Balian has 3 different surf spots. The peak is an A frame located directly in front of the river and is always the biggest spot. For centuries the rain water from Bali’s mountains has been running out here, etching a deep water channel that funnels the swell direcly here. The right hander is a fast down the line quality wave but can be difficult to paddle back to the line up on bigger days. The left breaks slower and can wall up perfectly or be mushy. It is not unusual to get a left all the way out the back to the beach. Very rippable and fun on it’s day. Easy paddle back out if you make the section as there is deep water on western side of river.
Ketuts is located on the western side of the river and is a fast high performance right hander. When it’s on, there is always a crew of dedicated natural foot expats who know exactly where to sit and which wave to take. Can be a bit fast for goofy footers and breaks very heavy on the inside which is shallow with boulders of variable size and depth.
The Inside left is located on eastern side of river next to the A frame peak. It is smaller than the peak, closer to shore and popular with novice surfers. On very big days when the A frame is cloud breaking the inside left is the go to spot and is also partially protected from the trade winds by the whitewater running through the peak.
