The following short story and accompanying photos somehow slipped through our inbox last year. Its resurrection is timely with the Indo season in full swing. Word of warning: if you've got a weak stomach don't flick to the end.

161 stitches: that's the amount you need if you smack your head on the reef at Macaronis...hard!!

We watched this unfold on a trip to the Mentawais aboard the Santa Lucia in early April 2011. The trip was made up of mostly Coolum lads, Jack Dekort, Ash Berryman, Kris Proctor, Mark Robinson, Josh, Chris Jarvis, Daniel Maclean, Tommy Tyler and myself. Our surf guide on the trip was a thirty-something Hawaiian named Joe. Joe can only be described as an easygoing, likable, Jerry Seinfeld lookalike, with a taste for dry reef and closeout barrels.

All the drama unfolded on a Sunday morning, exactly one week into our trip. We were out at Macaronis, the sun was shining, ten guys in the water and some of the best waves I have ever witnessed - the place is mechanical! A perfect barrel on takeoff then an endless wall to smack the "bejesus" out of. I hadn't been feeling to crash hot that morning, possibly the 14 chandy's and kilo of peanuts I consumed the night before was to blame, so I slept in while the rest of the boat ventured out.

Suddenly Ash burst in the cabin, tears streaming down his cheeks, shouting something about Joe scalping himself on the reef. I raced out onto the back deck to be greeted by the Lucia crew, tender racing between our boat and the M.V Addiction. Joey, a natural footer, had pigdogged into a six foot double up and was thrown head first into the reef. No one was aware anything wrong until they saw Joey paddling back out into the lineup. The boys noticed he was having trouble paddling because, in between strokes, he was patting his scalp back down like some kind of bad toupee. There was blood everywhere! As he got closer, you could make out the join lines in the bone of his skull! He was immediately rushed to the Addiction as it was the fastest boat there, laid down on there back deck and transferred to Padang.

All the boys cleared the water as they were understandably in shock, and we just sat there for hours and hours, staring at empty 6-8 foot Macca's with not a soul in the water. Soon after the Addiction left, another boat there with us at the time, the Kiamana decided to move on leaving us all alone. This was incredible, one of the best waves in the world and we had it all to ourselves, and all because of Joey's selfless act. And it fired!!! All day for two days straight. I have never lost count of barrels I've had in a session, but I stopped counting at 20!! It's the kind of thing you could only dream of, but when it unfolds right in front of you, you seem to grow another arm and can paddle for hours. We're not the most talented bunch of surfers, but I saw some of the best barrels I have ever seen in those two days, it was pretty much ridiculous.

Tom Leworthy