We recently returned from 8 days in Bali. My god, what an awesome place. This was my fourth time, but I hadn't ever really explored the bukit peninsula in detail or realise that each break had totally different waves from each other! When Uluwatu is 2-3x OH, Balangan is 1.5x oh, or that dreamlands is even smaller, baby Padang was softer again. All of these misconceptions in my head about big scary reef breaks were nothing more than that (aside from surfing at Gili T and realising the reef was only waist height after kicking off a wave!!).
I managed to score a couple of good waves at Balagan on a rented 8'0 x28 sup from the guys at priority surf.
Uluwatu was also 5m on our last day and was amazing seeing top surfers getting JetSki-towed in to huge waves!! Here are some pics.
While down at Uluwatu I saw a guy carrying a sup through the hole and said hey man, where do you surf out here? I thought the line up would be quite 'anti sup' and he goes 'yeah mate it is but **** em, just charge!' Haha. I saw him paddle out back but had to shoot off before seeing what waves he got. Wish I had taken my board out there too for a few waves, just had a mental block about supping or being accepted supping there. Funnily enough he was wearing an identical pair of sunnies that I brought in Aus 6-7yrs ago, must be something about supping haha.
Has anyone else here supped in Bali? If so- where did you go? Bring a board over or rent? Where did you rent? How did you find the crowd and waves?
I found the crowds really open and surprisingly chill compared to back home, which is crazy!
Always take my own board to Bali, AirAsia still carry boards under 15 kg for free.
I rent from Priority SUP. I tend to just paddle out to the waves in front of the Priority shop.
Oh really? At the jimbaran bay break? it was decent when I went but didn't have time to paddle out
