Best Surf Spots For Longboard In Bali
Source: @dancelightly_
BEST SURF SPOTS IN BALI FOR LONGBOARD
Let's talk about Bali! This paradise island, or as the locals call it “the island of Gods”, is a place with stunning nature, tropical forests with waterfalls and monkeys, beautiful beaches with Hindu temples, and deliciously spicy food made by very friendly and open-minded Balinese people.
The locals have been very familiar with tourism for decades already, and that is why the island used to have very heavy tourist traffic. However, the borders of Indonesia were closed for almost 2 years due to a situation with the pandemic, and the island was much quieter.
Waters of Bali
source: Pinterest
Now, the borders of Indonesia are open and Bali´s International Arrivals Terminal is a step by step booming again.
Many ex-pats from all around the world call Bali “home” for its vibrant exotic life, super friendly and welcoming people, and most importantly perfect conditions for surfing all year long.
The island is, in many ways, an incredible place to work and live and super doable to any lifestyle. There is nothing missing, especially in the areas like Canggu, Kuta, or Ubud, which are known as digital nomads and entrepreneurs' hubs. Thousands of restaurants, homestays, co-working spaces, surf shops, and plenty of places to go out.
Heading to the spot
@bjmedewisurf
Surfing in Bali has been popularized since the 70's thanks to the surf movie “Morning of the Earth” where some of the Indonesian surf beaches were featured. Surfers instantly fell in love with Indonesia and Bali especially for many reasons and until now it is probably every surfer's dream surf destination.
The cover of legendary surf movie Morning of the Earth
source: Google Photos
Heaven for longboarders
Not only that Bali has perfect conditions for surfing all over the year but also the consistency of the waves is pretty delightful. I mean if you haven't been here, you must have heard about it!
Bali is THE place that can guarantee you the ultimate surfing experience for its wave perfection and pumping barrels in particular.
@sehowe having fun on the nose and wearing our Guadalupe one piece in army green
source: ninefoot studio
****CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO SEE THE PRODUCT DETAILS
If you are chasing the swell of your dream then the best time to surf in Bali is starting around April and ends at the end of October - that is the “dry season”. The rest of the year is basically pouring rain - the waves are still good but more mellow and on some days super messy.
During this “rainy season” (approx. from November till end of March) some beaches are getting really dirty, because of the rain and the currents bringing the garbage to the shore.
The trouble of waste management and overusing plastic is a big “tidak bagus” (translated to English from Bahasa Indonesia as “not good”) and is a big problem not only in Bali but in the entire country.
Regardless of how the beach is or is not polluted, the rainy months still have lots of sunny days and potentially some fun surf sessions.
Especially if you are a beginner you can enjoy mellow waves and maybe even surf in a light rain with the rainbow in the sky.
View on Uluwatu
@bradhassurfbali
Surf spots in Bali
We as a brand “Ninefoot Studio'' are based in Bali and we love surfing here and being part of the surf community.
Over the years we have surfed most of the spots here and fell in love with each of them. Even our collections and swimsuit styles are eponymous with our favorite beaches.
Every surf swimsuit we create is named after a different spot depending on the character of the wave (or the place itself) and let's say on a difficulty of the spot.
For example the
Surfing in Bali is very well known for the perfect left and right-hand reef breaks and its barrels that are ideal for short boards and guns, however, there is a wide range of exquisite beach and reef breaks ideal for longboards.
We want to share with you some of our favorite places to pull out your 9ft and have some fun on the nose!
Sunset on Uluwatu
@legendsbali
List of longboard spots breaks in Bali
Medewi
Medewi beach is located on the southwest coast about a 2 hour ride from Canggu and is considered one of the best surf spots for longboarders in Bali.
Medewi is super beautiful and quite place to go and has a bit different vibe than most of other beaches because of its muslim community.
Medewi has probably the longest wave in Bali that works on any type of swell because it is a reef break.
That long epic ride you will probably hear about is left hander and is the main peak. Super long waves are great for nose riding and enjoying the mellow ride.
The rocks and reefs of Medewi
source: stokedfortravel.com
/blogs/journal/lifestyle-surf-video-girls-trip-bali-indonesia
Pros and cons of the spot:
+
smooth longboard break
+ main peak is super long and mellow wave
+quiet place and nice view
+ more spots to surf in the area (left and right handers)
-
there are sharp rocks on the way to enter and escape the water when it is low tide that can cause cuts on feet
- muslim village (people are super friendly, just better to consider more coverage in order to respect the community).
___
Click the link below to watch the ninefoot girl gang surfing in Medewi and read about their rad surf trip HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21FH3zyNGkk
One of the longest waves in Bali, Medewi´s perfect left hander
source: wikitravel
Our Medewi one piece in black / storm print wore by Monik
source: ninefoot studio
Batu Bolong
Batu Bolong is the main beach in Canggu that offers perfect waves for longboarders. It is the main attraction so it is naturally full of people and the line up gets crowded from early mornings till the sunsets. Is suitable for beginners (with or without instructors) and advanced surfers as well.
The shore is filled with beach shacks and “surf schools” and surf board rentals. Nothing is missing. There are several peaks, the right handed wave is much faster than the left handed that is mellower.
You can surf here in any type of swell and high tide and low tide, all day long.
Batu Bolong is the perfect roller machine to create waves and attracts a lot of famous surfers that you can sometimes meet in the water.
Batu Bolong from above
source: westend61.de
Pros and cons of the spot:
+
perfect and quite long waves
+ works on any type of swell
+ lots of party waves
+ big parking, many beach shacks with food and drinks on the beach
-
crowded
- people don't respect the rules in the water
- can get dangerous because of many beginners on longboards in the water and many wild locals
Wave dancer @soogisea wearing the Canggu one piece in off white
source: ninefoot studio
Kuta beach
Kuta was for a long time the main beach in Bali not only for surfing but for all tourists to come and chill and spend time on.
It is a center of Balinese surf culture that used to be (before Covid) super crowded especially by the beginners. Now the entire Kuta area is more quiet as all the people moved to the Canggu area.
However, for us, Kuta is still the best place to go surfing and has probably one of the best waves in Bali.
There are a lot of spots around there which are perfect for longboarding. Kuta is a beach break and works only with smaller swells of around 1 to 2 meters. Boths right handed and left handed waves are pretty powerful for nice and long rides.
___
Click on the links to watch our surfmates and muses Dana and Flora surfing Kuta beach wearing our Kuta one piece.
Ninefoot studio Surf swimwear, Kuta surf swimsuit one piece in Tripoli color, Padang beach Bali 2021
Longboarder Flora surfing Kuta beach Bali 2021 Ninefoot Studio
Dana wearing Kuta one piece in burgundy
source: ninefoot studio
Kuta one piece in nude wore by indonesian longboarder Flora
source: ninefoot studio
Pros and cons of the spot:
+
beach break
+ lots of places to play (the beach is long with different spots)
+ easy to park and coconuts on the beach
+ not too crowded anymore
-
many surf schools come to Kuta
____
We have asked some of our girl friends and fellow longboarders what their favorite wave in Bali is.
Our friend and longboarder Janey told us:
”I used to love surfing in Batu Bolong. But now there are too many people and no rule. So I love Kuta. Safe, because it is sand beach and line up is not too far. So perfect for practice.”
Longboarder Janey wearing combo Bingin rashguard with Sanur bottom on her favorite spot in Bali
source: ninefoot studio
Our surf mate Dana, @dancelightly_, shared with us her favorite spots too:
“My favorite spots to surf in Bali are Kuta and Balangan. I like Kuta because it’s a beach break and when the sandbar and swell are right it is perfect! Long, open lines roll through allowing us longboarders to dance, a soulful expression. On a small day at balangan the point can be firing, super long lefts peeling over crystal clear water and the best crew around to surf with.”
Dana surfing her favorite wave in Kuta wearing ninefoot studio Uluwatu one piece in tripoli color
source: ninefoot studio
Baby Padang
Probably the most well-known spot among the surfers is Padang-Padang for its perfect barreling wave. Located in the beautiful Bukit Peninsula on the south of Bali, this is one of the superb beaches.
The notorious Padang Padang Right which is the most known wave in Bali can get really monster big when swell hits. This one is usually crowded by hungry short boarders or pro surfers during some of the surfing contests.
On the other side of the peak there is Padang Padang Left which offers an excellent wave for longboarding. It is a beautiful sandy beach break suitable even for beginners and intermediate surfers.
So, the left side is called Baby Padang, because compared to other side of Padang is really small like baby size. The wave works when the swell is really small, between 4 to 6 ft. If the swell is bigger it is not working very well for longboards and tends to close.
During high tide, this long, unbroken wave is an ideal spot for practicing your technique and taking it step by step to the nose.
Baby Padang
@wezlew
Pros and cons of the spot:
+
beach break
+ long solid wave
the view from the water is perfect - beautiful nature, cliff
+ amazing sunsets
+ great for practice on longboard
+ works with small swell
-
lots of paddling (constantly) due to strong current
not very enjoyable access to the each
- parking upstairs for 15K IDR and then going down the stairs- super narrow stairs with a huge stone in your face and you carrying your longboard
- be ware of the monkies
View on Padang Padang
@bradhassurfbali
Ocean view in Uluwatu
@bradhassurfbali
Bukit lines
@bradhassurfbali
Uluwatu's famous reef at low tide
@padangpadangsurfcampbali
Flora wearing the Padang top in fish color
source: ninefoot studio
Dreamland
Sandy bottom break on Dreamland beach works well even for beginners but only on the small swell days that brings soft and consistent waves.
When the big swell is coming it is similar to Bingin and Padang-Padang´s giants waves.
Dreamland beach
@stefanococcobenedetti
Ninefoot´s studio Dreamland one piece in blue color variant
source: ninefoot studio
Bingin
Bingin is another beautiful beach that can become a playground for the longboarders on the smaller days. For mellow but firm rides works best on high tide for the waves around 3 to 5ft.
Low tide creates powerful and challenging waves more suitable for short boards. Barrels…
Longboarder Janey wearing Bingin rashguard in blush pink color
source: ninefoot studio
East Bali
The east coast of Bali is more known as a chill area perfect for families with kiddos. Places like Sanur, Amed or Karangasem are perfect for swimming, diving or paddle boarding. However you can find some spots that work great for longboards as well.
Serangan beach (Turtle Island)
Serangan is a former fisherman's village located on a small peninsula. The vibe is super cool and quiet compared to busy Canggu.
Couple of years ago you could access the beach directly through the village but now there is a big construction, all the beach shacks were removed and it is not possible to enter the spot directly. You should go from Sanur or Nusa Dua using a boat that is around 75K IDR.
Serangan is suitable for short and longboarders and has a lot of different peaks for all levels and depending on your level you can choose one side or another side.
The main peak on the right side is pretty fast, better for short boarders but the shoulders are more mellow and more longboard friendly.
Serangan is due to its location on the east side of Bali works during the rainy season.
Serangan beach - view on the spot
Source: Surf Indonesia
Pros and cons of the spot:
+
quiet place and uncrowded wave
+ different peaks to surf on
+ works with bigger swell
-
access to the spot by boat for 75K IDR
Sanur
Beautiful white sandy beach with a super calm vibe, that is Sanur. As mentioned before, this beach is known for mellow waters and swimming, however with the specific conditions the place can create a world class wave.
This happens only rarely during the rainy season if the swell is really big, like over 10ft on Nusa Dua.
The spots where you can enjoy a long, glassy and quite fast wave are called Sanur Reef and the Tanjung Reef. Be careful, the waves are breaking over ultra-sharp coral reefs.
Be aware of the tides and check the wind before you go. You don’t want straight east that will be onshore.
This year it has been the peak for a surf longboard competition The LSR Bali Cosmic Experience - A festival of Longboard Sup Surfing.
Sanur high waisted bikini bottoms by Ninefoot Studio in sunset print
Source: Ninefoot Studio
Pros and cons of the spot:
+
works only approx. 20 days per year
+ when condition given creates excellent long wave
has
+ multiple barrel sections
if you
+ go early morning you can get go good waves for longboard
-
possible reef cuts
depends on many different cisrcumstances
Berawa surf top and Sanur surf bikini botom in riad color
source: ninefoot studio
Some tips and additional info from us to you
As you read above, there are a number of excellent beaches for any type of surf and surf level in Bali. Many different brakes for longboard and even more for short board.
Click below to see the short video we did with our surf girl gang in Medewi a couple years ago. We love to surf together and catch some party waves.
https://ninefootstudio.com/blogs/journal/lifestyle-surf-video-girls-trip-bali-indonesia
Carolyn is wearing Canggu onepiece in navy blue
source: Ninefootstudio
/blogs/journal/the-best-surf-retreats-for-women-in-baliFrom beach to beach and spot to spot the easiest and fastest transportation is by motorbike that you can rent for approx. 50K IDR per day almost everywhere.
There is no public transportation in Bali. If you stay with the surf camp they usually bring you to the spot with the car. There are so many surf schools, camps, retreats, surf shops and surf communities in Bali.
If you want to get a surfboard in Bali there are lots of excellent shapers. You can read more about it in our previous blogpost:
BUY A LONGBOARD IN BALI: Ultimate guide to stores, shapers, rentals and second hand
Typical and the most efficient transport from place to place and spot to spot in Bali @bradhassurfbali