Activity: Surf Guiding

Our intermediate surfers set off to the Nusa Dua area bright and early this morning and found the waves smaller than they hoped, so they changed plans and surfed at Pandawa. The forecast predicted the swell would be 3.5 ft. at 11 seconds, which is usually enough for fun waves at Geger Left. At pandawa, the group found fun, overhead set waves, with a light wind blowing cross-shore. The faces of the waves were clean despite the surface texture, and eveyone got fun rides while testing their paddling strength!

Pandawa is a more exposed break on the southen tip of the Bukit Peninsula. The break is also facing more to the east than other south coast breaks, so the wind will be closer to offshore. The reef break serves up chunky left and rights on a moderate swell, and is more user friendly when small.

A storm blew in overnight leaving the west coast of the island with messy conditions. This is not an issue for our camp as we can quickly access the southern and eastern coastlines of the Bukit Peninsula. The swell is holding steady at 5ft. at 13 seconds coming from 218 degrees. Our intermediate group headed to Geger Left where they found pumping offshore, overhead waves breaking over the reef. Our group scored clean, fast walls with a few barrel sections for the skilled surfer to take advantage of.

The stretch of coastline from Nikko to Sri Lanka is an excellent alternative to have available when the wind turns onshore on our side of the Bukit. Contained within this small area, you have the more advanced waves of Geger, Geger Left, and Sri Lanka, an intermediate friendly wave at Nikko, and the beginner friendly wave at Blackstone.

Our intermediate group was off to Balangan this morning bright and early to beat the wind and the crowd. They were rewarded for their efforts as the conditions were clean and the wind was light and variable, mostly coming from the west. The new swell is starting to show as the waves broke over the reef in long, shoulder-high lines. Our beginners were excited to try a new spot where they tested their paddle strength, having to push through the waves rather than paddle to the channel like at Padang Padang.

A much anticipated, new swell is expected to be landing on our shores today. The forecast shows the swell peaking at 6ft and 15 seconds on Monday evening. The wind is forecast to be light and variable for the duration of the swell, which means most breaks around the island will be excellent on the optimal tide.

Our intermediate group left for Dreamland early this morning to catch the morning low tide. The swell has continued to drop however the set waves were still shoulder to head-high on the bigger sets. The early morning conditions were beautiful and the waves were clean. Our surfers had a great time challenging themselves on the faster waves!

Dreamland is an excellent low-tide wave when there is at least a moderate swell. There are fewer spots suitable for intermediates on a morning low tide however, catching fun waves while the crowd is still sleeping off their Bintangs is what we do here at the camp. The view from the lineup is very pretty as you look out towards the famous left-handers of the Bukit while waiting for waves. Additionally, the UV exposure is much lower before the sun comes out in full force.

Our intermediate surfers headed to Balangan this morning where they found shoulder-high to head-high lefts breaking down the Reef. The swell has dropped in size coming in at 4.5 ft. at 12 seconds, and has shifted to a more southerly direction. The breeze was blowing lightly cross-shore, but the faces of the waves remained clean and the sea state smooth. The set waves offered long, clean rides where the surfers could practice developing their turns and maintaining speed down the line.

The wave at Balangan seems to have something for everyone on the right day. On a small day, the wave rolls in at a perfect pace for beginners. On a medium sized day, the steeper, longer walls give surfers the ability to run down the line and do turns on open sections. And on a good swell, the wave throws powerful barrels down the reef.

Our intermediate surfers preferred to challenge themselves at Uluwatu this morning on a lower tide. The conditions at Uluwatu have been excellent this week, and the group has made significant improvements having surfed the break several times over the last few days. The swell has increased in size and period, and the waves were head-high to overhead on the larger sets. The wind blew lightly offshore early in the session before switching to cross-shore as the session progressed. The wave faces remained clean, and the surfers had an excellent session!

Uluwatu is one of the world’s bests waves for many reasons. While being famous for its power and mystique, it is also a very user-friendly wave when head-high. The wave is very defined and organized which, with the help of our expert guides, provides ample opportunities for excellent rides for a developing surfer.

Beautiful conditions once again for our intermediate group at Uluwatu this morning! The offshore wind and sunny weather have returned for a great day of wet-season surfing! The swell has tailed off in size slightly, with the forecast reading 4.5 ft. at 12 seconds. Our surfers found fun, head-high plus waves groomed by a light offshore breeze. The drop in swell size suites an intermediate surfer well, as the speed of the waves slowed down slightly, giving our surfers more time to drive off their bottom turns and run down the clean lines breaking along the reef.

The long-range forecast for this month looks excellent! The wind is predicted to remain light and variable, and there is plenty of swell incoming. The predicted light wind means that all three coastlines of the Bukit Peninsula could be good on any day. Come join us!

Our advanced surfers headed back to Uluwatu this morning where they were greeted by sunny skies and head-high waves, with the occasional larger set! The offshore wind has stuck around for another day, as per the forecast. The clean, moderate sized walls gave our surfers opportunities to work on linking their turns together while focusing on maintaining speed. Our surfers scored another day of fun left-handers at one of the world’s best waves!

December is an excellent month for surfing Uluwatu. The less-predictable conditions provide opportunities for those with local knowledge to be in the right place at the right time. Furthermore, many surfers spread out to other parts of the island given the variable conditions, leaving the line-up less crowded. Since we are so close to many breaks in the Uluwatu area, we are always out there when the waves are good!