Activity: Surf Guiding

Our surfers took advantage of the unexpectedly clean conditions this morning and enjoyed fun, intermediate-level surf conditions. Last night’s stiff onshore breeze must have convinced most surfers to head to Nusa Dua, as there were only a handful of surfers in the lineup. The swell has continued to drop in size; however, the forecast is reading 6 feet at 12 seconds from 206 degrees. The wind blew lightly onshore from the southwest but the lines remained clean. Our surfers enjoyed the head-high left-breaking waves which offered several turn sections and faster walls.

Our camp is located near the iconic bridge in Padang Padang, which we use to assess the day’s conditions. We are always out there on the unexpected good days. Additionally, many in our team have been surfing these waters for decades which gives us an advantage over other camps.

Our intermediate surfers were off to Black Stone this morning as the west wind has picked up in strength, as per the forecast. The weather was warm and sunny, with no rain during the session. The swell came in at 5 ft. at 11 seconds from 201 degrees, and the wind blew moderately offshore. Our surfers enjoyed head-high to overhead waves breaking across the reef. The advancing surfers worked on developing drive from their bottom turns, which they used to propel themselves up the face of the wave and down the line.

Once a surfer has developed the skill set to consistently catch waves and ride along the wave face, the next step is developing a solid bottom turn. A good bottom turn is an essential maneuver that a surfer must master and it is the foundation upon which good surfing is cultivated.

Our intermediate surfers were off to Black Stone this morning where they found a peak to themselves amidst the hustle and bustle of the Nusa Dua area. Our swell has jumped up in size to 6 ft. while the period has dropped to 11 seconds, and the direction continues to come from the 200 to 205 range. The wind was blowing side-shore from the south, but the conditions remained clean through intermittent rain showers. The side-shore wind blew into the left-breaking waves, keeping the lines open for longer. The waves were coming in at head-high to slightly overhead on the biggest of sets, and the lines were running nicely down the reef.

The Nusa Dua area is a groomed and manicured resort area full of high-end hotels and beautiful beaches. There are several breaks within the tourist zone that are excellent for beginner and intermediate surfers.

More excellent wet season surfing here in Bali. Geger Left has been very good for nearly two weeks straight. We have been enjoying daily Head-high to overhead waves with an offshore wind of varying degrees of strength. For today, the swell is coming in at 5.5 ft. at 11 seconds, which brought in more head-high to overhead waves. The outside peaks offered up larger set waves with barrel sections for the skilled surfer.

The consistency of excellent surf in Bali is one of the many reasons why Bali is the world’s best surfing holiday destination. While many areas offer excellent surfing and entertainment for a few months of the year, very few places can boast year-round surfing like Bali can, and almost no other places have the combination of year-round surfing, excellent food and entertainment options, with such a vibrant, welcoming local culture.

Our intermediate group headed over to Black Stone in Nusa Dua this morning as our light west wind has picked up in strength to around 10 mph, and shifted more to the northwest. The breaks in the Uluwatu area do not have any protection from a northwest wind like they do on a more southerly wind as the tall cliffs block some of the south-southwest wind. Since we are in Bali, which is the world’s premier surfing location, we can simply jump in the car and head to Nusa Dua, where the wind will blow beautifully offshore into the many breaks in the area.

The swell is hanging around at 5.5 ft. at 13 seconds which brought in head-high waves with the occasional larger set. Our surfers got several, fun, left and right-breaking waves which broke nicely across the reef against a moderate offshore breeze.

Our intermediate surfers paddled out to the photogenic peaks at Geger Left this morning after waiting a short while for the tide to come in. The swell has dropped slightly in size to 5 ft. at 12 seconds, coming from 206 degrees. The wind blew offshore lightly from the west, which nicely groomed the waves into steeper head-high to overhead walls. The surfers enjoyed the fast lines as they learned to control the surfboard while moving at a much higher speed.

The three left-breaking peaks just south of Pantai Geger that make up Geger Left are comparable in their consistancy to Uluwatu during the months of January and February. The reef picks up swell from all directions, and the wind blows offshore nearly every day. As a bonus, if Geger Left is too big, you can surf the right-handers at Sri Lanka just a few kilometers down the road.

Another beautiful, sunny day here in Bali! We woke up to clear skies and a light west wind, so we packed up the car and some of our surfers set off to Nusa Dua, while other surfers at the camp opted to paddle out at Uluwatu and Padang Padang due to the lighter wind and reduced crowd.

The swell forecast shows 6.5 ft. at 13 seconds, coming from 207 degrees, and a morning low tide of .42 meters at 6:09 AM. The wind continued to blow from the west in the Uluwatu area and from the east in the Nusa Dua area. Despite the onshore texture on both sides of the island, the faces of the waves were clean enough for some fun surfing! The set waves came in at about head high and the lines broke cleanly across the reef.  Our surfers made the most of the unfavorable conditions and had a great day.

Our intermediate surfers made the journey to Geger Left this morning where they found excellent wet-season surfing conditions! Our swell has continued to drop in size today with the forecast reading 4.5 ft. at 13 seconds, coming from 205 degrees. The tide bottomed out this morning at -0.3 meters at 6:00 am, so our surfers left camp after breakfast. At Geger Left, our crew surfed the inside peak, where they enjoyed fun, head-high, left-breaking waves. The wind blew lightly offshore and the sun was shining!

Bali receives swell from a relatively small, but very active, swell window. The swells mostly come from 200 to 210 degrees, however, you do see swells with more south or west in them. Swell direction is important because it affects how the waves break across the reef. We use our understanding of swell directions at the camp to get you into the best waves.