Why a Bali Surf Trip?
Looking for a high impact surf trip? Think Bali, Indonesia.
Let us take you an epic Bali surf trip with this article but more importantly, we will show you how you can get there for practically for free.
A Bali surf trip, simply put, is just a surfer’s paradise. Why? You will find thousands of miles of island coastline that receives consistent, powerful swell due the big storms of the Southern Indian Ocean. There are no major landmasses to block or alter the swells, so they arrive to the shores and reefs of Indonesia in well shaped, orderly, long lines. If you’re a surfer history junkie, then you know the seventies is really when Bali started to take off as a premier surf destination and the classic surf film “The Morning of the Earth” put Bali in the eyes of surfers all over the world. People began to surf Kuta Beach and nearby reefs regularly and the adventurous started to explore the untapped Bali coastline. So this means, with a little local knowledge and adventure in your spirit, you can still find uncrowded breaks in Bali.
So hop on a plane to Bali, well at the time of this writing that may have been difficult – volcanos on Java were hot and smoking causing airplanes to remain grounded. Not too shabby to get stuck in paradise. The eruptions have since cooled down so you can slide right in, to one of the worlds best surf destinations, Bali, Indonesia. If you are lucky, you will get stuck here too.
To get to Bali it’s pretty simple and with plenty of options to chose from. There are no direct flights from the mainland USA or Hawaii, so all flights to Bali arrive via a stopover in either Jakarta, Singapore, Malaysia, or Thailand. You can find flight to Bali through any of these destinations from the US at most major international airports. Often surfers will Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Air, or Singapore Airlines, as they offer the most direct flights.
You’re probably thinking, great! Yes, Bali sounds epic, but then a little voice starts to creep up. “How will you afford this trip?” Well if you are like us, then you know there is nothing wrong with learning to travel smarter. If you are looking for some creative tips to learn how to travel smarter, be sure to check out our guide, where we show you how we have flown at a deep discount or practically for free when we surf and travel.
Bali Surf Trip: When to go?
- Summer (Dec-Feb) is also known as the rainy season in Bali. Sometimes this is very accurate and it is rainy for months. In summer, winds typically blow from the west, during this time the east coast breaks have offshore winds. Sometimes there are giant swells this time of year as a result of typhoons off of the northern Australian coastline.
- Fall (March-May) is a time of change meaning, Marach still can have heavy rains and strong winds from the west and swells are typically smaller, though the occasioanal big swell will happen. A surf trip to Bali is usually limited to the east side breaks. The rainy season tends to end towards the end of March.
- Winter (June-August) means cooler water. You might not know, but the water temperature at this time can require a shorty wetsuit. Because the air temps are directly effected by the surrounding ocean temps, night can be cool as well. In Bali, winter is the time for big swells and strong off shore winds for the west coast breaks. Padang Padang and similar places are a good choice during this time.
- Spring (Sept-Nov) is still a great time to surf the west coast breaks on your Bali surf trip. You will find occasional big swells and frequent middle sized swells. Its at this time that the winds begin to switch and its common for winds to blow more from the south or be lighter so that surfers can actually surf both sides of the island with just light sideshore winds.
A Live Swell Bali Surf Trip
Here are some surf trip photos that don’t really even do the place justice. We had a blast surfing, exploring, meeting great people and eating delicious food. For more on our other Bali activities, check out Best Surf Destinations – Bali Surfing Trip Just like Hawaii 100 Yrs Ago. And don’t listen to that little voice telling you you can’t go on your next epic surf trip. If you want to go to Bali, go to Bali and feel free to use our tips on how to get there more affordably. We flew to Bali for free minus those little fees and taxes using the tips we have provided for you in our guide. So now enjoy our Bali surf trip through the photos below but picture its you on that wave:
Live Swell and Ellington Surf Boards making it to Bali.
Padang Padang is a well known spot in the area that has a variety of waves, stunning green water and can get pretty epic. Coming off the top on this one.
This is simply an great photo, guess planes were still coming in a couple days back.
Padang Padang can get pretty hollow at some points and you can get some real good views of the green room.
Kuta Beach is a perfect jumping point for all the surf spots and other high impact activity on Bali. Its not for everyone but has a deeply seeded surf culture and is one of the worlds best surf towns.
Berawa is about 40 minutes north of Kuta and full of sweet reef break. When you arrive late like here the wind can get on the surf….But it is still real fun.
Lots of turns off the top at this place.
Anyone want to get sprayed?
A Bali surf trip can be a real blast.
Ellington Surfboards looking good
Nice green water here!