West Bali

Uluwatu is actually a series of breaks on the southwest tip of the Bukit Peninsula: The Racetrack, The Peak, Temples, Outside Corner and The Bombie. With all of these breaks to choose from, Uluwatu is an ultra-consistent spot. Depending on the tide and swell size, any of these breaks will usually be firing at one point during the day. Generally, due to the access through the cave and the strong currents, the best possible conditions for larger swells are very low tides. Smaller and medium swells work well on all tides. During smaller swells, look for barrels and peaky surf on the higher tides at The Peak. On lower tides, The Racetrack can provide an ultra-fast reef grinder with a big barrel at the end. Those who choose to cut back often miss the end section, hence the name, The Racetrack. When surfing The Racetrack it is important to known the tides. On a middle tide, most advanced surfers will be able to negotiate the end section barrel with success. Once the tide drops, and especially on the lower tides of the month, The Racetrack end section is a twisting, multi-section barrel, a very dangerous place for experts and professionals only. When the largest swells of the year hit Bali, Uluwatu transforms into a true big-wave surfing venue - The Peak, Racetrack and Temples are all under whitewater, and Uluwatu's outer reefs, The Bombie and Outside Corner, come alive. These breaks will handle any size, and it's not uncommon to see perfect 15-foot surf here.

From up on the cliff or over in the Bingin warungs, sets rolling through Impossibles have the appearance of being some of the best waves on Earth. This is usually a deception - 90% of the time Impossibles is a sectioning, frustrating, impossible wave. However, when everything comes together, Impossibles can be flawless, and lucky surfers will experience epic, 400-meter, ultra-fast perfection.Impossibles is a difficult wave to predict. There does not seem to be any set rule for which swell directions, tides, swell periods or swell sizes will work best. Due to length of the reef and its relatively consistent angle to the coast, there is a very small degree window for the swell to peel off perfectly rather than in big chunks of sections. There are two main takeoff points at Impossibles: the top section and the bottom section. Generally the top section works better when it is smaller, and the bottom section will transform with a huge swell and a low tide. All in all, Impossibles can be a good option for surfers who are not quite ready for the heaviness of Uluwatu or Padang Padang. However, on the big days, Impossibles picks up a lot of swell, and surfers should take care to known how to get in with or without a board before they enter the water.

When it's on, Padang Padang is a beast, truly "The Balinese Pipeline." On the biggest days of the year, huge swells march down the reef from Uluwatu, forming some of the biggest and heaviest barrels anywhere in Indonesia when they hit the Padang reef. Though Padang Padang breaks relatively frequently during the season, classic Padang is rare. For it all to come together, a strong, long-period SW swell, mid tides, and light offshores are required. Even with all of the elements in place, sometimes Padang Padang can pinch, or mutate halfway through the barrel. Not good when you consider that a wipeout in these conditions is very serious and means almost certain injury, broken boards, or both. When Padang Padang is classic, surfers can expect deep, dry, heavy, big tubes. When surfing Padang Padang it is important to understand the tides. During the lower tides of the month, Padang Padang can become absurdly dangerous as the end section breaks below sea level and directly in front of exposed, jagged reef. Even professional surfers find Padang's twisting barrel a challenge to negotiate, and most wipeouts mean a trip to a very unforgiving reef.

Balangan is the last of the major lefthand reefbreaks on the Bukit. On its day, it is an epic big-wave spot with shifting peaks giving way to 300-meter smokers. On smaller days, Balangan offers a few different peaks, and is best on a mid to low tide when they can connect and form a long, racy wall. Tends to be less crowded than other surfing beaches on the Bukit.

Canggu is a strip of black-sand beach and reefbreaks that is known for having something for everyone. There are a few soft rolling waves that are ideal for beginners, some rippable peaks for high performance surfing, and when it's big, there are some gnarly beachfront barrels for expert surfers. Canggu is more south-facing than Kuta Beach and will usually be bigger, and is often the spot when the swell is small, and many of Bali's hottest surfers from Kuta will make the morning trip to Canggu. Because it faces further south, Canggu is also more affected by the tradewinds and is best in the early mornings. After 9am, it is frequently sideshore and not the perfect glass of a few hours earlier.

While not the ultra-perfect green barrels that most surfers come to Bali for, Balian is still a swell magnet, and a place that will have decent surf when everywhere else is flat. The tradewinds blow sideshore here, and the rainy season westerlies blow onshore. Balian is a place for early-morning sessions with the potential for a late-afternoon glass-off. The wave at Balian is a rivermouth beach and rock break that offers up very rippable, shifting, A-frame peaks. Usually the lefts are better than the rights, and both can show an inside barrel section when it all comes together. Balian is not a place to go when there is a big swell running. It will be impossible to paddle out and the currents will become dangerous. If a big swell is running, most surfers will continue west to Medewi.

Kuta Beach is an ultra-consistent, quality beachbreak that is ideal for learners. Kuta Beach is actually a long strip of different sandbar breaks that runs from Kuta Reef all the way down to Seminyak's Blue Ocean beach. This stretch of white-sand peaks is best at high tide when the faster sections are more makeable and offer high-performance surfers the chance to link several maneuvers on each wave. Places like Halfways in front of Jalan Padma are the training grounds for some of Bali's hottest surfers.

Bingin is all about perfect barrels. This wave at the end of the Impossibles reef loves a four-foot swell and a mid-low tide. When it's on, every wave of every set will have a clean, open, perfect barrel. If you want to get a barrel, this is the place where it's almost guaranteed. However, you will not be the only one in the water seeking this experience. A small takeoff spot, a community of visiting surfers, and red-hot locals that known every twist of the reef can make it difficult to actually catch one of these perfect barrels. Another aspect of Bingin that visiting surfers should be aware of is the end section, Stop Signs. No other piece of reef in Indonesia has collected more skin from surfers than this clump of raised coral. It's important for surfers to understand that Bingin is not a long wave. Drop in, get barreled, pull out. Going for that extra turn will usually leave the unsuspecting surfer high and dry with an afternoon trip to the local clinic for stitches.

Though not a fantastic wave by Indonesian standards, Nyang Nyang is probably the most beautiful surf spot on the island and can provide for a nice alternative from the usual warung experience. The view from the top of the cliff is spectacular and the beach below is inviting. However, there are 600 steps between the top of the cliff and that beach. 600 steep steps down, and up. This is a great place for a workout, but not the place to run down for a quick surf.There are actually a few waves at Nyang Nyang. The place people surf the most is to the right of the beach at the entrance to a channel. This place is best with a high tide and small swell, and when it all comes together, the wave can be a short but fun, punchy, righthander.On larger swells, and lower tides, another righthander forms up to the north of the beach and can be seen clearly from the top of the cliff. This wave is usually much bigger than it looks, and a shifting peak means that only half of the waves are makeable. Even so, it's an impressive place to surf for the scenery alone. There are rarely other surfers in the water here, and there can be strong currents. Nyang Nyang faces due south and the power of the Indian Ocean is undiluted. Give this place some respect.

Kuta Reef is the original left hand reef break of Bali. Before surfers started venturing out to the Bukit, this was the place where surfers met the challenges of the big swells of the dry season. Kuta Reef is way out to sea and picks up quite a bit more swell than other nearby spots like airport lefts or rights or the beachbreaks. On bigger days, Kuta Reef offers up classic long walled, bowling, rippable surf, similar to some of its cousins out in the Bukit. Kuta Reef is a long paddle for anyone and it's best to take a boat out there. Another thing about Kuta reef is that it can be wind affected and is usually best when surfed early mornings or late afternoons. As Kuta is close by, crowds can become an issue at Kuta Reef and some days it can seem like it's just more of a hassle than it's worth.

It's easy to see how Dreamland got its name. So many surfers from all over the world dream of coming to Bali only to arrive here and realize that the waves they were envisioning themselves surfing such as Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin, etc. are super heavy and the reef is sharp as heck. For these surfers, the relatively mellow beachbreaks and rolling reef down the road from Bingin is definitely a Dreamland. These days, Dreamland has become a small town on the beach. There're plenty of cafes, beach umbrellas, surfboard rentals, local surfers, and tourists from all over the world.During a small to mid-sized swells, Dreamland will break as a disorganized, rolling, outer beachbreak from mid to low tide. This is perfect for beginner to intermediate surfers, and it is common to see a crowd of longboarders and bodyboarders out there. On lower tides, there is a reform section on the inside of this beachbreak that can be fun for shortboarding, bodyboarding or bodysurfing. To the right of this beachbreak there are a series of rocks and clumps of reef that break in a semi-organized peak of lefts and rights. On smaller days these waves are nothing special, however, Dreamland is a swell magnet, and if there is a big swell running, and a low tide, the outer reefs at Dreamland can transform into some good, barreling A-frames.To get to Dreamland: Coming from Kuta, go to the Bypass road and head towards Nusa Dua. A few kilometers down the road you will arrive at a turn off with a sign for Uluwatu. Follow this road through the twists, and up the hill to the top of the Bukit Peninsula. Continue on this road through the four-way intersection until you reach a huge development project. Pecatu Indah. You will see two amazing statues on your right. Follow this road to the bottom and look for the signs for Dreamland.