Ability Level: Intermediate

Our intermediate group headed off to Geger Left again this morning as the onshore wind has decided to stick around the Uluwatu area for another day, as predicted in the forecast. At Geger, the wind was blowing offshore, and the swell was showing its full size with overhead waves on the sets. Our surfers managed to race down the line for some fast and challenging rides.

In most places around the world, an onshore day like today would mean no surfing. In Bali, we are blessed with exposed reefs and coastlines facing several different directions. This means that it is almost always offshore somewhere on the island, and the more exposed breaks will usually pick up a surfable wave. Separately, today is Melasti in Bali, which is an important day for the Balinese Hindus. Today’s ceremony will also be the first traditionally held ceremony since the pandemic began.

Our surfers were off to Pandawa this morning where they found fun, shoulder-high waves with an offshore wind. Despite the less than ideal conditions, the session exceeded everyone’s expectations as our surfers nearly had the place to themselves. Pandawa served up fun left and right-breaking peaks, which provided our surfers with plenty of opportunities to gain speed and focus on improving their turns.

When the conditions are less than ideal, local knowledge is key. Our surf guides were on top of things this morning as we found clean, empty, offshore peaks while most people were still sleeping. This less-often surfed break is near the southernmost point of the island of Bali, which means the reef picks up whatever swell is hitting Bali. Because of the exposed nature of the break, Pandawa is often too large and the currrents are too strong.

We sent our surfers out to Uluwatu this morning where they found fun, clean, head-high waves with less of a crowd! The wind was still alseep this morning which kept the surface of the ocean smooth for the duration of the session. The set waves remained in the head-high range despite the fading swell. The low tide is creeping progressively later into each morning, which means the best and least crowded waves are found early.

Uluwatu almost always has a head-high wave. The break is directly exposed to swell that originates in the Southern Ocean between South Africa and West Australia. This is one of the most active swell-producing regions in the world. These swells organize into clean lines over the course of their thousands-of-miles long journey to our doorstep. Here, the swell meets Bali’s perfectly shaped reefs for our surfing enjoyment.

Our intermediate surfers headed back out to Uluwatu this morning where they found fun, left-breaking waves running down the reef! The waves remained in the head-high range with a slight texture to the water. Despite the light wind, our surfers managed to get several waves where they had the opportunity to link up several turns. We are currently working with a morning low tide which means we have to wait for enough water to cover the reef before we can safely paddle out into the waves. Hanging out at the camp in the morning or sleeping in is easy to do here at Padang Padang Surf Camp, so our surfers do not mind the wait!

Uluwatu is one of the most consistent waves in the world as the Indian Ocean produces swell year-round. Additionally, one of the benefits of surfing the Uluwatu area is that you can often find clean conditions all day, as opposed to many spots in western countries where the wind turns onshore before noon. In the Bukit, when the wind does turn around, you can head to Nusa Dua, where the wind will be offshore.

Our intermediate surfers headed to Uluwatu this morning where they found fun waist-to-shoulder high waves! The swell has dropped in size overnight but the light offshore wind kept the surface of the ocean smooth. This morning’s swell has come from more of a southerly direction than over the previous few days, which changes the characteristics of the waves on the Bukit Peninsula. The low tide was at 7:03 this morning, so our surfers had time to hang out at the camp and have some breakfast.

Days like today are good for gaining experience at more challenging waves. Uluwatu is a very accessible wave for developing surfers on smaller days as the current is not as strong, and you can see the larger sets from far away. The cave which you paddle out from has a long history in the world of surfing having been featured in many legendary surfing films. Every surfer should experience the paddle out through the cave if they have the opportunity.

Our surfers found fun left and right peaks and beautiful conditions this morning at Padang Padang Surf Camp’s favorite low tide wave, Dreamland. The wind blew lightly offshore and the conditions remained optimal for the entire session. The swell was just the right size for our surfers to get a few turns in before the wave closed out or ran into deep water.

When you have a low tide in the morning, most of the famous breaks along the Bukit Peninsula are for expert surfers only. Dreamland is an exception to this rule as the wave prefers a low tide. The wave breaks over a flat rock shelf which gives the characteristics of deep water when small in size and shallow water when big (water depth relative to wave size).

Our intermediate surfers headed to Uluwatu this morning where they surfed fun waves on a swell that had dropped in size. There was less wind than the previous few days and the sun has come back. The conditions were optimal for our surfers to gain experience at the world-renowned Uluwatu. Our surfers were greeted with calm and glassy left-breaking lines that provided ample opportunities to link several top and bottom turns together on one wave.

Uluwatu can be an intimidating place. Days like today help a surfer gain the confidence to paddle out when the swell strengthens in size and period. Having professional guidance when surfing a break like Uluwatu is very helpful as there are many potential hazards that a surfer needs to be informed of. There is often a strong current on a larger swell and a higher tide that can make coming in from the surf a challenge if you are not briefed on how to do so in advance. We have several guides that are Uluwatu locals who have the authority in the lineup to make sure you get your share of waves when you surf with us.

We sent our intermediate and advanced surfers to the world-famous Uluwatu this morning. As you can see from the photos, our surfers found some nice, shredable walls with almost no wind! Some of our surfers found waves running all the way to the end of the reef. Days like these, with crystal clear water and waves, are always “better than it looks,” despite the swell tailing off.

When you have a smaller forecast, Uluwatu is always a great option as it is the most exposed break on the western coast of Bukit. The swell hits Uluwatu directly, which gives greater size and power to the wave. The surf camp’s favourite section of the wave is the racetrack. This section starts directly in front of the paddle out of the cave, and can run all the way to the big rock at the end of the reef.