Surfing Waves

Hi everyone, my sister and I are heading to Bali on March 24 for 11 days and want to try surfing! We are planning to take surf lessons for 2-3 hours one day and then if we like it will go back another day if timing permits to practice what we learnt . We plan on staying in Ubud for majority of our trip to explore the area, visit some temples, cooking lesson from a local, spa treatments, and taking in some other cultural sites, day trip to watch surfers at Ulawatu and enjoy a day or 2 at the beach, then doing 1-2 days snorkelling, hiking, biking, and relaxing in Amed, Gili Islands, Lombok, or Nusa Penida.

From what I understand, late March/early April is the tail end of the rainy season/start of the surf season. We are considering learning to surf at Kuta Beach in Bali, Echo Beach in Canggu, Seminyak, Senggiggi Beach in Lombok, Selong Belanak Beach in Lombok, or Mawun Beach in Lombok. What beaches do you think are the best for beginners to learn to surf? *We are trying to avoid Kuta in Bali as it sounds like it is packed like sardines with beginners but would go if it is deemed the best place to learn. However if the surfing experience in terms of water height, waves, dangers around the water, etc are similar to other beaches, then please let us know which ones you would recommend!

The beaches in Lombok are the go for less crowded , You may not realise the Bali Kuta stretch is really long from Airport reefs, all the way past Seminyak and Tuban and I bless you join up with a school it is risky, swell condition can change abruptly.

The Gilli islands can get very pretty playful small surf when the big swells pass up the Lombok strait , but a lucky rarity!

Senggiggi can do it for you as can a smaller day at Kuta Lombok!

Stay safe and enjoyable!

If this is ur very first surfing then u will be mostly doing the white water straight to the beach ride. Kuta beach is good for that, it's a long stretch of beach and u don't need to be in the crowded places for white water rides. All u need is a safe sandy bottom and no reefs. Plenty of big boards for rent all over the place.
When ur ready for more serious surfing action talk to the lokals, they'll be more then happy to recommend u a surfing guide/instructor.

Kuta....kuta beach proper that is, the stretch that runs from the Hard Rock to the Pullman....any of the surf schools there will do, and they will give you a discount on a foamie rental the days after the lesson. Like Jaffa said, though the inside is whitewater and learning friendly, out back can be rough with a lot of currents....I surf the stretch a lot (just back as a matter of fact) and certain areas, esp. Seminyak and Padma have several strong rips that are more or less in the same spots as well as some that come out of nowhere...the entire stretch has solid waves breaking on the outside and heavier days means walls of whitewater though end of March likely will not see that....some of the rips will be quiet at the start of a sesh and roaring when you get out....longshore currents as well as big waves on a given day mean that I'd not go alone....lots of beach boy guides who will keep an eye on you for a small charge and keep you out of danger. Sandy bottoms are a good thing.....do not surf Legian, Padma, Seminyak or further north without a guide. Take note as well; if you have never surfed your first two hour lesson will take a toll and you will be really tired and sore no matter how good of shape you think you are in....it is beginner friendly but the waves at Kuta beach are good and on bigger days the whitewater can be pretty heavy as well.

Last note; it will still be the rainy season....the closer to the Hard Rock (start of the beach drive) you surf the filthier it will be.....there is more trash and plastic in the water around the McdS to Beachwalk stretch and the water will make your eyes burn....go down around Pullman or Stones Hotel and there is a good section populated by a few surf schools....water is much cleaner down there and your eyes won't burn.