Bali or Costa Rica

[Breeze]

Hi guys, late July I'm looking to get out of the UK for 3 weeks. But I've come a little stuck on where to go I'm looking to get some surfing in with the 3 weeks I have, and possibly get some sun on my pale skin I've narrowed it down to Bali or Costa Rica. Does anyone on the forum have some insight on these places and where to stay? Or perhaps any other suggestions? I'm a early intermediate surfer btw. Cheers guys!

[jaffa1949]

Hi Breeze , if you scroll down through two or three pages in this part ( travel) there is lots of Bali and Costa Rica questions that have been answered in detail. Both have sunshine, hotels and surf, Bali it is high season and great surf and crowds from all over and a lot of breaks are turned into a zoo, there is night life and huge range of accommodation from feral to five star. Lots of scams and street vendors trying to sell you everything. Great Indonesian food
Costa Rica, someone else will have to tell you, I have no first hand experience.

In both destinations you will be a stand out, Pale White Man

[Big H]

How good do you surf? July is the height of the season in Bali.....packed competitive lineups and big, sometimes too big waves.

[Leilatz]

I haven't been to Bali (still a dream) but i've been to Costa Rica. I decided I wanted to go to a kind of local unknown spot so I went to Montezuma. It's a beautiful small town and you walk for about 20 minutes along the beach and through some jungle to get to a totally deserted beach where barely anyone surfs with amazing waves, at the time (3 years ago) I was also an early intermediate surfer. Beautiful place!
I hope I kind of helped!

[Breeze]

Hi Breeze , if you scroll down through two or three pages in this part ( travel) there is lots of Bali and Costa Rica questions that have been answered in detail. Both have sunshine, hotels and surf, Bali it is high season and great surf and crowds from all over and a lot of breaks are turned into a zoo, there is night life and huge range of accommodation from feral to five star. Lots of scams and street vendors trying to sell you everything. Great Indonesian food
Costa Rica, someone else will have to tell you, I have no first hand experience.

In both destinations you will be a stand out, Pale White Man

Thanks Jaffa, had a scroll through some of those posts...alot of Bali ones Where would you think is best to stay and surf (and not be killed in the water ) I did see Batu Bolong and Katu pop up in a few posts...

[Breeze]

How good do you surf? July is the height of the season in Bali.....packed competitive lineups and big, sometimes too big waves.

I can go down the line, need to work on my manoeuvres though. Too big doesn't sound the best... I would want to come back in one piece

[jaffa1949]

Breeze if you look at the Bali map you will see a long stretch of beach from either side of the airport runway the longer side being Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and further on.
The whole stretch is wall to wall hotels as the coastal village that was once Kuta has been eaten to accommodate tourists.... miles to surf ....... but be warned and reevaluate your level, you are from your own description only just out of beginner, ( Bali surf is nothing like you know at home).
The whole stretch again is crowded with people on varied skills and the same aspirations.
It can be a good benign surf zone but it can change as swell March all the way from near the South Pole and arrive unannounced , so you need to have good surf knowledge and survival skills
Surf survival and surf reading skills and being able to get yourself out of tricky situations applies in Costa Rica too, in fact all exotic surf destinations, no real lifesaving or beach patrols.

That's the low parts, consider some lessons and if you get some good sessions under your belt, you will have had your best surfs ever.
Look at surf camps maybe even Kuta Lombok or Gerupuk on Lombok as they have camps that feed you teach you and have suitable surf and look after you reasonably well in the water.

Have fun!

[Tudeo]

Surf in Bali is great but the crowds spoil it most of the time. Batu Bolong is one of the best beginner intermediate waves of the island but nowadays it can be considered as more dangerous than Padang Padang at low tide..

[Big H]

Saw a guy with a helmet last year at Batu Bolong.....was a small day and I was laughing to myself about it until I saw one surfer plow over another one...then again,....then again...........started to wish I had one as well....

[Big H]

Problem here is the absolute glut of "beginner/intermediates".....you aren't alone in wanting to come to paradise for a couple few months and learn to surf....so all easier waves and on days when more critical breaks are benign (smaller swell/high tide) the waves that would be ideal for you are also ideal for the thousands that flock here to learn or improve. During July there are many days when critical breaks are just that and everyone of average or less ability crowds into the breaks that difuse monster swells to manageable levels; making those breaks even more crowded than on a regular day.

Not wanting to scare you off, but 2-3ft days in July you either need to go at the crack of dawn or be prepared for heavy traffic most breaks.