|
 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.
If you need a guide to take you to the surf
breaks in Bali then you must contact
Bali Surfing Paradise.
Other useful information regarding
Bali and Indonesian surfing, check out Indo
Surf and Lingo or
Bali
Waves website and see what they can do for your
surf needs. Happy surfing and enjoy your holiday in Bali.
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