Bali this Peak Season

So you’re planning your surf trip to Bali this dry season and of course you are curious, what are the forecasts saying?

So we sat down with our Head Surf Coach to get his take on how the surf is shaping up, which areas are already firing, and what surfers can expect over the coming weeks.

How is the season shaping up?

Exactly how we'd hope. There are consistent SW groundswells arriving and the dry season trade winds are becoming more established. The combination of SW groundswells and SE tradewinds is what lights up the west coast of Bali.

The surf has already started to switch on, and as we move further into June and July, we should see increasingly consistent offshore mornings and more of those classic dry-season conditions.

What does this mean?

Bali’s west coast is receiving great swell and winds producing the ideal conditions for all levels of surfers.

When southwest swells meet southeast trade winds, many of Bali's most famous breaks start working at their best. Clean faces, longer rides, and more predictable conditions make this one of the most exciting times of year to surf the island.

Which areas are standing out?

The Bukit Peninsula is where Bali's dry season really shines.

As the trade winds strengthen, spots like Uluwatu, Bingin, Dreamland, Padang Padang, and Balangan begin to offer the kind of waves that have made Bali famous around the world.

For advanced surfers, it means more opportunities to surf world-class reef breaks. For intermediates, it means more consistency and cleaner conditions at many of the area's friendlier waves.

What about beginners?

The Bukit Peninsula is exposed to the Indian Ocean, so when the SW swells travel thousands of kilometers across the ocean they hit the exposed coastlines of the Bukit, creating bigger waves with a lot of power. However not every coastline of Bali receives the same amount of swell.

Areas such as Jimbaran Bay, Kuta, Seminyak, and parts of Canggu are partially sheltered by headlands, offshore reefs, or the shape of the coastline itself. These spots receive smaller swells creating ideal, consistent and clean conditions for beginners to learn!

What can we expect in the next few weeks?

We're expecting another swell pulse to arrive this week and the forecast looks active over the next ten days. Many of the Bukit's waves should be firing, while progressing surfers will continue to have more forgiving options in Seminyak and Canggu. If current patterns continue, July and August could deliver some of the best surf of the year.

Where should you surf?

One of the major advantages of surfing in Bali is its variety of waves, there is a wave for every level of surfer and at Kima Surf Camps we will match you with the right waves!

Here’s a general guideline:

Level	Recommended Surf Spot	Typical Wave Size*	What to Expect
Level : Beginner	Recommended Surf Spot : Double Six, Gado Gado and Thomas Beach	Typical Wave Size* : Waist to chest high	What to Expect : Whitewater
Level : Beginner / Intermediate	Recommended Surf Spot : Batu Bolong, Old Mans, Dreamland (smaller days)	Typical Wave Size* : Waist to head high	What to Expect : Catching your first green wave
Level : Intermediate	Recommended Surf Spot : Balangan, Pererenan Left, Kuta Reef	Typical Wave Size* : Chest high to overhead	What to Expect : Faster take off with clean open faces to practice turning.
Level : Intermediate / Advanced	Recommended Surf Spot : Bingin, Impossibles, Echo Beach, Sandbar	Typical Wave Size* : Head high to well overhead	What to Expect : Steep take-offs and punchy waves
Level : Advanced	Recommended Surf Spot : Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Nyang Nyang	Typical Wave Size* : Overhead to double overhead+	What to Expect : Barrels

*Wave size varies significantly depending on swell direction, period, and tide.

The final verdict?