Ready 4 Kuta Reef?

[Kiwistarista]

Hey Guys

First of all:
Im the man! Bali is just magic! Today was my first day in balinesian water and it rocks
I just started surfin 2 month ago and before I left, I wasn#t able to ride a along a wave or duckdive... Today it just all worked! I even turned 4 the first time and my diving attempts are at least taking me through a wave!
Im so happy

But now... after I just spended the first day on kuta beach, I#d like to know what kuta reef is like... before I browsed all the net for infos, I was pretty selfconfident and ready to go, but after reading the warnings, and the 'experienced surfers only'-lines, Im in doubt. Plus the fact that it#s 800m from shore.
Is it dangerous out there on the reef for a rookie like me? What would u say?

Hope u can help me...

Anybody else in Bali right now?

[borneng]

Im the man! Bali is just magic! Today was my first day in balinesian water and it rocks
I just started surfin 2 month ago and before I left, I wasn#t able to ride a along a wave or duckdive... Today it just all worked! I even turned 4 the first time and my diving attempts are at least taking me through a wave!
Im so happy

Congratulations! You're making an excellent progress there! And I'm glad you're enjoying yourself in Bali.

But now... after I just spended the first day on kuta beach, I'd like to know what kuta reef is like... before I browsed all the net for infos, I was pretty selfconfident and ready to go, but after reading the warnings, and the 'experienced surfers only'-lines, Im in doubt. Plus the fact that it#s 800m from shore.
Is it dangerous out there on the reef for a rookie like me? What would u say?

I'm not trying to discourage you but Kuta reef could be just a little big jump from Kuta beach. I heard that the rips are pretty nasty there. You're definitely making an impressive progress but you might want to consider trying out other reef breaks first, like Canggu. The place is more forgiving for first timer and it's only 200 meters from shore. If you feel confident after Canggu then you can try Kuta reef. But make sure you're not going alone. Kuta reef is a busy place but it's always better to have someone watching your back as well. As for the 800 meters from shore; it shouldn't be an issue because you can take a boat taxi to take you to the breaks.

Enjoy your time in Bali and stay safe.

[mrc]

Alright mate how s bali heading over there myself next month just wanting to know what the crowd situ is like as i went before the bombings and it wa sfairly mental the amount of people in the water.
cheers

[Kiwistarista]

boreng again, I think I should just msg u - thanks

Thanks 4 the encouraging words!

I chose kuta reed because I thought it'd be the easiest and most harmless reef... apparently wrong

So... Canggu u said?

Update: sorry havent seen ur post... as i said i just spended one day at kuta beach, but over there it was alrite... not too packed, but still a fair amount of surfers out there and 90% locals, I'd say

[pat42]

Hey Freddie, sounds like you'ree having fun
i've got to agree with Borneng and say if your just learning, I'd give the reef a miss and head for Canggu..... or for a more beautiful location check out Dreamland.
It's a real mellow wave and theres a channel to take you out. It needs to be surfed on a low tide, so get a tide chart and give yourself about an hour to get there fom Kuta.
Have fun!

[borneng]

..... or for a more beautiful location check out Dreamland.

Dreamland for first timer? Hmm, I don't know. I'm not so sure about that.
The place looks just a little more advanced than Canggu in my opinion. I saw a guy took fair amount of beatings in the water there and his surfing was definitely advance level. And that was during wet season.
It's got amazingly beautiful scenery though. Perhaps Playgrounds/Nusa Lembongan would be an alternative choice from Canggu for first timer.

...and theres a channel to take you out.

The channels are great. Definitely comes in very handy

[pat42]

Hey Borneng.....I just looked at our avatars. I've got flames coming out of my ass and it looks like you're jet propelled and have water shooting out of yours
What I meant about Dreamland is that it's a soft landing if you come off (which I do a lot!)

[borneng]

Hey Borneng.....I just looked at our avatars. I've got flames coming out of my ass and it looks like you're jet propelled and have water shooting out of yours

You're absolutely right ha ha.
Your avatar, is that you? or is it just a random picture you found? Just out of curiosity. Pretty hilarious actually.

[borneng]

I've decided to change my avatar as I finally finished my Duffman surf drawing ...Oh yeah.

[dreamer]

Canggu is pronounced Chung goo by the way, might help when you're asking for a lift there.. Kuta Reef is razor sharp, you come off with a little too much weight & you'll know when you get out & you start leaking.

[Brundog]

Howdy all!

I'm a newcomer to this site and this is my first entry to the forum. I've been following some threads the past few days with great interest, especially those having to do with surfing Bali, as I am very much intent on coming there soon - planning to arrive in about a week, two tops, and staying for at least 6 weeks.

I'm an intermediate surfer who has been out of the lineup for a while, and I'm looking to get back into form again: however, I'm not looking to get thrashed, milled and ground, at least not to the extent my own mother will not claim me again , which I am well aware is an easy feat on Bali. So I am very interested in any advice on spots that are decent, but not necessarily heavy. Being well aware that no one is going to give away any local "secrets", I'm simply trying to get a general idea of where to base my stay and ramble from there. I've heard people warn, "stay away from Kuta", but no one explains why. I've never been myself, so I assume there is weight to it; does anyone care to discredit the claim or justify it with reasons? It sounds like a tourist trap, but I really know of no other place to go.

Dreamland has been mentioned, as has Canggu. Good spots for the rusty intermediate? I've heard mixed opinions on this. My main concern here is premature death, so while I am willing to take a minimal pounding, I would hope to avoid resembling grated parmesean on an Indonesian reefbed.

Any tips on getting set up with gear and a place to stay are also greatly appreciated. Look forward to all your replies and to seeing you in the water!

[borneng]

...I'm a newcomer to this site and this is my first entry to the forum....

Welcome to the forum.

...I am very interested in any advice on spots that are decent, but not necessarily heavy. Being well aware that no one is going to give away any local "secrets", I'm simply trying to get a general idea of where to base my stay and ramble from there. I've heard people warn, "stay away from Kuta", but no one explains why. I've never been myself, so I assume there is weight to it; does anyone care to discredit the claim or justify it with reasons? It sounds like a tourist trap, but I really know of no other place to go.

You might to check wannasurf for different surf spots in Bali. I have to admit that I've only been on Kuta (hardrock), Doublesix (Legian), Canggu, Dreamland and Uluwatu (not to surf though, only looked at the place and had lunch there). There's a good surf spot guide and direction handbook if you need it and it's called Wave Finder Indonesia. The book consist of pretty detailed information of the surf spots, wave conditions, best possible time and how to get there. The best part of the book is its pocket size (not big and bulky like Storm Rider Guide) so it's easy to carry around.

...My main concern here is premature death, so while I am willing to take a minimal pounding, I would hope to avoid resembling grated parmesean on an Indonesian reefbed.

Based on the way you asked questions, I'm pretty sure you'll be just absolutely fine there.

[pat42]

Hey Brundog, I normally spend a couple of months a year in Bali (only 1 this year) and what I do is for the first week or two is spend it surfing on Kuta beach to get fit. Get yourself a tide chart and aim to get there about an hour before high tide. And then when you're a bit more confident in the water head off somewhere else.........down the beach a bit further towards Padma. It's always bigger at Padma/Legian but closes out most times. If you go to Canggu aim to get there early cos it gets blown out later on or just get a boat out to the reefs.

Dont worry about getting thrashed...you'll know your limits and what you're capable of. And you'll see on the very big days most people stay out of the water anyway.

I LOVE staying in Kuta!!! But I can understand why some people dont....It's noisy and can be really crowded, but there's loads of restaurants, cheap hotels, shops and loads to do. Just rent a motorbike, and when you want to leave Kuta you can. It's so cheap, you can go on a little break for a few days and still keep your room in Kuta.
If you rent a bike longterm, you should be able to get it for 25 to 30,000 rupiah a day.

If you want a cheap place to stay (3 euros a night), try Cempaka2 on Poppies 2. They normally have rooms, but to be sure, I'd give them a call and reserve a room 0062 361 757750......ask for an upstairs room!
It's basic, but clean and cheap and the staff are lovely........if you dont like it, there's a million more places to chose from! But it's nice to have somewhere to go to for your first few nights to get yourself orientated.
Get a cab to Poppies 2 and ask for the Barong hotel..Cempaka2 is very close to that, opposite Mcwilliams burger joint , down an alley.
and the surf shop next to the alley is one of the best to get a deal on a board.
Let us know how you get on:D

[Brundog]

Most excellent pat42!

Muchos grass-is-us for a very helpful and thorough reply. I have sent a reply to your PM as well!

[pat42]

You're most welcome