Several reasons to try surfing on the fascinating island of Bali

The only reason that brought me to Bali is surfing. I first learned about surfing in third grade.

Then, after seeing on TV how dashingly guys conquer the seas, one after another I decided, when I grow up, I will definitely fly to San Diego and try to get on the board.

The dream stuck in my head for a long time.

A lot of time passed and it so happened that having moved to live in the Moscow region, I was lucky to meet my family, that their friends have been living in Bali for five years now, surfing and teaching other people.

I didn’t miss this opportunity and get to know the guys. In turn, he was amazed every day in the ocean, not a bit regretting that he chose Indonesia.

Why this particular country – Bali? To be honest, before I met the guys, I had no idea that there’re waves and surfing in general.

I associated the place on Bali with an expensive vacation like the Maldives. In fact, Indonesia includes more than ten thousand islands, one of which is famous because of its numerous spots on Bali.

Bali is literally imbued with a surfing atmosphere. It combines a great variety of skiing spots on Bali. There’re waves to both beginners and advanced surfers.

Wherever you go on Bali, be it a supermarket, warung or any other place on Bali, each of them will definitely have something of the surf paraphernalia.

Numerous outlets and workshops where they can make a custom board, surf schools and much, much more.

Most tourists make their first steps in surfing on the beaches of Kuta and Semenyak. My training was no exception.

The sandy coast on these beaches on Bali, unlike other reef spots on Bali, is less traumatic. Despite the fact that these two beaches on Bali flow from one to the other and are very close, there’s still a difference between them.

I prefer Semenyak on Bali because there are half the number of students in the ocean and more free space, while in Kuta everything is exactly the opposite.

Due to the fact that most schools on Bali bring people to study there, it becomes cramped in the water, in addition, there’re those who consider surfing lessons a waste of money and study themselves. From such comrades, due to their inability to handle the board on the water, you can get serious head injuries.

Another beach that I discovered just the other day is Canggu. It is also located on the Southwest Coast.

This place pleased me with the fact that it is not crowded and calm.

With my passion for surfing, I have watched, perhaps, all videos and films with famous surfers and not only.

From this side of the screen, it seems that there’s nothing complicated: you row, stand on the board and roll along the wave for your pleasure.

At first, I thought to study myself. But after the first trip to the ocean, common sense told me that at least a couple of lessons should be taken.

It will be safer both to me and to those who are next to me in the ocean.

If you plan to stay in Bali for about two weeks, I advise you to contact one of the surf schools on Bali. Quite a lot of them are scattered on the island.

Advantages of choosing a school

• First of all, these are trained instructors who have all the necessary certificates confirming their professionalism. As far as I know, in these schools there is compulsory training in assisting on the water.
• Secondly, you will not need to think about such things as renting a board and clothes for surfing. At school, you will find a board of the right size and a suit.
• Thirdly accommodation. Many surf schools offer surf packages with accommodation. Excursions and surf trips.

I recently managed to spend an evening at one of these schools.

Perhaps Bali combines everything you need for a perfect vacation. Pleasant atmosphere, fun evenings in the company of unusual and friendly people. Delicious food, various excursions and surf trips.

I will not lie about the prices, each school has its own price.

My situation was different. Since I came for a long time, I decided to take several lessons and continue to practice independently.

I was just lucky to meet one Russian surfer who agreed to give me a couple of lessons. One lesson – 45 bucks.

After the first lesson, I had a stupor. It turns out surfing is hard Hard work, and everything is not as elegant and beautiful as in the video. The next day all muscles ached.

Therefore, my first advice: before vacation on Bali, do not be lazy to do at least some physical exercise. Ideally, classes in the pool, or you can go surf meditation right in Bali.

More and more often I hear positive feedback from the guys about the benefits of these classes. Perhaps I myself will soon start visiting them.

Surf inventory

Then, of course, all the hassle of clothes and a surfboard fell on my shoulders.

Where can you buy surfing clothes? Outlets with clothes from a wide variety of surf brands.

For example, such as Quicksilver, Roxy, Billabong, Oakley, Hurley or Rip Curl.

Well, when you have clothes you can think about where to rent a board. In Kuta, you can also find a huge number of rental surfers outlets. The starting price is 100 thousand rupees for 2 hours, but you can bargain up to 30 thousand rupees.

What should you do if you damage the board

In such situations, I recommend not to pay the declared amount to the landlord to damage to the board, but to fix it yourself and return it to the owner.

The last time I went surfing, I was whirled in a seas and struck a robust fin on the forehead. Everything would be fine, but the board also suffered.

The guys take on work of any complexity, they do everything efficiently and on time. It cost me 200 thousand rupees to repair the board.

The price may seem high to someone, but in fact, if you just gave it to the owner in a deplorable state, you would pay twice, or even three times more.

To  those who are going to visit Bali I advise you to take at least a couple of surf lessons. Because the emotions that you get from riding the board are unforgettable, because it’s so cool to spend a sunset in the ocean with good friends.

In many tropical and equatorial countries, the weather is distinguished not by the seasons, but by two seasons: dry and wet.

In Indonesia, the same – the temperature of air and water in the oceans almost the whole year warms up evenly, above + 24 + 26 ° С.

But in the period from November to April, tropical showers come to the islands, especially strong in our winter – in December and January.

They do not pour all day long, but several hours a day, so even in the rainy season surfers find time for their training. True, the tides are weaker at this time.

Much stronger and longer tides are formed in the dry season, which lasts from April-May to October.

In general, the surfing season in Indonesia is between March and November, so surfers prefer to visit the best spots in the fall, summer and spring.

Several thousand islands in Indonesia are popular with surfers from all over the world.

At the same time, some islands offer foreign guests a full range of tourist services: from surf schools and shops with sports equipment to hospitals and water parks.

These include Java and Bali. But most of the Indonesian islands are still deserted or sparsely inhabited, surfers and surfers who do not need comfort and additional entertainment come here.

Bali is the main destination for surfers choosing Indonesia as a destination for recreation and sports. Not the largest island in Indonesia has the most developed tourism industry.

The choice of resorts, beaches and spots is huge here. There are no problems with surf camps, instructors and surf guides, since they are available at every resort, washed by at least low tides.

There are a lot of surf schools for beginner athletes who are just getting on the boards, and there are world-class instructors preparing professionals for tournaments and competitions.

Popular spots are located on the southwestern and southern sides, washed by the open Indian Ocean, are Uluwatu, Kuta and others.

In addition to surfing, there is always something to do in Bali, for example, shopping, trips to natural or religious sites, such as the Bird Park in Ubud or to numerous temples.

Lombok is an island east of Bali. They do not differ much in size, but Lombok is much quieter and less visited.

There is no such developed tourist infrastructure here, and therefore prices are more affordable.

Java is the most populous island in Indonesia and in the whole world. It was here that the remains of the oldest human ancestor were found, and half of the world’s coffee harvest grows here.

There is no mass surfing, tourists come to the island either by passing through the capital’s airport in Jakarta, or to get acquainted with the nature, history and architecture of Java.

Standing spot in Java – G-land, its huge tides obey only high-class surfers.

Sumatra and islets on its western side. In comparison with Bali, the island of Sumatra in terms of the development of the tourism sector, including the surf industry, is at an early stage of development.

In Sumatra itself, it is difficult to find instructors or sports equipment rental offices. But the waves near the island are so good that fans hire a schooner and cruise along the west coast of Sumatra in search of a better wave.

Such a surf safari is not safe, because you have to spend the night on a ship or on small uninhabited islands far from civilization. Only physically prepared athletes should embark on an extreme journey.

There is also a unique offer in Sumatra – surfing on the Kampar River, in the town of Bono.

With a successful combination of circumstances (water difference between high and low tide, current speed), a wave up to 3 m high is generated at the river mouth, rising up the river.

The usual daily tidal seas in the river reach 1.5 m, sometimes surfers spend an hour standing on the board, climbing them 30-50 km inland!

Mentawai is a group of islands in western Sumatra where waves are comparable to the best waves in the world.

Accommodation, entertainment and use of the infrastructure on the islands is expensive; true connoisseurs of surfing come here, not counting the costs of their hobby.

The nature on the islands has retained its original appearance, technological progress and construction boom did not get here, and small guesthouses and comfortable bungalows are offered to accommodate tourists.

On the famous island of Nias, the wave was always good, and after the 2004 tsunami, it became more concave and faster, since the reef forming it grew by 1 m.

Nusa Tengara is a group of uninhabited islands, where only lovers of exotic and solitude are chosen, because the waves here are the most ordinary, average level, subject even to beginners.

But one spot – surrounded by the cliffs of Lakey Beach on Sumbawa Island – is recommended exclusively for experienced professionals familiar with the features of the coastal relief, since the bottom near the coast is sandy and even, and a little deeper – rocky.

Ocean waves are unpredictable and can be violently thrown against rocks.

People usually come here as part of a surf tour from Bali or other islands by water transport.

Since there is not a large selection of hotels on Nusa Tengara, you will have to spend the night right on a boat or schooner, so you should choose a vehicle with the prospect of spending several days on it.

There is no other country on our planet that not only occupies the whole continent, but is washed by the oceans. And where ocean waves combine with favorable weather, it is impossible not to surf.

Australia is a clear confirmation of this: in the country, surf-riding is not a hobby, and not even just a sport, but a part of life.

Everyone who, due to age and health, can stand on the surf, periodically go to the ocean shore to plunge into the environment familiar from childhood.

Yes, yes, it is from childhood, because surf-riding is taught in Australian schools as a compulsory subject, like our physical education (just like in Hawaii).

The history of surfing goes back more than three millennia, and it appeared in Australia a hundred years ago.

In just one century, it has become a way of life for the inhabitants of the whole continent: surf camps, surf-riding schools, and equipment rental points have appeared in different parts of Australia.

You can surf in Australia all year round. Moreover, during our winter, the air and water there are even warmer than in summer.

If the sun is hidden and the weather is cool, and the waves are conducive to skiing, then wetsuits come to the rescue, which protect the body from hypothermia.

On sunny days, it is recommended to smear the body with a special cream to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays.

So, the surf-riding season in Australia starts in November and ends in March-April.

All big competitions, stages of the Surf Championship are held in February. The temperature at this time reaches 27 ° C.

By spring, the waves become not so strong and high, in August-September it is already difficult to find suitable waves. The water temperature does not drop below 20–25 ° С all year round.

There are places with good waves suitable for surf-riding almost the entire length of Australia’s coastline. There are about one and a half thousand surf spots.

The most popular spots are concentrated near major cities, where there are international airports for athletes and novice surfers from all over the world.

Australia’s most famous surf-riding coastline is the Gold Coast or the Gold Coast, which stretches for 60 km in Queensland, in the east of the country. This is where most athletes who plan to conquer the waves, standing on a surfboard, tend to.

The Gold Coast on the shores of the Coral Sea is the center of boating. The coastline covers several settlements, and one of them is called Surfers Paradise (“Paradise for surfers”).

The Gold Coast is developing through tourism, there are many entertainment centers, marine parks, famous sandy beaches.

Some popular surf spots:

1. Kirra;
2. Palm beach;
3. Burleigh Heads;
4. Snapper Rocks (ranked among the best surf beaches in the world).

The Gold Coast is home to the world’s largest Quicksilver Pro competition. Over the course of two weeks in February, seasoned surfers compete to qualify for the final competition in Hawaii.

North of the Gold Coast is the city of Cairns, where along with surf-riding, diving at the Great Barrier Reef is popular.

The largest city in Australia – Sydney – will also delight you with spots, and right within the city limits.

In the south of the country, Melbourne beaches can be distinguished, for example, Bells Beach. It also hosts the Rip Curl Easter Pro competition, which is accompanied by music concerts.

In the Adelaide area (South Australia), the waves are not so severe, great for beginners. You can recommend them the Vivonne or Stokes spots, while the Hanson and D’Estress bays are waiting for only professionals.

Another place where professionals come to great waves is the south of the west bank, the city of Margaret River, standing on the river of the same name.

There are about 70 spots in the vicinity of the city, of which several are serious: The Box, Main Break, and it is on these spots that Drug Aware Pro races are held.

Pros also like to train on Surfer Point and Ningaloo reefs, Kalbari and Strickland coves. The waves are very high and active here.

Just north of Margaret River is the city of Perth, from which you can get to the famous surf spots Madora Bay, Trigg, Claytons and Scarborough.

There are hundreds of large surfing schools operating in the surf-riding country, some of them are open only to Russian tourists and sportsmen, others teach classes in several languages.

Anywhere in the country you can find a school that will offer a course of study that is suitable in terms of duration, intensity and cost for any person.

The cost of a two-week training for beginners with accommodation is within 100 thousand rubles. The cost of training depends on the experience of the instructor, the comfort of placement, the number of training hours.