Bali Surf Report and Surf Forecast

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!

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 beginner surfers found fun, long-period lines this morning at the camp favorite, Baby Padang. We had to wait until the tide filled in this morning but the conditions remained clean and glassy for most of the session. The offshore wind picked up slightly toward the end of the session, which often improves the shape of the wave. The longer-period swell spread out the crowd, giving everyone more space to ride the waves. Our instructors got our guests into fun lefts and rights where our surfers were able to make progress and increase their understanding of the art of surfing. After a few beginner sessions with us, you will be catching waves on your own!

The surf is forecasted to remain excellent for all levels of surfers over the next few days. The offshore wind has made somewhat of a late-season comeback. The tide is predicted to continue to be low in the morning, therefore most surfers are better off waiting until mid-morning to surf. The wind is expected to remain favorable, which means you will not miss out on optimal morning conditions if you wait for the water to fill in over the reef. If you are looking for expert surf guides to help you navigate these morning low tides, we are ready to help you.