The Best 6 Advanced Surfing Spots in Bali

Bali is the world’s best surfing destination with an amazing variety of high-quality, consistent waves breaking over rock, sand and coral reef.

Uluwatu is the prime surfing area and has an incredible concentration of surfing breaks that work in all swell sizes, tides and wind directions.

There are so many great advanced surf spots in Bali that we struggled to limit this list to just 6.

Warning: these are not your average surf spots. These are truly world class!

1. Uluwatu

Advanced surfers love Uluwatu due to the power and length of the ride. Uluwatu always picks up the most swell on the west coast of the Bukit due to its exposure to all swell directions.

Even on the smallest of swells, there are always some head-high waves to be ridden at Uluwatu.

Uluwatu has a very long reef with many sections, and the reason surfing here is world-famous is the consistency, power and length of ride.

A medium-size swell can handle 100+ surfers on the different sections and there is always a wave breaking somewhere on the reef.

The Racetrack is a personal favourite section of Uluwatu due to the length of the ride and variation in sections. At the Racetrack you can do top turns, aerials, cutbacks and get barrelled on the same wave. A stand-out feature of the Racetrack is that the wave often grows in size. Taking off on an easy shoulder-high wave that turns into a double-overhead bomb is truly thrilling.

While The Peak breaks more frequently and is always bigger, it is a shorter ride and always more crowded. The Peak packs some power and consistently throws barrels.

On the bigger days, Outside Corners roars into life and it is the premier big-wave spot in Bali, and maybe even the whole of Indonesia. It is a very long ride that ends in deep water, so it is perfect for advanced surfers. But you need a bigger board to catch one of the bomb waves at Outside Corners.

If Outside Corners does not give you enough thrill, then you can try The Bombie.

The Bombie can handle 40+ foot swells and is sometimes makeable all the way through Outside Corners. But as it breaks in deep water, it is a very thick wave and you need to be seriously fit to handle a flogging out there.

This is only for the bravest of the brave or the most foolhardy. 10-foot+ Hawaiian-style rhino guns and flotation vests are recommended. Most of the waves at The Bombie will close out before reaching Outside Corners, and it is impossible to know in advance whether it is going to be the ride of a lifetime or the flogging of a lifetime. Surfers have drowned out here, so it is best not to underestimate the power in the wave, or overestimate your fitness to survive.

2. Padang Padang (The Balinese Pipeline)

Padang Padang is known as The Balinese Pipeline because it breaks similarly to its more famous equivalent in Hawaii.

The biggest difference between these two breaks is that Padang Padang has a nasty end section that is very shallow and causes the barrel to pinch shut, whereas the Hawaiian pipeline fades into deep water.

While the Hawaiian wave is more powerful (due to the bathymetry of the volcanic islands), it does not have this nasty end section and the shoulder of the wave is quite manageable.

Padang Padang (The Balinese Pipeline) is only suitable for advanced and expert surfers.

The wave at Padang Padang comes in fast out of deep water and the take-off is relatively easy. But after the bottom turn, the wave reaches shallower water, slows down, and throws incredible barrels.

The pros make it look easy, by definition (they are pros).

There is a lot of room inside the tube at Padang Padang for a stand-up barrel. But the power of the wave will punish any mistakes.

Padang Padang does not break well in the 3 to 4-foot size range. But it is possible to surf it when it is mid-sized and uncrowded. When Padang Padang is in the double to triple-overhead range, all the top local surfers and visiting pro surfers are here hunting for the ride of their life!

3. Impossibles

Impossibles is aptly named since most of the waves are impossibly fast.

But on a large SW swell, Impossibles can be perfect and rideable from the first peak all the way to the warungs at Bingin.

Impossibles does not break well at head high, as the sections close out. It is usually best around double overhead, but will hold triple overhead on the biggest days, when Uluwatu is Hawaiian size.

Impossibles is much more manageable than Uluwatu because there is no current on the outside and it breaks softer.

Even on the biggest days, it is not too difficult to get out the back and to the line-up at Impossibles, because you can access the break from the channel at Padang Padang. But if you get stuck inside, then the sweep towards Bingin is merciless.

Impossibles is one of our surf camp’s favourite waves when the conditions are right. We have had many guests say they had the longest ride of their life here.

It is hardly ever possible to execute a cutback at Impossibles. You are mostly maintaining a high line and pumping through the sections, which will throw the occasional barrel.

There is deep water out the back, and the only danger of hitting the reef is on the inside, either accessing the water or at the end of the wave.

It can be frustrating to wait 15 minutes for a set, only for there to be mostly closeout waves.

But if you are patient and know which waves to select, then the ride is well worth it.

Ready to catch the perfect wave at Impossibles and get the ride of your life?

4. Bingin

Bingin is a machine-quality wave and is arguably the easiest barrel in the world.

Take off, stall, pull in, and get a barrel. Sounds easy enough, right?

If you dream of riding the barrel at Bingin, then check out our barrel riding coaching.

Bingin is a short ride. But what it lacks in length it makes up for in power, quality, and thrill factor.

After the barrel, there is always an easy exit section. If you ride it too far you will end up in Greedies.

Greedies is a nasty dry-reef section where there is an army of crabs waiting to feed on your skin.

The locals always seem to know which ones are makeable through Greedies. But the travelling pro surfers who try a floater or to get another barrel often end up with a trip to the local hospital.

It is best to wear a Gath helmet and lots of rubber if you want to attempt a manoeuvre at Greedies.

On a higher tide at Bingin, the local kids call this the mini pipeline. But at low to mid tide, it is very sucky and dangerous. Bingin does not handle a big swell, as the wave gets fat. It is best when 3 to 4 foot, head to overhead size.

Bingin is always crowded and when it is on, the locals dominate the line-up.

While Bingin seems easy from the beach, it is actually a very technical wave. To get a set wave you need patience and great skill. It also helps to be accompanied by an expert local surf guide.

At high tide, Bingin breaks right into deep water. But this is not a quality wave, and it is also not to be confused with Bingin Rights, which is located further up the beach.

5. Airport Rights

Airport Rights is found very close to the airport, and it is one of Bali’s airport reef surf spots.

Airport Rights is one of Kelly Slater’s favourite waves in Bali, and for good reason. It is a super-fast long wall which does not close out, but you need to take off in the right spot and be prepared to pump through sections. Positioning in the line-up is key, and you need to be fast to your feet to make the first section.

The end section bowls very much like a Mentawais wave due to the shallowness of the reef. It causes the section you are riding to slow down while the section in front of you curves.

Frequently, the end section at Airport Rights will barrel, and this is a regular footer’s paradise if you make it.

Goofy footers either need amazing skill and nerves of steel or, failing that, to straighten out. It is a punishing paddle out if you do not make the end section.

Fortunately, if you do not make it, there are good medical clinics nearby in Jimbaran with plenty of experience treating reef cuts.

The rip constantly pulls you deeper when in the line-up, so you need to keep moving towards the shoulder.

Airport Rights is far out to sea and there are no landmarks.

This is a challenging wave, but it is well worth it if you can get just one set wave and make it all the way.

6. Keramas

Keramas was a secret spot for a very long time. But then they built the highway further up the east coast and the wave was “discovered”.

Keramas is a perfect right-hand barrel and a favourite of visiting professional surfers and locals alike. Keramas was selected for the WSL 2018 world tour and is a favourite competition destination for both international and local events.

If you look on the map at the swell direction, which is always from the SW or SSW, then it is hard to see how Keramas gets any swell at all, as it is protected by the Bukit and far up the east coast.

The reason is the very deep water in the Lombok Strait, which funnels the swell north between Bali and Lombok.

Keramas is a very consistent wave. You might think that in the dry season the SE trade winds would blow it onshore, but thanks to its proximity to Mount Agung—which rises around 3,000 metres—cool mountain air blows offshore most mornings.

During the rainy season from November to March, the SW or W winds are offshore, so it can be surfable all day.

Conclusion

You have had a glimpse of Bali’s finest and most thrilling surf spots for advanced surfers.

But if you are a less experienced surfer seeking a softer challenge, or planning to bring a beginner or intermediate surfer along with you on your next trip to Bali, we have got you covered.

Check out our blog posts on the best beginner surf spots in Bali and intermediate surf spots in Bali.

Now, are you feeling the call of the surfer’s paradise of Bali? We invite you to stay at our surf camp, Padang Padang Surf Camp.

We are located on the scenic Bukit Peninsula of Bali, literally minutes from some of the surf spots you have learned about in this post, such as Uluwatu, Padang Padang, and Bingin.

Most advanced-level surfers choose to stay with us because we are experts at choosing the best location to surf on any given day.

You see, it takes many years of experience to determine where to surf on any given day according to the conditions.

We know all the surf spots, and our surf guides are sponsored competition winners and some of the best surfers in Bali.

Unlike some other operators, we only employ local surf guides who are highly respected both in and out of the water.

So book your stay now and join us for the ultimate surfing experience in Bali.

Let us go and catch some waves and make memories to last a lifetime.