BEST SURF SPOT IN BALI

Welcome to the Blog where Surfing is a Tool for Life.

As a surfer who has explored every wave in Bali and as a coach who has seen thousands of people transform in the water, I've created this guide.

This project was born from a passion for sharing, and from the generosity of people like the community at Awesome-maps.com. Their incredible wave map is a true work of art, and it gave all of us the opportunity to discover these spots. A huge thank you for sharing your passion with the world. 

In this space, my personal experience and professional knowledge come together to give you more than just surf tips. If the map shows you the "what" and the "where" of each wave, this blog will give you the "how," the "when," and, most importantly, the "why."

I invite you to explore this space and to get ready for a unique experience in the waves of Bali.

Uluwatu (Suluban Beach) – The Wave That Puts You in Your Place

I’ve surfed Uluwatu in every possible mood: perfect barrels at Outside Corner, frantic sunset sessions at Racetrack, and the full-on survival missions trying to jump into the water during high tide without getting smashed against the rocks. Uluwatu isn’t just a surf spot — it’s a constant test. You either approach it with strategy or end up as entertainment for the tourists watching from the cliff above.

What Is Uluwatu Really Like?

It’s a powerful left-hand reef break with multiple sections: Temples, The Peak, Outside Corner, Racetrack, and The Bombie. Each one works under different conditions, but they all share the same traits: power and a relentless current. Uluwatu is never flat. Even when the rest of Bali looks like a lake, this place keeps pumping.

If you’re looking for a mellow session to cruise without thinking, this isn’t it. Uluwatu demands awareness.

What Level Do I Recommend It For?

Beginners → No. Unless you want your first surf experience to be a survival lesson.

Intermediates → Only when it’s head-high or smaller, on a mid tide, and with someone showing you the entry and exit.

Advanced → This is where you can surf your best… but only if you stay disciplined.

Physical Preparation You Need for Uluwatu

If you want to enjoy Uluwatu instead of survive it, here’s the minimum required:

 

Uluwatu isn’t just ridden with technique — it’s ridden with lungs and patience.

Mental Strategy

Don’t chase every wave. The impatient ones burn out first.

Study the lineup before paddling in. Uluwatu has a rhythm — force it and you lose.

Expect to take a set on the head. Don’t fight it. Take the beating, reset, and reposition.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Best entry → Mid to low tide. Wait in the cave, follow another surfer, and time your jump.

High tide exit → Don’t risk the cave. If the current grabs you, let it pull you to Thomas Beach and walk back. It’s better to do the “walk of shame” than get slammed into the cliff.

 

Surfing Padang Padang Left – Tips, Training, and Required Skill Level

If Uluwatu puts you to the test, Padang Padang Lefts directly examines you and expels you if you're not prepared. They don't call it the Balinese Pipeline for nothing. I’ve gone out on days where just seeing the lines from the cliff gets your heart pumping. You don't come here to have fun — you come to prove you deserve the wave.

Photo: Padang Padang Rip curl Cup - 2024

What Is Surfing Padang Padang Left Really Like?

It's a hollow, fast left-hand reef break with a critical section right from the takeoff. If you don't drop in on the right line, the only thing you'll see is the lip exploding on the back of your head. When it’s working well, the barrel is so perfect that there are only two possible endings: you get shot out with a rush of adrenaline, or you get spit out onto the reef.

What Skill Level Do You Need to Surf Here?

 

 

Recommended Physical Preparation (Fetch Style)

If you even want to consider paddling for a wave here, your body needs to be more prepared than your ego:

Mental Strategy

Don’t paddle for everything. Here, patience keeps you alive.

If you hesitate, don't go. Indecision at Padang comes with a literal cost. I've seen backsides split open on the reef.

Observe the locals and copy their timing. They don't miss.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Easy Entry: Go through the channel between Padang Padang Left and Baby Padang. Paddle from the sand and let the current carry you to the lineup.

Never jump from the rocks like it's a typical reef break. It’s slippery, and the lateral current will drag you straight into the impact zone.

 

Surfing Baby Padang – The Best Spot to Learn in the Uluwatu Area

 

If Padang Padang Left is an ego-shredding machine, Baby Padang is the exact opposite: the perfect playground to learn, practice maneuvers, or simply enjoy a stress-free session. I always say that here, you don't train courage; you train technique. And if you know how to take advantage of it, this spot can accelerate your progression much more than any surf class on an open beach.

What Is Surfing Baby Padang Really Like?

It's a soft, predictable left and right with plenty of open face to maneuver on. The best part is that it almost always breaks in the same place, so you can stay in position without constantly fighting the current.

The lefts are long and perfect for working on your bottom turn and cutback.

The rights are shorter but ideal for practicing a quick takeoff and paddling back to the peak effortlessly.

 If you want to train pure technique without fear, this is the spot.

What Skill Level Do I Recommend for Baby Padang?

 

Recommended Physical Preparation (Fetch Style)

Here, you don't need raw power, but rather technical endurance:

Mental Strategy

Don't wait for the perfect wave; the goal here is a high volume of repetitions.

Don't compete; just flow. This is a spot to have fun and improve, not to prove anything.

If there's a surf school at the peak, move a few meters to the side, and you'll have the spot to yourself.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Easy entry from the sand, walking between the rocks when the tide is low.

At high tide, watch out for the lateral current that pushes you toward the Padang Padang Left channel. If you don't paddle hard, you'll end up where you don't want to be.

 

Surfing Impossibles – Where Only 1 in 10 Waves is Worth It, But That One Changes Everything

Impossibles is named that for a reason: most of its sections close out too fast to make them. The key here isn’t to paddle for many waves; it’s to wait for the right one. And when it comes, it can carry you for hundreds of meters, connecting sections like a high-speed highway.

I’ve had sessions where I only caught two waves in over an hour… and I still paddled in with a huge smile. This spot isn’t measured by quantity, but by extreme quality.

How Does Impossibles Break?

It’s a long left with multiple sections that, on a good day, can connect from start to finish. Most waves are too fast, but when you spot one with a more open face and a less aggressive lip, you know it's your turn.

If you drop in late, the wave spits you out. If you drop in well, you have a high-speed highway in front of you.

What Skill Level Do You Need to Surf Here?

 

 

Recommended Physical Preparation

Unlike Padang or Uluwatu, here you don't need as much brute power, but rather endurance and high-speed coordination.

Mental Strategy

If you get frustrated quickly, this is not your spot. Impossibles is a lesson in patience.

Don't paddle for everything. Here, your instincts tell you when a wave is worth it.

When you get on a good one, don't invent maneuvers. Just maintain speed and link sections.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Recommended Entry: From Padang Padang on big days. It's easier to use the deep channel than to enter from the main beach.

Many people enter from Bingin, but it's a worse option because the inside current pushes you in the opposite direction.

 

Surfing Bingin – The Most Predictable Wave for Getting Barreled... If You Can Get a Turn

 

Bingin is one of those waves that looks easy from the outside. A short, perfect left-hand wave that always breaks in the same spot. But as soon as you paddle for your first wave here, you understand the reality: everyone knows it's perfect, and no one is going to give you a wave.

I’ve had sessions where five locals passed me before I could paddle for a single wave. And when it's finally your turn, if you do everything right, you'll get one of the easiest barrels of your life. But if you fail for just a second, you'll end up on “Greedies,” the treacherous section that breaks dry on the reef. There is no middle ground.

How Does Bingin Break?

Intense left-hand waves with a direct takeoff into a bottom turn and an immediate hollow section. There’s no time to think: you drop in, you stall, and you get in the barrel. The wave never completely closes out; there’s always an exit if you know where to position yourself.

The only flaw is the duration: the barrel is incredible, but the ride is short. That’s why so many surfers are obsessed with repeating it over and over again.

What Skill Level Do You Need to Surf Here?

 

Recommended Physical Preparation

Bingin doesn't require a powerful paddle, but it does demand explosiveness and quick reflexes:

 

Mental Strategy

The real challenge here isn't the wave; it's getting one.

If you paddle in aggressively, you'll be ignored. If you paddle in with respect, you'll eventually find your rhythm in the lineup.

Don't try to extend the wave beyond the barrel. If you push it, you'll end up on Greedies, and the reef is unforgiving.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Easy Entry: From the beach at mid-tide, but at low tide, there are a lot of exposed rocks.

To Exit: Paddle toward the deep channel on the right. Don't try to walk straight in or you'll end up scraping the reef.

Surfing Bingin Rights – The Hidden Right That Only Works When Everything Aligns

Bingin Rights is one of those peaks that many people don't even look at when they arrive at the parking lot. But when you know how to read the ocean and you see some size, a fun, fast, and much quieter right-hand wave appears.

It's not a perfect wave like Bingin Left, but that's precisely what makes it interesting: there's space to maneuver, less pressure in the lineup, and more opportunities to train line reading and positioning.

How Does Bingin Rights Break?

It only works on a low tide with a big swell. If you paddle in at the right time, you'll get fat rights that always break on the same boil. The key is not to paddle for the small ones: if the wave doesn't lift well from behind, it won't break. If it comes with a face and some push, it starts fast and then gets fatter.

What Skill Level Do You Need to Surf Here?

 

Recommended Physical Preparation

This wave doesn't require extreme power, but it does demand timing and coordination:

 

Mental Strategy

Don't paddle for mediocre waves. Only the ones that really lift are worth it.

If you hesitate, don't go. Here, you either drop in or stay out.

Observe the locals. They always position themselves a meter farther inside than it seems comfortable. There's a reason for that.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Access is easy by following the same path to Bingin Left, but once you get to the bottom, walk to the right.

Exiting is tricky at low tide: there are exposed rocks, so it's best to let the channel carry you to deeper water before standing up.

Surfing Dreamland – The Most Versatile Beach in the Uluwatu Area

Dreamland is the only true beach break in the entire Uluwatu area, and that makes it a unique spot. The bottom is sand (though with hidden rocks near the shore), which gives a sense of security that many surfers need after days spent riding over sharp reef.

I’ve had sessions at Dreamland that were completely relaxed, with soft, longboard-friendly waves, and others with double-overhead size where every set looked like it was from Hawaii. Dreamland has a split personality: a school in the morning, gladiators in the afternoon.

How Does Dreamland Break?

It works in several sections:

An A-frame wave in the center, with a short right and a faster, hollower left.

Farther south, a friendlier, long left, perfect for intermediates.

On high tides with a medium swell, it becomes softer and more manageable.

On low tides with a big swell, it turns into a slab with the potential to break boards.

What Level Do I Recommend for Each Condition?

Recommended Physical Preparation

Mental Strategy

Dreamland rewards the patient surfer. This is not the spot to chase everything that moves; it’s about waiting for the wave that has the right shape. If you catch the right one, it rewards you with a long ride. If you don’t, you’ll end up in the shorebreak tumble with no dignity.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Watch out for the shorebreak: It looks soft, but I’ve seen more than one surfer get dragged out by local kids while they were laughing and doing airs over their heads. If you're not sure, only enter or exit after the set has passed.

Surfing Balangan – The Long Wave That Tests Your Endurance

Balangan was an invaluable help in getting me used to the power of Bali. Early in my life here, I loved surfing that wave to gain confidence. I have wonderful memories of infinite sunsets, where the sun seemed to refuse to surrender to the night, as if it understood that we were living a unique moment on Balangan beach, surfing its beautiful lines.

This is a long left-hand wave with multiple sections that can link up on good days. I’ve had rides here that have lasted so long my legs were burning as if I had just finished a squat routine.

How Does Balangan Break?

It's a fast wave that breaks over a live reef, but with so much length that you can adapt to its rhythm. On medium-sized days, it's perfect for intermediates looking to improve. On big days, it gets serious.

What Skill Level Do You Need?

Recommended Physical Preparation

 

Mental Strategy

Don't try to "kill" the wave on the first section. Balangan rewards you when you think about connecting, not hitting. It's a wave for building momentum, not for forcing.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

If you paddle out from the far left of the beach, in front of the cliff, there’s a clear channel. Don't try to paddle straight out from the sand or you’ll spend half your session fighting the current.

 

Surfing Nyang Nyang – The Wild Spot for Those Seeking Adventure

Nyang Nyang isn't just a wave; it's a mission. Just walking down the long staircase makes you question if you really want to surf that day. But when you get to the bottom and see a nearly empty beach with huge lines breaking with no one out, you understand why many call it "the last breath of Bali before the chaos."

How Does Nyang Nyang Break?

It's a predominantly powerful right-hand wave that is almost always big. Its south-facing orientation means it picks up more swell than any other spot in Uluwatu. On many days, it’s simply unsurfable.

What Skill Level Do You Need?

Recommended Physical Preparation

Mental Strategy

If you have any doubt, don't go in. There is no audience and no support here. If you break something or hit yourself, you are on your own. If you paddle out with total determination, you will remember it for the rest of your life.

Fetch Surf Coach Tip

Always go out with someone else or with someone watching you from the shore. Nyang Nyang does not forgive ego-driven mistakes.