Intermediate surf spot - Bali/Lombok

[chappo]

Heading to Bali/Lombok in early March.

I can't surf that well - can stand up and go across a wave. No cutbacks etc.

Any suggestions of good spots for me in Bali/Lombok. Perferably Lombok.

Thanks!

[matt...]

sounds like a beginner request, rather than an "intermediate" level.
kuta reef is usually full of beginners.
playgrounds at nusa lembongan is usually full of beginners. that's also a popular stopover on the way to lombok. "lacerations" would be too advanced for you. i'd hate for you to come home early with reef cuts in your back.
bingan, impossibles...
lombok is more intermediate to experienced - you'd probably want to be at a skill level a little bit more advanced than just "standing up and going along a wave".
not being able to do basic turns may prevent you from negotiating steep drops, other people in the water, or sections, so you might wear a few on the head & be doing a lot of paddling, or worse - ending up colliding with other people in the water.

[bc]

If you want to avoid crowds, Kuta Reef ain't the place to be.
High Tide Legian in the early morning is the place for you.
Medewi is fun if you can cope with a few days away from the nightclubs.
Dreamland is fab if you like bigger, safe (crowded) waves.

[chappo]

Thanks for the tips guys - appreciate it

I'm crushed you rate me a beginner - Haha - the truth hurts...

[ShaneK]

In Bali Canggu, when there is not a lot of swell, is not a bad option as it has a few different spots that are for differing abilities depending on the tide. Most are reef/sand bottoms. Tends to blow out early in the dry season, but I guess the winds are better this time of year.

enjoy!

[matt...]

Thanks for the tips guys - appreciate it

I'm crushed you rate me a beginner - Haha - the truth hurts...

not meaning to crush your spirits. it's good to hear that you are keen to get amongst it!
just trying to highlight a few precautions, as any surf destination with reef can cause severe injuries, or any crowded destinations can cause severe injuries - for the unwary.

places like ulu's have tricky currents, lembongan has SHARP reef, sumatra has shallow reef & sharp reef in spots.
spots like bingan & impossibles have reef, but from memory i think it's more like a rock reef, not coral. i remember being hurled over by the lip there 13 years ago, trying to keep up with the section, the lip catching up with me & huling me over, my foot flipped & slammed the reef, bruising it for the rest of the trip.
the spots the other guys have mentioned are good as well for the less experienced... enjoy.

[Beanpole]

Medewi is a nice easy wave but it is not a good place to learn to surf as the wave breaks over north coast style boulders rather than in front of nth coast style boulders. A bit like learning to surf on the rocks at Lennox or Crescent. Saw some Germans there a couple of years ago plowing into the boulders as they tried to stand up.

So many good beach breaks around if you travel. Canggu is pretty crowded most of the time these days it seems.

[alakaboo]

gerupuk is the go for beginners, or some of the breaks on gili air (although they will normally be small). although I don't know about winds, i've only ever been to indo in june-august
stay at kuta (lombok south coast), have to organise a bemo and a boat to get you out there. definitely helps if you speak some bahasa, otherwise it can get expensive. fortunately i have an aussie mate who works in jakarta and is fluent...
get the 'chicken class' ferry to lombok, not the seppo express. takes a long time if the tide is against it, and sometimes sinks, but well worth it. go VIP class, the roof is hot!

[otway1949]

Lombok ferry

The ferry ride to Lombok is interesting can take hours more depending on how the tide goes and it has occasionally sunk.
When you get to the port on Lombok you will see two old Manly Hydrofoil abandoned in the mud where they sank you are also quite a drive from surf, Gilli Air is closest. Grupuk is on the bottom end of the island, it's the same if you fly into Mataram Airport on Merati.
All in all I'd recommend the Medewi end of Bali

[monkeyman]

Nice thread. Nusa Lembongan is definately an easy place for you. You'll find a few waves including plagrounds whihc has been mentioned. Is you are going in the dry season, I'd do a few days at Kuta to find your feet, surf Kuta reef from a boat if you are feeling competent - it's not that difficult and you'll find that as an intermediate you will surf better than ever before on waves that break down the line consistantly - then get the cheap boat from Sanur to Lembongan for a week and relax. Easy and not scary. I would wear booties everywhere bar Kuta beach and a wetsuit vest or short john will protect you just in case you do have a little reef scrape... remember to fall flat so you don't hit the bottom and catch as many waves as you can to increase exponentially the time it takes to get better!

[philw]

i recommend canggu, early mornings away from the echo beach area. there's a few km's of generally approachable beach break.

medewi is a very easy but has very sharp rocks underneath, playgrounds on nusa lembongan is amazingly fun but gets overcrowded very quickly and also has very sharp reef. nowhere else on lembongan really qualifies as a beginner spot so probably not worth the bother.

otherwise dremaland is easy by comparison to other waves on the bukit but hardly a beginners spot and the kuta legian stretch is usually more or less a close out - and gets nasty on bigger swells.

there's also a little sheltered corner on the way round to Nusa Dua - think it might be called Temples - it's a pretty crap wave and rippy as hell the one time i surfed there. but it does offer shelter from the swell.

wet season does offer a few alternatives on the east coast.

go to canggu.

ps - if yr adventurous, i'm sure there are some more medewi-like spots further up the coast there, next time i go i'm gonna take a peek...

[grapsta]

Bali - Balangan

Lombok - Grupuk ..have surfed it and stayed in Kuta, Lombok 3 times....great spot. sweet as waves and locals. you sure don't need to be able to speak the local lingo - most of the locals speak good English especially the Kimen surf shop guys...cheap down there too. feel free to email me for any info. If you ccan afford $60-70 a night try to get a deal at teh Novotel...great hotel

[gibber]

Gurupuk "insides" is a soft wave and basicaslly full of euro and japanese learners as there are accom set ups in the town for both these dudes. If you stay in Gurupuk itself you wont need a car but if you stay in Kuta you definitely will need one. There is little to no night life there so if you want that stay in Sengigi and surf the western side
There are a few decent waves around the southern side but getting to them and then having them on the right tide is the challenge. Is it worth the effort??? well if you spend time there it is but if you want an easy destination with little travel and high rewards then Lombok isn't really the place to spend your coin. Bali is just so much easier