Where To Surf

BALI'S breaks are a great draw for advanced surfers, but there are also plenty of gentler beach breaks which are ideal for beginners. The swell from the mighty Indian Ocean gets a chance to build up into massive waves, some of them regularly topping fifteen feet.

Kuta is the central location to rent/buy boards and find out surfing conditions. Best places for surfing are Kuta, Legian and Seminyak for beginners. Intermediate surfers should go to Bingin, south of the airport reef in Kuta. Also Canggu, 20 minutes northwest of Legian. Much further west are Soka Beach and Medewi. For real expert surfers, go to Kuta Reef, Uluwatu and Padang Padang. Great surfing at Nusa Lembongan as well.

Kuta and Legian
Good for beginners. With a vicious undertow, the inviting appearance of the waves at Kuta Beach can be deceptive. An average of 40 people still drown each year off Kuta and Legian. Always stay within the clearly marked red and yellow flags. Lifeguards constantly patrol the beach during daylight.

Kuta Reef, a long stretch of coral about one km out to sea, is best known for its left-hand break. Most riders take an outrigger to this reef, then get picked up again at a specified time. When the wind turns offshore at Kuta, surfers evacuate for Sanur on the other side of the island where the wind is onshore.

Nusa Dua
For the more experienced, Nusa Dua offers a consistent right-hander through the wet season (September-March), though consistency means big crowds. Hire a boat for the return trip because the best waves are far offshore. On the way out are lefts and rights but the outside rights are the main attraction - steep takeoffs and fast bowling walls. In this same area in front of Club Med, is a very fast difficult right-hander.

Nusa Penida
For dedicated pros only at Nusa Lembongan, a small isle off the southeast coast. Three of the most superb though deadly breaks in the world. This uncrowded surf is reasonably accessible from Sanur. You can stay in very inexpensive and comfortable beach inns strung out in the small fishing village of Jungut Batu. Larger island of Nusa Penida to the east, has abundant surf but dangerous coral.

Padang Padang
For dedicated pros only. Padang Padang, north of Uluwatu toward Kuta, can be reached by walking a cliff path from Uluwatu, then climbing down to the beach or by car or motorcycle from Kuta. Hollow left here is treacherous because of the cliffs. It's not for beginners, and don't surf if there are too many surfers. Very popular is Bingin, near Padang Padang, a hollow left best at medium to low tides.

Sanur
Sanur's famous hollow right-hand break is considered by many the best on the island - when it's working, which is only about 25 days a year. Sanur is sheltered from most waves so the swell needs to be big to get in here. When it does, the walls line up down the reef for long, fast rides. It's imperative that you pull out before the final dredge-out or you'll be driven against the reef.

Uluwatu
For dedicated pros only. Uluwatu, famous for its left break, is ringed by high cliffs which surfers must climb down to reach a large sea cave. This is the only way to paddle out to breaks with names like The Race Track, the Peak, The Bommie, The Inside Corner, the Outside Corner-about seven breaks in all. If the current is too strong to reach the cave or the reef in front, make for the beach.

Other surf sites
Surfing locales include Canggu, near the village of Kerobokan, for experienced surfers and popular with both local and Japanese surfer. Medewi, about 75 km west of Denpasar, also good for beginners or a mellow day out. Ketewel good for intermediate surfers from March to September (dry season). Also Tanjung Sari, Serangan, and Padangbai on the East Coast.

For the best low-down on the surfing scene in Bali, the place to head for is Kuta, where you'll find the biggest choice of surf shops, monthly tide charts, plenty of other surfers to compare notes with or surfer's bars, such as Tubes in Poppies II and the All Stars Surf Café in the Kuta Center.