The Airport Reefs are located near the end of the runway of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, a short boat ride from the reef breaks of the Uluwatu area, on both the Kuta, Legian and Seminyak side of the airport and in the sheltered reefs of Jimbaran Bay.

Here you will find the Airport Reefs: six world-class outer reefs easily accessible by boat. What could be more fun than taking a traditional boat to surf an outer reef? Download our free PDF guide to all 75 Bali surf spots to plan your trip around the right break for every tide, swell and wind.

The Airport Reefs are paddling distance from the beach. It is tiring to paddle such a long distance to surf for a couple of hours and then paddle back. We recommend you take a boat because it is a lot more fun, and you will be fresh at the start of your surf session.

Getting the boat out to the Airport Reefs is a must-do for any surfer visiting Bali, and often a real highlight of the trip. All of the Airport Reefs are suitable for intermediate and advanced surfers. Read on for a quick introduction to each of the six breaks, with a link through to the full guide for each one.

Toro Toro

Toro Toro is one of the easiest and most fun waves in the world — a single peak breaking both left and right that is perfect for intermediate surfers working on their front-hand cutbacks, with a quieter inside wave nearby for when the main peak is too big or the swell too strong. Read our full guide to surfing Toro Toro for the complete tide and swell breakdown.

Tower

Tower is the gentlest of the Airport Reefs — a soft, novice-friendly wave that sits mid-way between the shoreline and Toro Toro, and only really wakes up on the bigger swells. Read our full guide to surfing Tower.

Airport Right

Airport Right is one of the most serious, high-performance barrelling waves in Bali, and reportedly one of Kelly Slater’s favourite spots when he is in town. It is always a foot bigger than Toro Toro and best surfed on a high tide, with the strong rip on big swells making it suitable for expert surfers only. Read our full guide to surfing Airport Right.

Airport Left

Airport Left is a soft-breaking left-hander near Tuban, Kuta, that never goes flat and offers long rides into an easy paddle-back channel — and thanks to the airport runway, it is the one Airport Reef that holds up when the others get blown out by the trade winds. Read our full guide to surfing Airport Left.

Middle Reef

Middle Reef sits between Airport Left and Kuta Reef and picks up the most swell of all the Airport Reefs, breaking well on a low tide with a peak that is less shifty than its neighbour. Read our full guide to surfing Middle Reef.

Kuta Reef

Kuta Reef is the sixth and final Airport Reef, and arguably the highest quality of them all — a predictable, long-riding wave that is tricky at low tide but becomes truly world-class as the tide fills in. Read our full guide to surfing Kuta Reef.

When is the best time to surf Bali’s Airport Reefs?

The best time to surf Bali’s Airport Reefs is early morning during the dry season (April to October). July and August are not the best months because the trade winds are very strong and are sometimes blowing hard, even at first light.

Due to the Airport Reefs’ distance from the shore, even a medium-strength offshore wind can make the surf choppy and difficult to ride. An offshore wind is generally ideal for surfing, but if the fetch is too far, i.e. the distance the wind is blowing over the water, then an offshore wind can be even worse than onshore. Unlike the surf spots in the Uluwatu region of Bali that are protected by high cliffs, the Airport Reefs are very exposed to all wind directions. The exception to the winds is Airport Left, because the airport runway offers some protection from the cross-offshore winds that are predominant in the dry season.

In the wet season, the swell is often too small for most of the Airport Reefs, and the south-west and west winds will chop up the water. The main problem with the Airport Reefs is that a medium-strength wind from any direction will negatively affect the wave quality. Usually, April and October are the best months for surfing the Airport Reefs, because the wind is generally very light when the seasons transition between wet and dry, and you will get many days every month in the dry season where the conditions are good.

Safety and dangers at Bali’s Airport Reefs

All of the Airport Reefs break over coral and are only accessible by boat, so plan a session here around the swell size, the tide, and your own ability. Each reef has its own specific hazards — shallow sections, rips, shifty peaks — covered in full on its dedicated guide above. Because the reefs sit well offshore and are exposed to wind from every direction, conditions can change quickly here more than almost anywhere else in Bali. We recommend surfing with a local surf guide, who can help with boat logistics, spot selection for the swell and your level, and support in the line-up.

Can beginners surf Bali’s Airport Reefs?

None of the Airport Reefs can be classified as beginner waves. The distance from shore and the coral reef bottom are two reasons why they are not ideal for beginners. However, on a big swell, Tower is suitable for L2 surfers, i.e. novice but not complete beginners.

Can intermediates surf Bali’s Airport Reefs?

Toro Toro and Airport Left are good for intermediate surfers on a small swell. Toro Toro is one of the easiest waves in the world, as it breaks slowly in the same place. Airport Left is shifty, but it is soft-breaking and the ride fizzles out in a deep-water channel.

Airport Right and Middle Reef are only suitable for advanced surfers due to the difficulty of the take-off. Kuta Reef has a very difficult take-off at mid-tide but is much easier at high tide.

How to enter the surf at the Airport Reefs

It is best to take a boat due to the distance from the shore. The boat will drop you in a deep-water channel, and it is a short, easy paddle to any of the Airport Reefs. It is best to take a boat from Jimbaran Bay if surfing Toro Toro or Airport Right. If these breaks are too small, it is usually an additional cost to motor past the airport runway to Airport Left or Middle Reef.

If you are staying on the Kuta side of the airport, then it is best to take a boat from Pantai Jerman. It is also possible to take a boat from Pantai Melisan, which is the closest place to access Airport Left.

How to exit the surf at the Airport Reefs

At the end of your last wave, look for your boat, if you booked the boat to stay for the duration of the session. It can be hard to identify which is your boat, as they all look the same. Colour is the best way to distinguish them. If you booked a shuttle boat, this is a little bit more complicated, as it could be a different boat picking you up. Confusing? Yes, particularly if the boat driver does not speak English. We recommend going with a local surf guide, who can help you book the boat, decide which reef to surf depending on swell size and your ability, help you in the line-up, and at the end of the session, help you find your boat.

Where to stay for the Airport Reefs

That very much depends on if you plan to surf the Jimbaran Bay side or the Kuta side of the airport. There are some great 5-star chain hotels located on the beach at Jimbaran Bay, but you would still need to drive to get to the spot where the boats operate. We would not recommend staying within walking distance of the boat operators, as the smell from the fish market is overwhelming. There are many budget accommodation options on Jalan Uluwatu, but it is a little bit far to walk to the beach.

On the Kuta side of the airport, the Patri Bali resort is walking distance from the beach closest to Airport Left. Bintang Bali resort is located immediately behind the other boat location. Bintang Bali is a faded 5-star hotel but great value for money. If you are looking for something more modern nearby, then we can recommend Bali Dynasty Resort and Discovery Kartika Plaza. On Jalan Kartika Plaza there are many mid-priced and budget accommodation options.

Where to eat near the Airport Reefs

Jimbaran Bay is famous for its seafood restaurants on the beach. Lobster, crab, clams, squid and fish are all fresh from the market and reasonably priced. Cuca is an excellent tapas restaurant which is more expensive than the seafood restaurants but well worth the money for such high-quality flavour.

The choice of restaurants in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak is incredible. With so much competition, they must be good to stay in business. If you are looking for high-end dining, then Sarong has a real wow factor with Indonesian, Thai and Indian food to choose from; you will not be disappointed.

What to do for non-surfers at the Airport Reefs

The trip in the boat is an experience in itself. Sit in the channel and watch the surfers and take photos. Another option is to go fishing a little further offshore.

Why the boat trip to Bali’s Airport Reefs is worth it

Bali’s Airport Reefs offer a genuine variety of high-quality waves that break both left and right, and between them there is a break suited to nearly every ability from confident intermediate to expert. Whichever corner of the cluster is firing on the day, a boat trip out here is something every surfer visiting Bali should experience — and it is one that Padang Padang Surf Camp has shared with countless guests over the years.

So join our surf camp and we will help you find the best spot for the conditions and your level, including the Airport Reefs on the days they are firing.