique man-made rice patty fields that blow your mind. How in the world did these little Indos make these? People living off the land in the middle of the jungle while their kids still manage to attend school by walking along the roads in their uniforms.
Ashley: Personally, this trip made me realized how much I love the craziness of third world countries. I have been trying to travel as much as I can over the last few years and I must say, this trip made me realize traveling to an affordable country is not only awesome, I actually love the controlled madness. The mopeds, the cheap food, the awesome restaurants, fresh juice everywhere you go, tucked away villas straight out of a magazine—just everything makes the experience so vibrant!
It’s also pretty easy to get out of the craziness and experience the beauty of the country: rice fields, palm tree groves, waterfalls and world class waves to name a few!
Some of my favorite memories were driving and exploring on mopeds through the crazy streets of Seminyak and Ubud and also the beautiful waterfalls of Sekumpul. OMG, that place was a dream! We also had an awesome tour guide, who was so sweet and by the end of the tour we were going down natural waterslides with all the locals and children! The best part was all of us getting packed by the locals on motorbikes through the most beautiful rice fields. Definitely a trip highlight!
Rosie: My boyfriend Keoki was supposed to meet us on the trip but ended up getting hurt in a different part of remote Indonesia and had to head to Singapore in a scare of a broken back. Luckily it wasn't life threatening and he was going to be ok. I was pretty bummed that he wasn't going to be meeting us but having friends around me kept me sane and going on daily adventures and experiencing new parts of Indonesia is what got me through the fact Keoki was not there, though he was supposed to be with me.
Ashley: I almost didn’t even make it into the country. UM YEAH! DONT TRAVEL TO BALI IF YOUR PASSPORT EXPIRES WITHIN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS!!! Lol. Yeah, that was me. I literally was in disbelief the moment the officer told me my passport isn’t valid for our rules of getting into Indonesia while being escorted to a back room. Seriously one of the scariest and longest 45 minutes of my life. I still don't even know how I got in. Honestly, the grace of God. I’m already getting anxiety thinking about it!
Rosie: I have a friend in Bali that usually helps all the Hawaiians when they come to Bali. I stayed with him and his wife before my friends arrived and it was awesome. They took me to eat places that I would have never trusted to go by myself with and were just the most loving and giving people ever. They always tried to pay for my food whenever we went out and it was just crazy to me that they would try to do this every time when our American money is probably three times stronger than the Indonesian rupiah. So giving!
Religion is probably the most important thing to Indonesians. My friend and his wife are Muslim and they like I said they were the most loving, giving and also open to any questions I had about their religion.
We went to this waterfall in the middle of the jungle where you needed to pay a guide to take you there, probably the village’s biggest source of income, but our guide knew perfect English. I was so impressed with the fact of how hard this boy probably had to study in order to learn English this well. He said he was the only one in his village that knew English. My mind was blown and I didn't mind giving him my Hawaii towel after he took care of us that day.
Ashley: For the most part, the people of Bali were so nice and friendly. My experience with the locals was only welcoming. They work very hard and the people we were in contact with on the daily were so helpful and accommodating. At a few places where we stayed, the workers would arrange transportation and travel tips for us from a local perspective—often times hiring their own family and friends, which made the trip feel more personal.
Ashley Johnson wears the Tabatinga Top and Calafia Leggings. Leah Dawson wears the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
One VW van, four friends, a quiver of long and short boards, and 400 plus miles traveled from Malibu to San Francisco. What happened in between on those open road stretches in Big Sur and Santa Cruz? The waves guided Leah Dawson and Ashley Johnson's PCH journey of when to stay longer, detour or move on.
We asked Ashley to share her favorite moments of the trip, and her advice for a fun-filled surf getaway from SoCal to NorCal waves and temperatures.
Leah at Malibu, wearing the Nazare bodysuit. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Rules of the Road Trip:
It's all about the surf.
You can make a plan, but its always going to change based on where the waves are the best. Let the swell be your guide. “Although we did hit up each spot we planned to, the amount of time in each area definitely changed based upon surf and also holiday weekends! We pretty much got super lucky in most areas we scored surf every place!” Ashley says.
Dress in layers — swimsuits and clothing.
Malibu was warm enough to surf in swimsuits, but by the time they hit Big Sur, and parts of Santa Cruz, neoprene is a must. Same goes for clothes on land. For SoCal sunny days, Ashley packed lots of Seea swimsuits, good sunscreen, wide brim hat and sunglasses for sun protection. For chillier Northern coast camping, she wore a good wetsuit the cold surf, warm layers such as a Patagonia down jacket and beanie for cold nights and mornings.
Keep your van tidy.
Ashley says they started each sunrise getting their gear in check to be ready for whatever the day holds. “Most important is utilizing the space the best and organize all gear stuff everyday! Things get messy and tight, so it’s best to start each day packing all your gear up organized daily before you start the next destination. That way you get the most room and comfort along the long drives,” Ashley says.
Make sure you have a place for your wet stuff, and to dry it between sessions.
“When on a surf trip, bring a bucket of some sort to put your wet gear in. And also be sure to dry out at the end of each day! Super key so other things don’t get wet."
Ashley wears the Tres Palmas Top and Capitola Bottoms at Malibu. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Leah wears the Nazare bodysuit and Montara Rashguard at Malibu. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley wears the Tres Palmas Top and the Capitola bottoms at Malibu. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Don't forget to dry your Seea suits at the end of the day! Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Campsite for the night. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
The memories outside your van — the glassy waves, the pink sunsets, the hiking views —probably stick in your memory the most after a road trip. But don’t forget that time spent actually driving. On Ashley’s snack food list: Stumptown coffee and French press, sesame seed almonds, trail mix, avocado, and bread.
Tell everyone load up playlists before you go. “Good playlist and gear for good jams! Any road trip you need the jams for good vibes — it’s a must! One of my fav parts of trip jamming to Bob Marley while Leah and I sang the tunes through weaving through Big Sur – Epic!”
Looking for waves. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley wears the Tabatinga bikini. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley wears the Tabatinga Bikini. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Leah wears the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Leah wears the Zuma Surf Suit. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley wears the Tabatinga Top and and Calafia Leggings. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Detours are all part of the fun.
There were no waves in the central coast stretch, so instead, the crew met up with a friend Preston, who took them to a cliff jump at Avila Beach. “Super fun detour from plan, but it was a HUGE jump. Biggest one I ever did. We had to swim around the cove to get there too! Climb up the rocks to get up to the cave and cliff. It was definitely super sketchy to get to the top with crumbly clay and not much foliage to grab onto. Once we got to the top, literally the only way to get down was to jump! It was about 35-40 foot jump. One of the highlights of the trip honestly, it was awesome!” Ashley exclaims.
Beware of Holiday weekends.
Sometimes it’s unavoidable. The crew ended up scoring amongst the thick crowds, but its not the most comfortable situation to be sitting board to board out there and paddle battling for each wave.
You thought Hawaii was crowded? Ashley, a Kauai local, hadn't seen anything like a California swell day. “We surfed Pleasure Point. It was a bit of a culture shock for me. It was a holiday weekend, so everyone was out. SO much water and so many waves, and so many people. Everywhere. I couldn’t believe how many surfers there were. But somehow we all scored a lot of waves. Super fun!”
Anytime you’re outside surrounded by nature can only be a good thing.
Ashley knows her trip was really lucky for swell. When the waves don’t deliver, you’ll still have unreal cliff views and chances of a pretty light show every night to look back on. “One of the best sunsets is where we stopped off the side of the road after being on a look out. The sun just bright pink, our VW van silhouette and fins just glowing in the night.”
Before the cliff jump. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Cliff jump! Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Relaxing on the road. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Snack break. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Spot check in Big Sur. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
The best sunsets. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Over the bridge. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Leah paddles out in a Kassia Surf wetsuit. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Leah in the pocket. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Skating through Santa Cruz. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Happy sunset. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
The Hawaiian island chain is pretty incredible if you think about it. From California, you fly across the open ocean further than the coast-to-coast length of the United States, and touch soil that’s basically the tip of a volcano spike sprouting from the depths of the sea.
On the island of Kauai — renowned as the garden island — you get the sense that inhabitants live amphibiously on the edge of endless blue water and lush jungle of rainforest. Here is where Seeababe Ashley Johnston calls home, playing on waves that break over coral reefs swarming with fish, and rinsing off in the waterfalls nestled in vines. Plunge into a few days in the life on this Eden of Kauai.
All photos of Ashley Johnston by Bryce Johnson
The road less traveled. Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Hanging around. Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Spot check. Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
|
Fun little lefts. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Paddling into the sunset. Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Practicing her cross-step. Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Never get tired of these sunsets. Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Pink skies! Ashley Johnston wears the Tofino in Blue Tide. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Rinsing off in the waterfalls. Ashley Johnston wears the Cambria Top in Black Stripe. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Sunny skies are back. Ashley Johnston wears the Leucadia Bikini Top in Purple Sail and the Solimar Bikini Bottom in Black Stripe. |
Peekaboo. Ashley Johnston wears the Zuma One-Piece in Black Stripe. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Ashley Johnston stoked on her new fin by Island Fin Co, wearing the Zuma One-Piece in Black Stripe. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
View from under the surface. Ashley Johnston wears the Zuma One-Piece in Black Stripe. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
To the next set... Ashley Johnston wears the Zuma One-Piece in Black Stripe. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
MORE BEACH FASHION:
The sun-tinted, dented and dinged up longboard Ashley found at a garage sale had seen better days, but with a little bit of love, it still had a few more rides left in it. Ashley showed us how she repainted it to make it her own.
]]>Fellow garage sale, flea market and thrift store addicts — our homes are filled with vintage castaway furniture, quirky knick knacks and retro threads, with stories behind where and how we discovered each piece.
Gather what you'll need. |
Gather up all your materials:
Ashley cleans off the board. |
Clean off the old wax. |
Step 2: First color! For stripes or color blocking, tape off the portion of the board that you want to paint first. We started with the blue, the biggest portion of the board. Get spraying.
Ashley tapes off a section to paint. |
Spray painting the first coat. |
Keep going! |
Step 3: Let it dry. Hang out.
Watching paint dry. |
Hooray! Paint is dry! |
Step 4: Hooray! Paint is dry. Tape and cover up the part you just finished (in our case, the blue) so you can paint the rest of the board without getting any stray paint on it. Spray paint the second color. We did the green nose next.
Finishing up the nose in green. |
Step 5: DIY is more fun with friends. To create the stripes on the tail, tape off the parts that you want to remain the base color (the blue). The part that is exposed will be spray painted with another color. We did yellow.
Taping off some stripes with the help of a friend. |
Tape off the top of the board too to protect from spray paint particles. |
Step 6: Spray paint the stripes. Let them dry. If there are some bumps or rough spots, you can sandpaper them smoother. Apply the clear coat over the whole board at the end.
Spray painting the stripes |
Step 7: You're done! Add a fin, wax it up and take it out for a glide.
The finished stripes. |
Add a fin. |
Ashley on her newly painted board, wearing the Riviera in Sea Glass. Photo by Alex Swanson. |
Glides like new! Photo by Alex Swanson. Ashley wears the Riviera in Sea Glass. |
Ashley in the Palmas. Photo by Marcus Bloss. |
Surfboard tails can be a clean surface to dry your suits for a day at the beach! |
More DIY:
Like a salad in a bottle, a fresh juice can make you feel your best before paddling out, and is a way to love and nourish your body after a sweaty session.
Our latest juice obsession is Kauai Juice Co., a new shop that makes it easy to choose the right juice blend for what your body needs. Seeababe and Kauai, Hawaii resident Ashley Johnstongot a tour of...
Seeababe Ashley Johnston at Kauai Juice Co. |
Order up! Ashley picks out her juices for the day. |
Photo courtesy of Kauai Juice Co. |
Kauai Juice Co. uses fresh veggies. |
Robin Fisher and owner Kristal Veighl of Kauai Juice Co. Photo by Bryce Johnson. |
Drink up! Ashley wears the Seea Riviera in Seaglass. |
Ashley, energized for her session. Photo by Alex Swanson. |
Don't forget the post-surf juice! Photo by Alex Swanson. |