Solo surfing in Bali this May

[deenairn]

I'm traveling to Bali solo from 1-15th May 2007 and want to do as much surfing as I can whilst over there without breaking the bank. Any advice of places to stay, surf, hire boards, etc. If anyone is going out there at the same time with similar intentions it'd be cool to hear from you.

[squid]

D,

You won't have any problems with board hires down there. It's usually more expensive in Kuta, but you can rent board at the warungs at Uluwatu. May should be a good time to go. The Bukit should be firing on all cylinders. Make sure you have your paddling arms, some of the breaks like Ulu's are a good distance from the shore.

There are also tons of places to stay. It just depends on where you want to base yourself. Always ask to see the room before making a commitment. And always negotiate.

The Balinese are some of the friendliest in the world. So don't bring an attitude or it will just send a really bad vibe.

[Stylemaster]

I'll be there at that time. I will be in bali for a few days and then to Nusa Lembongan. Like the previous poster said....head for the bukit. Heaps of cheap places to stay like any of the warungs at Dreamlands , Bingin , Balangan. If its ya first time have a night in Kuta just to see the circus. If ya not so experienced in solid surf maybe head out to Balian , Medewi , Canggu where the waves are more forgiving. Drink only bottled water(4-5lt per day) , dont get blind drunk , wear sunscreen and condoms. 99% of Balinese are 100% trustworthy. Have a great time and enjoy a true surfers paradise. Oh yeah if you are there for a while maybe do a trip to Java , Lembongan or Lombok. Can get all this sorted in Kuta for fleshin' all.

have a great time...might see you there

[gdude335]

just wondering, but are you good (as in what do you surf).
because if your only staying on beach breaks, chengu is good (north from kuta).

[Stylemaster]

Canggu is actually a reef also. If you are looking for beachies the best bet is the Kuta-Seminyak stretch. But be warned these breaks can pack a real punch once it hits head high. If you are novice I'd just stick to Kuta beach. Bali is not the best place to head to if you are inexperienced.

[purevacations]

Bali is an awesome place to surf dude, just make sure you sort out your accommodation beforehand it will help you at the airport.

Enjoy and respect the locals but do watch out for some major rips at times.



PHOTO OF BALI SURFING

Aloha
PV

[deenairn]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I'm pretty inexperienced, only having about a weeks experience whilst in Australia, living on the East coast of Scotland does not help either as the waves are pretty flat. I didn't entirely go just for surf, I had been meeting a friend there, who is no longer gonna be there, so now I think I'm gonna try and improve on my surfing to give myself something to focus on as I've been meaning to take it up ever since I got back from Oz. Any recomendations for accom, or is just looking in something like the Lonely Planet sufficient??

[Dec]

Quick and simple. Kuta beach. Turn up and find cheap accomdation, then rent a motorbike. From there you can rent/buy cheap boards and get aroud most of the island for not much $$.


Good Luck

[squid]

Dec, how are the waves this time of year down in Phuket? When's your best season?

[kittycat]

I'm traveling to Bali solo from 1-15th May 2007 and want to do as much surfing as I can whilst over there without breaking the bank. Any advice of places to stay, surf, hire boards, etc. If anyone is going out there at the same time with similar intentions it'd be cool to hear from you.

Hi... i'm not sure what you mean by breaking the bank, but I am going with a few friends and we are doing a boat trip, and need a few more surfers. It's $850 for a week including everything(food, beer, etc). The boat goes to Nusa Lombongan, Lombok, Gilis Is, and Sambawa.

[DeenaB]

Well it all depends on what your standard is, I went last summer with a group of friends who can all surf fairly well. i, on the other hand, can't! But I still had a great time surfing at Kuta and Dreamlands. Basically you get a lot of great surf around the Bhukit, (south west coast). You can drive from kuta down to Uluwatu at the bottom, and (in this order) you'll pass Balangan, Dreamlands, Bingin, Impossibles, Padang Padang along the way .. Don't underestimate the shallowness and gnarliness of the reefs, they don't call scars 'bali kiss' and bingin 'the surgeon's table' for nothing!! The drive from Kuta all the way to Ulus isn't far, I think it took us less than an hour to drive from Kuta to Dreamlands (that's where we stayed a lot).
where you stay depends on where you want to surf. We stayed in Dreamlands because I could surf there but the boys could walk 15 minutes down the beach to Bingin.. It's a nice place because it's in between. Accommodation there is also seriously cheap. (we paid never more than 40,000 a night, which is a bit less than 4 euros) BARTER before you agree on a price!!! Although when I was leaving I heard that the authorities were planning on razing the place (sadly). In which case, there's still a fair number of warungs in along the coast in Bingin etc..
Anyway, hope that's some help! Enjoy Bali, it's unbelievable!!

[deenairn]

I'm traveling to Bali solo from 1-15th May 2007 and want to do as much surfing as I can whilst over there without breaking the bank. Any advice of places to stay, surf, hire boards, etc. If anyone is going out there at the same time with similar intentions it'd be cool to hear from you.

Hi... i'm not sure what you mean by breaking the bank, but I am going with a few friends and we are doing a boat trip, and need a few more surfers. It's $850 for a week including everything(food, beer, etc). The boat goes to Nusa Lombongan, Lombok, Gilis Is, and Sambawa.

Thanks for the offer. I'm not entirely sure at the moment, I think this may be a little bit out of my budget, but if you want to keep in touch then perhaps we could discuss it when we're over there. If the tour includes a lot, then perhaps I'll be more willing to splash money I can't really afford to spend, lol. I haven't booked any accomodation yet, and do not intend to do so until I turn up so if you have any recomendations or booked accom then I could maybe see you there or something. If not enjoy your holiday!

[Dec]

Dec, how are the waves this time of year down in Phuket? When's your best season?

Aah waves have been good recently..but on and off. We get a couple of days of head-overhead+ offshore..then dead flat for a month. Peak season is July, August, September. It's usually onshore and blown out...so probably better in indonesia.

[squid]

Dec, how are the waves this time of year down in Phuket? When's your best season?

Aah waves have been good recently..but on and off. We get a couple of days of head-overhead+ offshore..then dead flat for a month. Peak season is July, August, September. It's usually onshore and blown out...so probably better in indonesia.

Sounds good Dec. Thanks for the info. Could always be worth a session between pad thai and massages.

[Marcus_Melb]

To Kiitycat,

How did the trip to Lembongan go. Did they anchor at night in calm waters etc. Did you get good waves most of the time and did you get to go onshore at Lombak or Sumbawa??

And was the food any good?

Cheers Mark

[Marcus_Melb]

Hi... i'm not sure what you mean by breaking the bank, but I am going with a few friends and we are doing a boat trip, and need a few more surfers. It's $850 for a week including everything(food, beer, etc). The boat goes to Nusa Lombongan, Lombok, Gilis Is, and Sambawa.[/quote]

Left a message re: How your Lembongan boat trip went?