Text: Tim Hain
Photos: Childs


The surf season in Bali is separated into two distinct divisions, wet season and dry season. For those in the northern hemisphere, they’ll call our dry season “summertime” because it falls into the hot and dry part of the year that starts around May and ends in September, while those living in the southern hemisphere will call it “wintertime” as it’s their colder and wetter time of year. But since Bali is in the southern hemisphere and its now April and heading into dry season, we’ll forget about calling it summer or winter and stick with just calling it what it is, the best time of the year to be surfing in Bali.

Not that the wet season is all that bad mind you, for the East Coast of Bali is just loaded with quality surf breaks that don’t only work in wet season but all year around. So just because the wind turns and the rain stops, it doesn’t mean that all the action switches back to the West Coast. It just means that the number of surfers is spread out over more breaks, and that gives you a chance to get more waves with fewer guys out! You just have to get up early before the wind comes up and know which spots work on which swell. Experience is the best teacher, but here are some hints to get you started

Nusa Dua’s Geger Beach is a good starting point for your dawn patrol. Take the boat out to the lineup at mid-high tide, or walk out on the reef at low tide and check out the sea life in the tide pools on the way. Your reward will be an almost empty lineup and plenty of juicy and powerful righthanders. On a big swell you might get Sri Lanka going off, or there are other lesser-known spots on the Nusa Dua Peninsula that can be popping when the conditions are right.
And while during the wet season you can often see over a hundred at Serangan, also known as Turtle Island, in the dry season you will rarely find such a crowd, as the winds come up by mid morning and the early risers will have gotten their waves in before the trades start up. The late afternoon can also be an option if you notice that the wind has died off.
Check out SURF TIME MAGAZINE for full story