Surfing in Bali: spots by season and level

Bali has rideable surf in every month, because Indian Ocean swell reaches the island all year. What changes with the seasons is the wind, and the wind decides which coast is clean. Choose the coast for the month first, then the break for your level.

Two seasons, two coasts

• Dry season, roughly April to October: southeast trade winds blow offshore on the west coast and the Bukit Peninsula. This is the season for Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Impossibles, Bingin, Balangan, Canggu and Medewi, and the reefs of Nusa Lembongan also work best now.
• Wet season, roughly November to March: the wind swings to the northwest. The west coast turns onshore, while east-facing reefs such as Keramas, Sanur and Nusa Dua become offshore. Average swell drops to around 1.5 m from around 2.1 m at the dry season peak, which suits improving surfers. Mornings are usually cleaner than afternoons, when wind and storms build.
• Changeover months: March and November bring shifting winds, so check the forecast for both coasts.

The water is warm all year, around 29°C in January and 26°C in August, so a rash vest or a thin 1 mm top is plenty for early sessions.

Beginner beach breaks

Learn on sand, not reef. A fall on a beach break lands you on sand, and the broken whitewater on the inside gives a long, forgiving push for practising the pop-up.

• Kuta Beach: Bali's classic learning beach, with gentle waves and long rolling whitewater that works on all tides. Vendors with board racks along the sand rent everything from soft-tops to hard boards, and Balawista lifeguards patrol the beach every day.
• Legian Beach: A beach break with lefts and rights over several peaks, so the crowd spreads out. Beginners do best at the northern end towards Double Six, where the waves are gentler, and currents get strong when the swell is bigger.
• Batu Bolong Beach: Canggu's main learning wave, soft and slow-breaking, with lefts and rights that can peel for more than 100 m. It is a favourite with longboarders and gets crowded on good mornings. Old Man's next door is another mellow wave for beginners.
• Berawa Beach: The main peak works on all tides and stays mellow on small days, but turns into fast, powerful walls on bigger swells. The Ledge, a right-hander over shallow reef at low tide, is for advanced surfers only.
• Kedungu Beach: A quieter break in Tabanan with an A-frame over a submerged reef shelf. Instructors start beginners on the inside section, and mid to high tide with a small swell gives the softest waves. Dry season trade winds blow side-shore here, so early mornings are best.

Intermediate waves

• Echo Beach: A black sand beach in Canggu with a fast left over shallow reef for intermediate and advanced surfers. Surf it at mid to high tide, as low tide exposes the reef.
• Balangan Beach: A long left-hand reef break off a white sand beach lined with warungs on the Bukit. Mid to high tide is best, since getting in at low tide means crossing coral. Beginners can manage it only on small, high-tide days with guidance.
• Medewi Surf Point: Bali's premier left-hand point break, with a long, easy-going ride and a gentle take-off. It works best on a high tide, and entry and exit are over slippery cobblestones. It sits in the swell shadow of Java, so it needs a fairly southerly swell.
• Balian Beach: A river mouth with a defined peak that breaks both ways. The left is slower and easier, the right faster and heavier. A deep trench offshore often makes the waves bigger than the forecast, and the tide has a strong effect on quality.

Reef breaks for experienced surfers

The west-facing reefs of the Bukit Peninsula became famous after the 1972 surf film Morning of the Earth showed Uluwatu to the world. The coral is shallow and sharp, the line-ups are crowded, and none of these waves is a place to learn.

• Uluwatu: a series of left-hand reef breaks below the temple cliffs, with the cave as the usual way in and out. The Peak, in front of the cave, is best at mid to high tide and closes out at low tide. Racetracks is fast and very shallow at low tide, and Outside Corner only comes alive on the biggest swells at low tide.
• Impossibles: about 1 km of sharp reef between Padang Padang and Bingin, with fast walls in three sections. On bigger days the easiest paddle out is through the Padang Padang channel.
• Padang Padang Beach: A small sandy cove reached by about 120 steps and a path between a fallen rock and the cliff. The main wave, Padang Padang Left, is a powerful, hollow left known as the Balinese Pipeline and is the venue of the Rip Curl Cup. Padang Padang Right, also called Baby Padang, is a friendlier wave used by learners and longboarders.
• Bingin Beach: A short, hollow left over coral, usually under 50 m long and often very crowded. It needs at least about 4 ft of swell from the south or southwest, and the inside reef is best avoided because getting out means walking on coral.
• Green Bowl Beach: A cove in Ungasan below Pura Dalem Batu Pageh, reached by 328 steps. Surfers come for the big waves over the reef. On the sand there is a cave full of bats, and nothing is sold on the beach, so bring water and food.
• Nyang Nyang Beach: A right-hand reef break with short, punchy walls breaking into a channel, best at high tide and in the wet season, when the southeast trades stop blowing it out. A steep road or a long stairway leads down from the old Uluwatu road, and the climb keeps the crowd small.

Wet season on the east side

• Keramas Beach: A black sand beach in front of a fast, hollow right-hand reef break for advanced and expert surfers. It is best from November to March with light east or northeast winds, ideally at mid tide. Expect heavy barrels, reef cuts and a strong current through the end section on big days. Keramas hosted a World Surf League Championship Tour event in May 2019, and on many mornings a cold wind draining off Mount Agung keeps it offshore from first light.
• Sanur Beach: Off this beach lie several reefs, led by Sanur Reef, one of the island's best right-handers. It needs a solid south or southwest swell and mid to high tide. The usual way out is a local boat from Jalan Hang Tuah, as the paddle across the channel runs against the current. Localism is serious. Baby Reef nearby is the gentle option for beginners.
• Nusa Dua: a deep-water reef with several peaks for intermediate and advanced surfers, and the usual fallback when Uluwatu is onshore.

Nusa Lembongan

• Nusa Lembongan: The island off Bali's southeast coast has a group of reef breaks that work best in the dry season. Playgrounds is an A-frame for intermediates, Lacerations has sharp reef and turns into an expert barrel on overhead swells, and Shipwrecks is a right-hander best at mid to high tide. On small days, Razors is a left gentle enough for beginners and longboarders.

Tides and reef safety

• Bali's tides are mixed, with one or two highs and lows a day, so check a tide chart before every session and note whether the tide is rising or falling.
• Most reefs work best around mid tide, but every break has its own window. At dead low tide, reef and rocks can be fully exposed.
• Spring tides, around the new and full moon, have the biggest range and the strongest currents. Neap tides, about seven days later, have the smallest range and less current.
• Wear reef booties on the Bukit reefs, use a strong leash, and paddle out and back through the channel rather than across the reef. Avoid walking on coral.
• On patrolled beaches such as Kuta and Legian, red and yellow flags mark the swimming area, a solid red flag means nobody should enter the water, and black and white chequered flags mark surfcraft zones that keep boards away from swimmers.
• Be honest about your level. Paddling out into waves beyond your skill puts you and other surfers at risk.

Lessons and board rental

• A beginner lesson starts on the sand with water safety, the board and how to stand, then moves into the whitewater. Lessons usually include the board.
• A soft-top foam board is the right choice for the first sessions: it is buoyant, stable and has a soft deck, which makes it safer for novices.
• Prices at the board racks on Kuta Beach are negotiable, so agree on the price and the rental time before you paddle out.
• The smaller average swell of the wet season makes it a good time to learn.
• Olas de Bali Surf School: Teaches on the Bukit breaks, including Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Impossibles, Bingin, Dreamland and Balangan, and takes children from six years old.

Etiquette in the line-up

• The surfer closest to the peak, the breaking part of the wave, has priority. Look to the inside before every take-off.
• Never drop in on someone already riding. If it happens by accident, kick out and apologise.
• Do not snake, which means paddling around someone to steal the inside position.
• Paddle back out wide through the channel, not through the middle where people are riding.
• Hold on to your board. A loose board in a crowded line-up is a dangerous projectile.
• Watch a break before paddling out, be friendly, share waves and respect the local crew. Localism is strong at busy reefs such as Bingin and Sanur Reef.
• Leave the beach cleaner than you found it.