Booties are as essential for surfing in Bali as your pair of board shorts. Sometimes you don’t need them at all, sometimes it depends which tide, sometimes it’s 50/50 and other times you’re absolutely off the planet crazy if you don’t! Here I will attempt to give you some insight from my 10 years of travelling to Bali on the different scenarios.
Speaking of scenarios, here’s a couple I’ve experienced. My first time surfing in Bali at Bingin I forgot them. I decided I didn’t want to walk up the hill again to get them, got greedy taking my first wave too far in, landed on the reef, dinged my board and cut my foot open on my first wave ever in Bali. Another time I decided not to wear them at Uluwatu as the tide was nice and high, problem was that after surfing non stop for hours when I came in the tide was dead low & getting in involved a long walk across the dry reef, it took my forever & although no major damaged my feet were very sore after woods.
On the East coast at Nusa Dua always wear your booties. Further up the East coast toward Keramas and its surrounding spots the bottom is a mixture of sand and lava rocks so you can mostly get away with no booties although I have seem surfers without them become unstuck. Across the Lombok strait to the Island of Nusa Lembongan you will need to wear them at any of the places you surf. The coral is extremely sharp and even if you slightly plant your feet down you risk cutting your feet up.
On the South side of the Island from Canggu to Kuta Beach there is no need for booties. The bottom is mostly sand with possibly a few smooth lava rocks. Heading out to the reefs around Kuta it is advisable to wear booties. Although you may not need to walk long periods on the reef, if you need to you can safely pant your feet on the bottom without worrying about tearing your feet up. Further up the Bukit at Balangan, Bingin, Impossibles, Padang Padang & Uluwatu you will want to wear them every time you surf. Depending on the tides at Uluwatu it may appear you can get away without them but to be safe I would always suggest wearing them. The day you decide not to wear them is most certainly the day you will regret it.
In a nutshell, if you select the right pair of booties you could wear them at most of the surf breaks in Bali just to be safe and not risk ruining your surf trip. There are tons of booties available and i have tried several over the years but the best i have found for sure are Rip Curl and in particular The Rip Curl Reefer Low Split Toe Bootie. Obviously you want a pair closest to the feeling of not having any one and this one does just this. Thick enough on the bottom to protect your feet from even the sharpest of coral, yet doesn’t feel like you have a shoe on like some. They are breathable, have an easy pull on heel strap, have a split toes which makes easier for walking & foot movement, mesh water flow panels, coral proof sole, compression strap & to top it off look awesome. Do yourself a favour and click here to purchase your Rip Curl Reefer Low Split Toe Booties today.
Good luck in your surf adventures, stay safe and protect your feet, because without them you won’t be surfing.
