Bali's Bukit peninsula: world-class left reefs (Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin, Impossibles), best in the dry season. 12 spots within 9 km of Uluwatu: 2 beach breaks, 10 reef breaks.
Intermediate: Airport Lefts (Good, 1.7 m, cross-offshore around 06:00), Airport Rights (Good, 2.3 m, cross-offshore around 15:00), Dreamland (Fair, 2.5 m, cross-offshore around 10:00)
Advanced: Temples (Epic, 2.2 m, cross-offshore around 06:00), Impossibles (Good, 1.9 m, cross-offshore around 06:00)
Forecast updated 20 Oct, 01:03 UTC.
The spots
Padang Padang · reef break, advanced, best on SW/SSW swell with SE/ESE wind, mid tide. A short, powerful left that throws a barrel at take-off and again on the final bowl. It needs a solid swell and is only for confident surfers.
Impossibles · reef break, advanced, best on SW/S swell with ESE/E/SE wind, low to mid tide. Long, fast left between Padang Padang and Bingin that runs in several sections; on the right swell the sections link into very long rides.
Bingin · reef break, advanced, best on SW/SSW swell with E/ESE wind, mid tide. A fast, hollow left below the cliff village of Bingin that gives short but powerful tubes. Best around mid tide in the dry season.
Uluwatu · reef break, advanced, best on SW/SSW swell with SE/ESE wind, all tides. Bali's best-known left, peeling off the Bukit cliffs in several sections that work on different tides and swell sizes. It is consistent in the dry season and one of the…
Dreamland · beach break, intermediate, best on SW/SSW swell with E/ESE wind, low tide. A sandy beach break with reef sections on the Bukit, offering both lefts and rights. It works best near low tide on a decent swell.
Temples · reef break, advanced, best on SW/WSW/W swell with SE/E/ESE wind, mid to high tide. Left-hand reef and point just south of the Uluwatu temple cliff. Starts around 1 to 1.5 m and wants a rising mid to high tide; it rarely links up and is hard to read…
Balangan · reef break, intermediate, best on SW/SSW swell with ESE/E wind, low to mid tide. A long, forgiving left reef break over coral on the west Bukit coast. Its wide, relatively mellow shape makes it a good step up from beach breaks.
Nyang Nyang · reef break, advanced, best on SW/S swell with N/NE wind, mid tide. Exposed right-hand reef off a remote beach on the Bukit's south coast, reached by a long cliff path; it picks up more swell than the west-side spots.
Jimbaran Beach · beach break, intermediate, best on W/WSW swell with E/ESE wind, all tides. Short, hollow sand-bottom peaks on the west-facing Jimbaran bay, best on a west swell with an east breeze. Few people out during the week.
Airport Rights · reef break, intermediate, best on SW/SSW swell with E/ESE/SE wind, mid to high tide. The right-hander on the same reef system as Airport Lefts, a few hundred metres further south. Needs the same southwest push and easterly wind; Surf-Forecast rates it…
Green Ball · reef break, advanced, best on SW/SE swell with N/NW/NE wind, mid tide. Right-hand reef on the southern Bukit Peninsula reached by a steep path and a beach club; works best on mid tide with northwest to northeast winds.
Airport Lefts · reef break, intermediate, best on SW/SSW swell with E/ESE/SE wind, mid to high tide. Coral reef left off the end of the Ngurah Rai runway that wants a proper southwest groundswell, around 1.5 m and up, and a rising mid to high tide. Easterly morning…
When to surf in Uluwatu
Best months for intermediate surfers: April to November. For beginners: April, October to November. The water goes from about 28 °C in August (Boardshorts / rash vest) to 30 °C in December (Boardshorts / rash vest). Best-known spots: Uluwatu, Padang Padang.
Days per month at the best third of the 12 spots for each level, from three years of wave and wind model data.
Questions
What are the best surf spots in Uluwatu?
The best-known are Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin, Impossibles. In all, 12 spots lie within 9 km: 2 beach breaks, 10 reef breaks.
Where can beginners surf in Uluwatu?
Uluwatu is mostly for intermediate and advanced surfers: reefs, points or powerful beach breaks. Beginners should take a lesson and stay on the smallest days.
When is the best time to surf in Uluwatu?
For intermediate surfers April to November. For beginners April, October to November.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in Uluwatu?
The sea goes from about 28 °C in August (Boardshorts / rash vest) to 30 °C in December (Boardshorts / rash vest).