Bali Surf Report and Surf Forecast

A tropical squall beat us to the lineup this morning which brought onshore wind and cloudy skies. Our beginner surfers still managed to catch fun rides sliding down the face of the left and right-breaking waves. A beginner can still develop their skills in onshore conditions as they are mostly still developing the ability to ride left and right. Additionally, there is often less people in the lineup, which means more waves for everyone!

This time of the year is marked by unpredictable weather. Offshore squalls can blow in quickly, bringing wind and rain with them, and often blowing out the surfing conditions. Tomorrow, the wind is forecast to remain onshore after peaking in strength this afternoon. We will most likely head to Nusa Dua or the East Coast, depending on how the conditions develop this afternoon and overnight.

Our beginner surfers were back out at Baby Padang this morning! The new swell had not yet arrived however the sun was out and the waves were fun! The ocean served up slow-moving lines, which our beginner group used to develop their fundamental understanding of the art of surfing. The slow pace of the waves at Padang Padang are optimal for a beginner surfer to progress from being pushed into waves by our team, to having the ability to catch a wave using their own positioning knowledge, paddle strength, and control of their surfboard.

A new, larger swell is scheduled to arrive later this afternoon, and just in time for the annual Uluwatu Boardriders Challenge 2022 surfing competition, held at Uluwatu. Both Scotty, an instructor and Uluwatu local ripper, and Andrew, the founder of the camp, will compete against some of Bali’s best surfers.

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 Beginner surfers were off to Baby Padang this morning. The waves were very small today but that was just fine for our developing surfers. The small, slow waves presented our surfers with the opportunity to increase their understanding of how their movement and positioning affects the surfboard travelling across the face of a wave. The weather and ocean conditions remained ideal for the duration of the session.

The forecast shows the wind making its westward shift on Friday, which is onshore for the Uluwatu area. It looks as if the favorable wind will hold long enough to allow the G20 event to come to its conclusion, after which, the Nusa Dua area can be easily accessed again for our surfing pleasure. In addition to the wind shifting, the swell is expected to continue to tail off in size over the next few days.

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 packed-up the car and headed to Padang Padang, where they found dreamy conditions with smooth-peeling left and right-breaking waves. There was almost no wind this morning and the surface of the water remained smooth. The 6:01 AM low tide meant our session was at a later time than normal. The size of the waves this morning was optimal for beginner and intermediate surfers as there were many smaller waves for the beginners, and larger ones for the intermediates or braver surfers. The bravest and the most advanced surfers took off on the larger set waves and tested their ability to maintain speed and drive down the line.

Bali is gearing up for the 2022 G20 event on November 15-16. Many Presidents and dignitaries have already arrived. Local authorities are taking the opportunity to show off the beauty of Bali and they have been preparing the island for the event for several months. One issue this has caused is road closures and additional traffic. One of the many benefits of surfing with Padang Padang Surf Camp is that we are strategically located to access all three surfable coastlines in Bali. The wave at Padang Padang is one of the best beginner waves in Bali, and it is only a couple of minutes away by car. This means there is no traffic to worry about so we will always get you back in time for lunch!