Bali has given a magical gift to the global surfing community. That gift is surf! Like a magnet, Bali's surf has attracted the world's best surfers to ride and discover Indonesia's best-kept secret.
Robert Koke, an American who ran a small hotel somewhere near the present Hard Rock Hotel at Kuta in the 1930's, was the first person to surf in Bali. In the late 1960s Australian surfers started arriving to surf the Kuta area before discovering the world class waves of the Bukit Peninsula.
Surf movie producer Albie Falzon documented the discovery of Uluwatu in his 1972 movie, "Morning of the Earth". Other movies and other surfers followed and by the mid 1970's, a surf trip to Bali was an annual event for many Australian surfers.
Today, Bali is the front door for hardcore surfers setting to explore the many excellent quality waves throughout the rest of Indonesia. Before they head off to discover the surf of Java, Sumbawa, Lombok or the Mentawai Islands, they should never overlook the quality and perfection of Bali's surf.
In Bali, the experienced surfer should start on the Bukit Peninsula. During the dry season, May to October, the western side of the peninsula creates some of the world's best waves. Starting at the southern end is Uluwatu, a peeling lefthander which can hold a heavy swell.
Ulu's, as it is affectionately known, has a number of sections: Temples, The Peak, Race Track and Outside Corner. The next wave north, Padang-Padang, is one of the best and heaviest lefthanders in the world and needs a solid swell to start working. Padang is for experienced surfers only!
Just across the channel from Padang is a series of long winding lefthanders appropriately called Impossibles, which can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. The next break is Bingin, another lefthander, which provides some of the most intense small wave tubes you may ever experience - watch out for the end section as it gets very shallow.
Next is a rare wave on this side if the Bukit, Dreamland, a right and left peak. Around the corner from Dreamland is Balangan a fun lefthander, which used to peel along a beautiful lagoon in a beautiful tropical setting - sadly the area is no longer as beautiful as it is now a large hotel development.
The southern shore of the Bukit has two waves. Nyang-Nyang, a bowly right-hander and Green Ball a longer right are both located at the bottom of large cliffs and require a lot of effort to be reached.
During the wet season, November to April, the eastern coast of the Bukit turns it on with some outstanding (right-handers). Nusa Dua is a big wave break known to hold well over 5 meter waves: There are three main sections: Top, Middle and End all producing long bowling rights. North of Nusa Dua is Sri Lanka, a bowly right, which breaks into a deep water channel. Across the Benoa Boat Harbor is the resort area of Sanur, this area has four main reef breaks.
Hyatt Reef, Tandjung Rights, Tandjung Lefts and Sanur Reef. Of these four waves the best and most popular is Sanur Reef, a world class right-hander.
Back on the west side of the island, around the Airport and Kuta areas are a series of reef and beach breaks. Waves break off either side of the airport runaway: Airport Rights break on the southern side into Jimbaran Bay, Airport Lefts breaks on the Kuta side. Both are excellent waves and worth a surf. North of the runaway is Kuta Reef a long lefthander and the first reef surfed in Bali.
The Kuta Beach Breaks tend to have their own character and can get very good; the best sports are Halfway, Padma and Double Six. This is the area of beach and surf where tourists, inexperienced with surfing and the ocean, have their first contact with the surf. Be warned, as this area can be dangerous when the swells get big.
Swim between the red and yellow flags and follow the instructions from the lifeguards. Experienced surfers should also exercise care and show respect to the local Balinese surfers.
Good surf is not restricted to the Bukit and Kuta areas. Following the coastline around the west and eastern sides of the island can be worthwhile, there are still secret sports to be found.
Along the west coast check out Canggu, about half an hour's drive north of Kuta, a good right and left rock reef setup. Further north, Balian River Mouth is a fun left and right break and Medewi, a long winding left-hand point wave.
Access to all the breaks via car is easy, even Uluwatu now has it's own car park right above the break. When surfing the Nusa Dua and Kuta Reef areas, you can still hire one of the local boats to take you out to the reef and return you at an appointed time.
There are two other areas accessible from Bali worth surfing during the dry season. The first is Nusa Lembongan Island just east of Bali, here you can surf Lacerations and Shipwrecks, two fast bowling (righthanders) as well as the less demanding Playgrounds a left and right.
The second area may well be the best wave in the world; G-Land or Grajagan located on the southern tip of East Java. This spiraling, dazzling lefthander has three main sections: Kongs, Money Trees and the crown jewel of the trilogy, Speedies. Since 1995 G-Land has hosted the annual Quicksilver Pro, the richest and most highly respected surf contest in the world. The 1997 Quicksilver Pro will long be remembered as one of the greatest contests ever when Speedies turned on in all its glory for the entire contest.
You can get to Nusa Lembongan by taking a boat from either Sanur or Benoa Harbour and finding accommodation when you arrive. G-Land is a bit more difficult and you must book, as the two camps are located inside a National Park. There are two camps to choose from, the Tiger Camp and the Jungle Camp. Ask at most surf shops in Kuta and they will tell you how to contact the camps.
Now that you know where to surf, how do you know what it will be like? Firstly you need to know the tides; Tubes Bar and most surf shops can provide you with a tide chart for free, knowing the tides is important when surfing the coral reefs. Accurate five-day swell forecasts can be picked up from outside the Quicksilver Board riders Club at Bemo Corner, Kuta and other - surf shops. Working out the right mixture of conditions is up to you. Good luck!
The Kuta area has the highest concentration of surf shops anywhere in the world. The newer, larger shops compare more than favorably with the best surf shops in the USA, Europe, Japan or Australia. All the major surf brands are represented, Quicksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, Spyderbilt, Volcom, Stussy, Rusty and many more.
If purchased from surf shops they are all genuine products but be careful in the warungs where they are usually copies, which put nothing back into the Balinese surfing.
The genuine product is still a bargain compared to the Japanese, USA or Australian prices so enjoy your shopping for a new pair of board shorts or a tee shirt.
To get the best surfing equipment and other needs at reasonable prices, go to Dream Land Surf Shop in Kuta Square. Surfer Girl, as its name implies, caters to the needs of women and girls. It is sited at Jalan Legian, and offers excellent buys at very competitive prices.
If you want to party while in Kuta there are several great bar-cum-restaurants that cater to surfers. Check out Tubes Bar in Poppies II and All Stars Surf Cafe at Kuta Centre in Jalan Katika Plaza.
The Bali Surfing Association runs local contests as well as the Bali International Grommet Contest and the Billabong Asia Challenge. The local highlight is the annual Bali Open, which crowns the Island Champion each December.
Balinese surfing legends such as Made Kasim, Wayan Suwenda, Ketut Menda, Wayan Ganti and Made Switra still surf regularly.
The new generation of surfers spearheaded by Bali's unofficial International Ambassador, Rizal Tandjung and ably supported by Ismael Dooley and Made Adi Putra all have international potential: Tandjung cemented his surfing reputation at the 1996 and 1997 Quicksilver Pro when he scored perfect 10 point waves in each event against the best surfers in the world.
As surfing has evolved from an alternative lifestyle into the huge commercial proposition it now is, Bali has gone along for the ride. It is now possible to arrive on the island and fully deck yourself out in quality surf gear from a range of well-known surf-wear companies.
One can easily buy or hire boards of all shapes and sizes, or even take surfing lessons at the "Cheyne Horan" school of surfing. You may simply like to hang out in surf restaurants and warungs, which offer menu items such as "surf-and-turf", Californian hamburgers, and jaffles with good old Aussie vegemite.
Continuous surfing videos, an array of surfing memorabilia, and life sized fiberglass boards on larger than life moulded waves (providing the opportunity to capture that "perfect tube" on camera) are now common features of surfers' establishments. But be careful if you are renting a board on the beach or taking surf lessons from the guy you just met at the beach. Surfboards are not toys and they can hurt you and other people when not used correctly.
