Ability Level: Intermediate

After enjoying a few days of sunshine and clean waves on our side of the island, the seasonal wind and rain have returned. Our surfers all headed to the various breaks that make up the Nusa Dua area, where the conditions are offshore when the Uluwatu area is onshore.

Our surfers enjoyed the shoulder-high waves at Black Stone which broke both left and right at the peak in the middle of the beach. The swell came in at 3 ft. at 13 seconds from 221 degrees, and the wind blew offshore at a moderate strength. Our surfers tested their paddle strength after surfing waves with little wind which allowed easy entry into the waves. While the offshore wind holds up and organizes the waves, it does make catching the wave more difficult as you must break through the added resistance from the wind.

Another beautiful morning here in paradise! With fun conditions on our side of the island, our intermediate group headed to Uluwatu while our beginners were back to Padang Padang. At Uluwatu, our surfers enjoyed small-day surf at Bali’s most consistent wave. The waves were shoulder-high with the occasional larger overhead set, and the wind was light onshore. The wind swell has continued to drop in size, coming in at 3.5 ft. at 10 seconds from 236 degrees. Our intermediate surfers enjoyed long rides where they focused on reading the wave, which is used to determine where to pump for speed and where to do your turn.

There is always a head-high wave at Uluwatu, and it can be surfed at least a few days every month of the year. January offers the least amount of surfable days per month, so it will only get better from here!

With hopes of a brief respite from the persistent west wind, our surfers set off to the scenic beaches in Nusa Dua. At Black Stone, the swell came in at 2.5 ft. at 13 seconds from 212 degrees. The waves were head-high on the sets at the peak towards the middle of the beach, and most of the surfers were spread out between the various peaks and beaches that make up the Nusa Dua area. The wind blew moderately offshore which kept the wave faces clean, and the sea state was left textured by an overnight breeze.

There are several beaches within the Nusa dua tourist zone that are great for beginner to intermediate surfing. These breaks, primarily Black Stone, Mengiat, and Mushroom Rock, provide a mix of waves with varying difficulty, and it is simple enough to find the right peak for just about anyone.

Everyone had so many good waves at Nusa Dua yesterday that we sent our surfers back for some more excellent wet-season surfing! The swell has continued to drop in size for another day, with the forecast reading 2.5 ft. at 14 seconds. This is enough swell for shoulder-to-head high sets at Black Stone. The wind blew offshore stronger than yesterday, while the rain has cleared and the sun has returned. Our surfers used their practice from yesterday to continue to improve their control of the surfboard in the fast, tight pockets of the waves.

The wind forecast pedicts the stiff breeze to finally subside on thursday. If the wind does back off, we should get some more days in our neck of the woods! With an increase in swell size and a lighter wind, it should make for great surfing!

Our intermediate surfers were off to Geger this morning as the Uluwatu area is still struggling through rain and a west wind. The swell has continued to drop this morning, coming in at 3 ft. at 12 seconds from 205 degrees. The waves were head-high to slightly overhead on the larger sets, and the wind blew nicely offshore. The sea state was left slightly textured by the weather, however the offshore breeze kept the waves open and clean. Geger offered fast breaking left and right waves great for working on generating speed and learning how to control the board on a tighter and steeper wave face.

We had a full moon this morning which creates larger swings in the tide. The tides are moving quickly today which may shorten the sessions as the tide moves outside of the optimal range for certain surf spots.

With the wind and rain returning in full force this Sunday morning, our surfers were off to the beautiful beaches in Nusa Dua. Our surfers paddled out at Blackstone on a mid-tide, where they enjoyed classic wet season fun waves. The swell has dropped in size from yesterday, coming in at 4 ft. at 13 seconds, coming from 202 degrees. The waves came in at head-high on sets with the occasional larger set, which was a welcomed respite from yesterday’s pumping surf. The wind blew off-shore from the west, which held up the left and right-breaking waves nicely as they ran down the reef.

We really are fortunate to have access to fun surfing conditions, regardless of the weather in one part of the island. This is a magical place, and somehow, this island was perfectly crafted for our surfing enjoyment. Book your trip now!

Both the swell and the crowd have slept in this morning, leaving us with small but fun waves in slight-onshore conditions. The swell forecast is reading 3.5 ft. at 11 seconds, coming from 204 degrees, and the wind blew lightly from the west. Our intermediate group beat the crowd to Balangan early this morning before the 9:01 AM low tide at 1.04 meters. The surfers enjoyed the shoulder-high lefts breaking nicely across the reef with clean wave-faces. They worked on poping-up in the correct position so they could glide across the wave’s face without losing speed or control.

At Padang Padang Surf Camp, we are very much focused on surfing. Sunday evening is a party night here in Uluwatu. Our camp was off to bed early as we were in the water while the party-goers were still sleeping off those Bintangs.

Our intermediate surfers enjoyed a fun session this morning at Black Stone after waiting for the tide to come in before paddling out. The morning had a low tide of .27 meters at 7:34 AM, which may be good for fishing but not for surfing for most spots in the Nusa Dua area. The swell has backed off in size to 4 ft. at 14 seconds from 206 degrees. The wind blew lightly offshore, and heavy wet-season showers drenched the entire Bukit Peninsula. The waves came in at head-high on the larger sets, which broke nicely down the reef.

After a nice run of clean surf in the Uluwatu area, we are back to the Nusa Dua area. The long-range forecast shows the swell smaller than it has been through January. This month has been very consistent, even by Bali’s very high standards.