Bali Surf Lesson Reports

Our beginner surfers were off to Black Stone again this morning where they enjoyed easier conditions and the sunny weather. The swell has dropped in size to 5 ft. at 13 seconds coming from 202 degrees, and the stiff breeze continued to blow offshore from the west. Our surfers left the camp at 6:30 AM, giving the tide some time to come up after a low of 3:40 AM at -.1 meters, and a high of 1 meter at 9:45 AM. Like yesterday, the steady wind kept the faces of the waves open, which allowed the surfers to enjoy some long rides across the reef!

When the conditions are challenging, nothing beats the encouragement you get from one of our instructors. Their light-hearted nature and charismatic personalities will give you all that extra strength needed to paddle into the waves and back into the line-up for another go.

Our beginner surfers were off to Black Stone this morning where they tested themselves in the challenging but clean conditions. The swell has increased in size overnight to 7 ft. at 14 seconds from 208 degrees, making the more exposed spots for expert surfers only. The wind is still blowing strongly from the west, which is offshore for breaks in the Nusa Dua area. Our surfers persisted and found suitable head-high waves to develop their skills. The offshore wind kept the faces of the waves open for our surfers to glide long, and everyone came home stoked and ready for breakfast!

Bali is well known for its consistent and powerful surf. Unlike most places, Bali receives swell year-round from the Southern Ocean. The size of the swells increases during the dry season, which is from April to October, however the wet season still serves up pumping waves.

Our beginner surfers headed to Blackstone early this morning where they found challenging but fun conditions. The wind has been blowing strongly around the Bukit lately, after the two days of clean conditions we had previously. The swell has picked up in size coming in at a healthy 6.5 ft. at 14 seconds, coming from 207 degrees. The wind blew offshore, which held up the faces of the waves, keeping the lines smooth and organized. Our surfers challenged themselves in the strong offshore conditions, but everyone improved their skill set and had a good time.

Learning how to surf offshore conditions is very challenging as the wind pushes your surfboard up the face of the wave and you require just a little extra paddle strength to stroke into the waves. This skill set is important to learn as you will find paddling into waves in clean conditions easier.

Another fun day of wet season surfing here at the camp! The onshore breeze held off just long enough for a fun session at Baby Padang! The swell is coming in at 4.5 feet at 11 seconds from 210 degrees, which brought plenty of shoulder-high set waves breaking left and right across the reef. There was some texture left in the lineup by the wind from the west, which blew overnight, but the faces of the waves remained clean and our surfers had a great time!

One of the benefits of staying at our camp is that we can catch the unexpected clean days in the Uluwatu area when they come. The weather and swell forecasts are often inaccurate here, and since we are based in Padang Padang, we can jump on the good conditions when they suddenly appear. Happy New Year everyone!

The last day of the year started off wonderfully as the rainclouds cleared, the sun returned, and the west wind eased. Our beginner surfers took advantage of the break in the weather and enjoyed a less-crowded session at Baby Padang. The forecast reads 5 ft. at 12 seconds, however the southerly direction of the swell kept the protected waves at Padang Padang in the shoulder to head-high range. The wind blew lightly on-shore, and there was some texture to the waves, but everyone enjoyed excellent rides and came home with big smiles on their faces.

As we close out 2022, we sincerley thank everyone who has stayed with us or surfed with us this year. It has been an amazing year! The island of Bali, and it’s wonderful people, are in a much better place now than this time last year. Happy New Year’s Eve!

Our beginner surfers were off to Blackstone again this morning and they found excellent surfing conditions! The swell has dropped in size over the previous few days with the forecast reading 5.5 ft. at 12 seconds, coming from 199 degrees. The conditions remained in the overhead range and the larger set waves from yesterday have disappeared. The weather has improved over the previous days as the wind remained light offshore, and there was no rain during the session.

The next few days of surfing are looking fun! the wind is forecast to remain light and offshore for the Nusa Dua area, and the swell will remain in the head-high to slightly overhead range. Additionally, we will see neap tides, which are characterized by higher low, and lower high tidal ranges, as the moon enters into its first quarter phase. This is an excellent setup for pumping offseason surf!

Our beginner surfers headed back to Black Stone again on the rising tide. The sun has come out from where it has been hiding for the last several days, and the swell is holding steady at 5.5 ft. at 13 seconds. The wind continued to blow offshore from the west, and the waves were head-high to overhead on the sets. Having surfed at the same break over the last few days on a good-sized swell, our surfers are now challenging themselves on larger waves. The surfers are also learning how to efficiently handle the larger set waves that break in front of them.

Learning how to handle incoming walls of white water without expending your energy and breath is an important skill for the developing surfer to master. This skill set is mostly a mental exercise, as you must learn to keep your body and mind calm.

Our Beginner group surfed Black Stone again after the amazing day they had yesterday. The swell has picked up in size to 4.5 ft. at 16 seconds, producing overhead set waves at Black Stone, and well-overhead sets at the more exposed breaks in the Nusa Dua area. The wind blew nicely offshore before the rain showers came. The low tide of -0.3 meters was at 7:25 AM, pushing our session back to late morning.

It is helpful for beginners to experience a long-period swell as it changes the characteristics of a break. With a long-period swell, the energy contained within the waves begins to drag along the contours of the bottom of the ocean at a much deeper level. The waves also travel at a higher speed. This results in waves that develop longer, powerful lines that have more energy contained within them.