Indo surfing trip - Bali

[Fredmouse]

Hey there

Me and a pal are heading to Bali for 6 weeks in mid May for a great surfing adventure (we are beginners).

Do anyone of you know any good surfing camps for us (budget)? We would like it to be both focused on our surfing but also social activities. Right now we have looked at La Point's surf camp in Canggu and the Padang Padang Surf Camp.

We also wondered whether to go for a camp at the Canggu area og at the Bukkit Peninsula?

What are your opinions - any tips or thoughts?

[jaffa1949]

Hi Fred , here are some thoughts for you, they rhyme
you can enter the zoo at Cangu
Or you can say f. Kkit at the Bukit
.
The Bukkit peninsular is not a beginners place of safety... Padang Padang is a high performance wave and the non point part is no place for beginners, Dreamland does offer some chance but again , Cangu is a better option but again you will be surrounded by better surfers and a zoo of learners like yourself. The closer you get to Kuta the more intense it will get.
Check your ideas for surf camps thoroughly, the other thing about the Bukkit is the traffic jam going each way if you want get back to Kuta.
Consider going to Kuta Lombok the stretch there offers schools and camps, still crowded ( unless you know your stuff and obscure breaks) any where is somewhat crowded.
Read through all the Bali posts they may help your decision and safety.

[Big H]

http://indosurflife.com/2016/11/jet-ski ... g-uluwatu/

Name and shame....no love for Padang2 Surfcamp....owner is a cowboy and his staff are thugs in the water. This article is about how they were doing step offs in surf that didn't warrant it, mixing in with the lineup....reports from those who were there said that the owner was coming up deeper than the lineup, sending his surfer then snowballing the wave to clear it of any paddle ins for his guy.....only this time he screwed up the snowball and ran over the paddler. Fractured skull to the paddler; owner escaped with the assistance of his staff who got him out of there and away from being torn apart apparently. Lots of controversy surrounding this story; bottom line is whenever this particular school is in the water, you can be sure that there will be a day full of drop ins, instructors blocking off the lineup, leash tugs when you paddle for a wave (last time surfing around them I had to tuck my leash up underneath me). In short, a bunch of jerks.

[Big H]

And to echo what Jaffa said; mid May in the Bukit the swell will be pumping.....even if you stay at the Padang2 surf camp you'll most likely be driven to Jimbaran/Kuta/Seminyak/Brawa/Canggu to surf since for beginners the bukit will be un surfable. And driving like that means traffic, a lot of traffic. Insular Canggu has a variety of breaks including a fair amount that break small on a bigger day, a web of smaller back roads that you can access one to the next and is a nice area for a vacation (picturesque, not crowded like Kuta/Seminyak....still have quiet rice fields to watch sunrises over....)

[Big H]

Bukit sleeps at night; residential, country even....sun goes down and that is pretty much it here.....Canggu and adjoining Seminyak and Kuta are where it's at as far as nightlife.

Dreamland is a beginner spot but not beginner friendly....wave is mushy on smaller days, difficult to catch unless you know the tide levels and min. swell needed....inside peak is dominated by kids and ends in an unreal shore break; there is one surprise boulder in the shallows to watch out for as well. The difference between being too small and being hollow, huge and nasty is about .8m; for the most part beginners go and float around there then get hammered by the cleanup sets....it is a fun spot when it is working, and to it's credit there is usually very little current there though the shore break can be a real hazard.

Inside padang2 is billed as a learner's spot; renter drowned two years ago as the currents are real there and being outside on a bigger day means having to come back through huge slabs.....two friends on separate occasions went there, each for their first ever surf. Both went with guides and were powerless in the current, each having to be rescued and towed back in by their guides. One was turned off of surfing completely after that; describes it as a near death experience.


Go to Canggu, start swimming laps at the muni and doing pull-ups, pushups and skipping rope to get shaped up.

[Fredmouse]

Thank you for all your golden comments guys. Think we'll be going for Canggu!

We were also wondering if we maybe should head to Lombok for a week? Maybe around Kuta Lombok or Gerupuk? Heard there was a a nice surf camp around Gerupuk too. Any comments here? I heard that it is rather cheap to get a fast boat from Bali to Lombok, and that the crowds at the surf spots are rather quiet

[jaffa1949]

There is a surf camp at Gerupuk, google it and see what you think! We can't spell it out for you, a large part of the fun is having the experience. Keep you wits about you and be safe!

[girlgonesurfing]

I'm planning to go to Bali in late April, so all of the above information is really helpful too.

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I was also looking at either going to a surf camp or just getting my own guide, and am now leaning towards a surf guide as there are particular things I would like to improve on. Does anyone have recommendations for good guides in Canggu?

Fredmouse, I actually made up an excel spreadsheet (nerdy I know) comparing all the surfcamps in Canggu - PM me if you'd like me to send it to you. Wouldn't want all that effort to go to waste.

[dtc]

Does anyone have recommendations for good guides in Canggu?.

i dont, but as a tip - if you have a video camera (or a camera with good video), ask your guide to stand on the beach and video you for 45 minutes or so

[jaffa1949]

I'm planning to go to Bali in late April, so all of the above information is really helpful too.

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I was also looking at either going to a surf camp or just getting my own guide, and am now leaning towards a surf guide as there are particular things I would like to improve on. Does anyone have recommendations for good guides in Canggu?

Fredmouse, I actually made up an excel spreadsheet (nerdy I know) comparing all the surfcamps in Canggu - PM me if you'd like me to send it to you. Wouldn't want all that effort to go to waste.

Great forumite to forumite exchange. Nice

[girlgonesurfing]

Does anyone have recommendations for good guides in Canggu?.

i dont, but as a tip - if you have a video camera (or a camera with good video), ask your guide to stand on the beach and video you for 45 minutes or so

That's a great tip DTC - I don't think I've ever seen any "from beach" footage of me surfing, so that will be really eye-opening (and probably disturbing to see).

Jaffa - "forumite" ...fair call I suppose haha

[Tudeo]

Does anyone have recommendations for good guides in Canggu?

You can try asking here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/455504027879878/

Try to choose a guide that uses some etiquette

[benjl]

hey guys

sorry to dredge an old topic- but pretty relevant for my research.
Still hoping to book a week in bali in late Sept / early Oct. All signs were pointing to the padang-padang surf camp after a lot of other research although some interesting comments from big H above.

Big H, any other suggestions? Had also looked in to Lombok but most reviews said no good until Nov-april as it's south facing whereas padang etc is better in that time frame.

I'm definitely not a beginner so for me I'm looking for punchy head +, and that elusive non close-out barrel.
At this stage I'm planning on bringing my 5'9 custom and a 6'4 x 18.5 pin tail step up.

[jaffa1949]

I think you’ve mixed up the times for the whole of Indo a bit!

The time range for the whole south coast is prime from May to August as that is the dry spell across most of the south coasts, Padang Padang Bali is on the Bukit peninsula and receives the southern ocean’s gifts well as the hordes know. Either side of those months there is still plenty of swell but funky winds and more rain happens so timing is important for classic surf.
Swells from southern oceans storm effect the archipelago as they cross the bottom of the Indian Ocean from Africa to Oz, their strength determines what happens across the bottom of Indo!

I’ve had great strong surf in lots of place right through October. But had good karma and weather luck

So all good, but be prepared for quite a large frothing crowd, at Padang, do early mornings before wind shifts.
Do note for Uluwatu and Padang, Desert Point and GLand take your current handling arms.
If you want one of the best left handers in Indo, and that’s a big call see if you can get to a desert-ointment in Lombok session or across to GLand in Java

[billie_morini]

None of ya'll may be going to Bali anytime soon. Today's news report says:
1. Bali's Mount Agung spews volcanic ash
2. Balie airport shut down indefinitely
3. At least 22 Jetstar, Qantas, AirAsia and Virgin flights are affected by Bali volcano
4. Some can't get in and some can't get out
5. briefing update by authorities on Friday, 27 JUN 2018

[Egyptra]

wow, I like surfing. I went to Egypt last year and I fully enjoyed cool surfing in Egypt.

[jaffa1949]

So where did you surf in Egypt? Really helps the OP get information on Bali

[billie_morini]

This just in...
Bali airport reopens after Mount Agung volcano eruption forced flight delays
CNN, 29th June 2018