Where should beginners surf in Bali?

Bali is one of the best places in the world to learn to surf and one of the easiest places to get hurt trying to learn in the wrong spot. The difference is what is under the water.

Sand versus reef

Sand-bottom beach breaks are where beginners belong: forgiving, shifting, and when you fall you land on sand.

Reef breaks — which includes almost every famous wave in Bali — break over shallow coral. Falling means coral cuts, which in this climate infect readily, and worse. Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin, Impossibles, Canggu's outer reefs and Keramas are not beginner waves in any conditions.

Where to learn

Kuta and Legian. The best beginner beach in Bali: a long sand-bottom break, waves that reform gently, dozens of schools, lifeguards on duty and boards for hire every 50 metres. Unglamorous and correct.

Batu Bolong, Canggu. A long, mellow, mostly sand and rock break, with a big surf-school presence. Extremely crowded from mid-morning, which is its own hazard for a beginner.

Sanur. Gentle, protected, works in wet season, quieter than the west coast and good for nervous starters.

Seminyak beach. Similar to Kuta, slightly less crowded, a solid learning option.

Medewi, west Bali, a long slow left that is beginner-friendly at the right size, in a village with almost nobody in the water.

What a lesson costs

Roughly 350,000 to 600,000 rupiah for a two-hour group lesson including board and rashguard, less if you book several. Private lessons are typically 600,000 to 1,000,000.

Board hire alone is roughly 50,000 to 100,000 rupiah an hour or 150,000 to 250,000 a day. Foam boards are what you want at the start; the shortboard is not your friend for at least a year.

Seasons

Dry season, April to October: the west coast — Kuta, Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu — has offshore winds and consistent swell. This is the standard surf season.

Wet season, November to March: the east coast — Sanur, Keramas, Serangan, Nusa Dua — works, and the west is usually onshore and messy. Beginners can still learn on the west coast in the mornings before the wind arrives.

What nobody tells beginners

Crowds are a safety issue. Batu Bolong at 10am in August has more surfers in the water than the wave can hold. Go at dawn.

Learn the priority rules before you paddle out. The surfer closest to the peak has right of way, and dropping in on someone is the fastest way to a confrontation in a crowded lineup.

Reef cuts get infected. Clean them immediately, use antiseptic, and do not ignore redness. This is the most common injury in Bali surfing after sunburn.

Sunburn. You are lying on reflective water eight degrees from the equator. Rashguard, zinc, and a hat between sessions.

Rips are how you get out the back at many beaches, and also how you get into trouble. Ask a school or a local where the channel is.

After the first week

Once you can stand and turn, the natural progression is Canggu's outer reefs, Balangan on a small day, Medewi, or Nusa Lembongan, which has good intermediate reef waves with fewer people. Uluwatu is not a step; it is three or four steps.

Equipment

Boards travel fine on most airlines for a fee, and rentals here are plentiful and decent. Bring your own leash, wax for warm water, and reef boots if you intend to surf the Bukit. Repair kits are available everywhere and a ding repair costs very little.