Ability Level: Intermediate

Jan
19
2023

Intermediate surf guiding at Black Stone

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.

Jan
16
2023

Intermediate surf guiding at Black Stone

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.

Jan
14
2023

Intermediate Surf Guiding at Black Stone

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.

Jan
13
2023

Intermediate surf guiding at Geger Left

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.

Jan
10
2023

Intermediate Surf Lessons at Black Stone

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.

Jan
09
2023

Intermediate surf guiding at Geger Left

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.

Jan
07
2023

Intermediate surf guiding at Geger Left

Our intermediate surfers paddled-out at Geger Left this morning where they found pumping surf at one of Bali’s most scenic locations. The swell has continued to drop, coming in at 4.0 ft. at 12 seconds, however there were plenty of overhead set waves coming in at the more exposed end of the reef. Our surfers scored fast lines amongst an offshore breeze that has finally begun to ease in its persistence. The surfers worked on improving the speed at which they pop up, and setting their fins into the wave to generate drive.

Geger Left is an excellent wave for an improving surfer looking to gain experience at exposed reefbreaks. At Geger, there are three main peaks which grow in size the farther they are away from the reef. A developing surfer can start at the smallest peak, then work their way up to the larger peaks.

Jan
06
2023

Intermediate Surf Lessons at Black Stone

Our intermediate surfers headed back to Blackstone this morning as the wind and rain have returned, leaving the most exposed spots with rough conditions.  The swell is reading 4.5 ft. at 12 seconds from 201 degrees on the forecast, which is a fun amount of swell for intermediate surfers to develop their skills. Blackstone served up fun, but windy, left and right-breaking waves which were held up by the stiff side-shore breeze. The waves were about shoulder high in height, and the faces of the waves were clean enough for all to get some fun rides.

On a clear early morning in Nusa Dua, you can see Nusa Lembongan in the distance as the sun rises just ahead of where you paddle out. Bali is a stunningly beautiful island, and it is something special if you are lucky enough to experience its natural glow.

Jan
02
2023

Intermediate surf guiding at Pandawa

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.