Bali has surf all year, and the coast that works changes with the season. Surf guides describe the west-facing coast, from Canggu down to Uluwatu, as best in the dry season from about April to October, and the east-facing coast, around Sanur, Nusa Dua and Keramas, as best in the wet season from about November to March. Wind direction is the reason.
Why the coast changes with the season
Surf quality in Bali follows the wind, and Bali's wind reverses between seasons. Surf guides explain that the dry season brings southeast trade winds, which blow offshore on the west-facing coast and hold the waves up cleanly. In the wet season the wind turns to the northwest, which is onshore on the west and offshore on the east.
Offshore and onshore
An offshore wind blows from the land toward the sea, against the face of the incoming wave, and keeps it smooth. An onshore wind blows from sea to land and crumbles it. The same swell can produce clean surf on one side of the island and messy surf on the other on the same day.
The seasons in the rainfall record
The two wind seasons match Bali's rainfall seasons. South Bali's climate normals show about 1 inch of rain in July and about 14 inches in January. The dry months are the trade-wind months, and the wet months are the northwest-wind months.
Dry season: the west coast
The dry season, from about April to October, is the season for Bali's west-facing breaks. Surf guides name the Bukit peninsula breaks around Uluwatu and Padang Padang, and the beaches at Kuta and Canggu further north. The same guides say the largest swells of the year arrive from June to August.
What that means for a beginner
The months with the biggest swell are not the gentlest months to learn in. We give no wave heights and do not rate any named break for difficulty, because we have no official source for either. Our advice to a beginner is to book lessons with a surf school and let the instructor choose the beach and the hour.
Crowds in the water
July and August are also the peak months for visitors generally, so the best-known breaks are shared with more people. A surfer who can travel in May, June or September gets the dry-season wind pattern with less company. Surf guides describe the prime season as starting around May.
Wet season: the east coast
The wet season, from about November to March, moves the surf to Bali's east-facing coast. Surf guides name Keramas, Sanur and Nusa Dua as the areas that benefit, since the northwest wind that spoils the west coast blows offshore there. The famous west-coast breaks are less reliable in these months.
Surfing in the rain
Rain itself does not stop surfing; the sea is warm and you are wet anyway. What changes is the water near river mouths after heavy rain. The CDC advises travelers in Indonesia to avoid swimming or wading in water that may be contaminated after flooding. Our advice is to give the water a day after a big downpour.
Fewer people
The wet season is the quieter season for visitors overall, apart from the Christmas and New Year period. A surfer willing to base on the east side of the island can expect less company than in July. We have no visitor statistics by month, so we state the direction only.
