Watch: Indonesian Motorcycle Diaries // Episode Five

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Stu Nettle (stunet)
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After an extended hiatus - which is explained below - Tom de Souza returns with the fifth instalment of IMD.

Still in Sumba, he gets taken to a lesser-surfed left, though as is Tom's way the majority of the video is spent talking to locals about both their customs and their daily life, which in this video includes how surfing has benefitted their villages.

Since Tom's last internet release, he's shifted his ambitions somewhat and is working on a longer documentary titled The Long Road Home - click to watch the trailer.

As his film travels continue Tom will keep posting on the 'net so stay tuned for both shorter updates and a longer release in the near future.

Comments

Smorto's picture
Smorto's picture
Smorto Thursday, 17 Jul 2025 at 1:27pm

Always wanted to go on a land trip to Sumba, but it seems like a big mission for potentially wind affected, fickle or B-grade wave options, except for Occy's Left - but $4k a night to surf it is pretty steep.

dandandan's picture
dandandan's picture
dandandan Thursday, 17 Jul 2025 at 10:02pm

Yeah I was kind of surprised by the waves there - I can imagine places definitely have their day, but there was a lot more waiting around for conditions to line up than I expected. I've heard even Occy's can be like that, which must drive some people insane if that's what they've gone there for.

It's a beautiful island, fascinating culture and languages, a wild history, and lovely people, but it probably broke my heart more than any other place in Indonesia. The poverty in East Sumba especially is devastating.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Friday, 18 Jul 2025 at 8:03am

Pretty sure when they were filming the Green iguana that Sunny bailed early because he was sick of waiting for the left to turn on.......correct me if im wrong

Smorto's picture
Smorto's picture
Smorto Friday, 18 Jul 2025 at 8:39am

Wow if this is true you've shattered my dreams of one day forking out for a stay at Nihiwatu - I thought it was super consistent as it seems to have the right ingredients - SW facing and offshore in the trades

chris rennie1's picture
chris rennie1's picture
chris rennie1 Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025 at 9:20am

Yep correct, Sunny bailed early and then it turned on! I have heard it is really inconsistent too, which like you Smorto kinda dented the dream of going large on day and forking out for a trip there. Not sure I could survive a week there without waves at that cost. In the early days you could get last minute deals for something like $100-$200 per night and a few mates scored it in early 2000's and said it was insane.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Thursday, 17 Jul 2025 at 7:51pm

Eating the pigeon was pretty gnarly.

basesix's picture
basesix's picture
basesix Thursday, 17 Jul 2025 at 10:25pm

pigeon is awesome, like a fitter quail, not duck not chicken.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_pigeon
cooking the whole hogs, like a haggis, innards included,
not done separately, is pretty intense and symptomatic
of a food-safe (hygienically speaking) and isolated society..
interesting watching this film project evolve over time.
(tom been pumping iron in an indo jail? dude's cut..)

SingleFin95's picture
SingleFin95's picture
SingleFin95 Saturday, 19 Jul 2025 at 2:13pm

actually wasn't too bad. better than the raw sea worms and the dog I was offered when I was there recently...

Moonah's picture
Moonah's picture
Moonah Saturday, 19 Jul 2025 at 4:00pm

Tell me you didn’t have to watch the dog getting slaughtered?
Love the series Tom.

SingleFin95's picture
SingleFin95's picture
SingleFin95 Sunday, 20 Jul 2025 at 12:47pm

Thanks mate.

I did, yes. Two blows to the head with a club.

Couldn't eat any but my mate did. Said it actually wasn't too bad.

Moonah's picture
Moonah's picture
Moonah Sunday, 20 Jul 2025 at 2:03pm

Tough to watch, but you’ve gotta eat I guess.

Ape Anonymous's picture
Ape Anonymous's picture
Ape Anonymous Saturday, 26 Jul 2025 at 10:24am

Tom, I just realised I recognised your icon from a sequence Hoye sent me years ago - you're riding a PE 70's single fin at (break name concealed)! You are locked-in DEEEEP! Thanks for doing the write-up on Hoye, I've got the physical Tracks issue, always wondered if the black and white photo where he is cutting rail bands is my 9'6"?

SingleFin95's picture
SingleFin95's picture
SingleFin95 Saturday, 26 Jul 2025 at 12:08pm

Yes it was. From memory he was doing two for you - 9’6 and an 8’something. Think that photo is the eight footer. Would have been one of the last boards he finished. Story went to print just a couple days before he passed.

Alana_a's picture
Alana_a's picture
Alana_a Thursday, 17 Jul 2025 at 11:27pm

I’m a big fan of this guys vids. Check his youtube.

northland's picture
northland's picture
northland Sunday, 20 Jul 2025 at 2:51pm

Just got back from my 3rd surf trip to Sumba.
The first was just after COVID, and it was truly memorable. The waves were empty and epic!

radiationrules's picture
radiationrules's picture
radiationrules Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025 at 9:25am

that was v/interesting Tom, thanks; good luck with the evolution of your project.