Ability Level: Intermediate

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.

It was a beautiful, sunny morning here in Uluwatu with no wind, a clear sky, and a smooth sea state. The swell is just hanging in there at 2.5 ft. at 10 seconds; however, when the conditions are as perfect as they were this morning, it’s a good idea to grab a longer board and enjoy the small day vibes. Despite the small swell, the lines broke nicely across the reef across the several sections that make up the wave at Uluwatu. As always at Uluwatu, there were many larger, head-high set waves coming in to those who were patient enough to wait in the correct position.

A new, long period swell is forecast to fill in tomorrow with light wind predicted. With the clean conditions forecast to continue, tomorrow should be an excellent day of surfing all around the island!

Our beginner group took advantage of the small swell and went to Balangan this morning, which is just a few minutes down the road from our camp. At Balangan, our surfers found waist to shoulder-high rides with clean, left-breaking beginner-friendly waves. The swell has fallen off a cliff to 2.5 ft. at 12 seconds from 216 degrees, which is about as small as it gets in Bali. Unlike most places, there is always something to surf here, and our surfers made the most of the conditions.

Balangan is the next step in a beginner surfer’s journey once they have become comfortable at Padang Padang. At Balangan, there is no easy channel for the surfers to paddle out through. Once the surfers make it to the lineup, they will find a slightly steeper wave face and waves that run for longer.  Grab a board and get our there!

It looks like the Indian Ocean is finally taking a break after several weeks of a consistent head-high to overhead waves. The forecast is showing 4 ft. at 10 seconds from 211 degrees, which brought in shoulder-high waves with the occasional larger set. The wind blew lightly onshore from the west-northwest; however, the faces of the waves remained clean as the lines ran down the reef. The crowd in the lineup was light, which ensured all had a good time amidst the relaxed, small-day vibes.

On a day like today, with a small swell and light wind, the breaks at the southern end of the Bukit Peninsula, Uluwatu, and Sarangan are your best bets. These breaks pick up more swell and nearly always have a head-high wave. The light wind allows you to surf all coastlines, spreading out the surfers.  Grab a board and let’s go!

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.

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.