There is nothing quite like the feeling of discovering and surfing a new location. I’ve been to Bali around twenty times and still are discovering new locations. The challenge though is to score these locations with the ideal conditions to get the best waves. Sometimes easier said than done.
Being an Island nicknamed ‘The land of the lefts’, a natural stance surfer does need to search a little more to find the rights. Not as common or well known as the lefts, but they are there for the adventurous ones that are willing to put in the effort. Most of these rights are found on the East Coast which is mainly surfable during the wet season. This part of the coast was our chosen destination during our trip of March 2025.
Over the last couple of years I had heard rumors of a point break on this East Coast of Bali. It was said to have crystal clear water, astonishing views and an array of sea life. Oh yes, and a perfect world class wave. Apparently the swell needed to be huge for it to even break though and a lot of aspects had to come together to score it. It was also hard to find, even if you thought you knew where it was.
I spoke to a few of my Bali friends before we came and got some intel of where it was located and what conditions were needed for me to score. Confident I could find it, I now just needed the conditions to line up for an opportunity. Where we were staying on the East Coast was apparently an hour or two, depending on Bali traffic, from this mythical perfect point break. Already having scored perfect waves on the trip, a big red blob appeared on the forecast and it appeared the surf was going to be huge for the upcoming two days. In addition the wind on the two mornings of the swell were going to be perfect, the tide was going to be right on point, as to the direction of the swell. So basically I needed a huge swell, offshore or no wind, the perfect swell direction and a mid tide! On top of that the two to three hour window of the tide also had to fall early morning before the wind changed. Amazingly, even with all these variables, it seemed I was about to score the perfect conditions two days running. Not a guarantee, but looking very positive.
So the next thing was getting there. The evening before the surf where I was staying was huge and maxing out. The biggest I’d ever seen it! This gave me great confidence that our destination secret spot would have waves. I wasn’t expecting anything huge. Possibly 2 to 3 feet fun waves. We organized a driver Made to pick us up at 5.30am to make sure we would arrive around sunrise. We set off the next morning having a rough idea where to go. A couple of wrong turns later and after asking some locals we found a tiny sign where to turn. We then drove down a tiny windy road through the jungle for around five minutes or so when finally we arrived. The excitement and anticipation was maxed out at this moment! We pulled up and there it was. I was overwhelmed with what I saw. A long right hand point break with absolutely perfect overhead waves reeling off down the line with only six surfers in the line up. A dream set up with the most picturesque landscape I’ve ever seen whilst surfing with Mount Agung Volcano towering right above. For me, it was the ultimate and a dream come true! I don’t think I have ever been so excited before a session.
I reviewed the set up for a couple of minutes then started the mission of getting out. The point was lined with big boulder rocks and reef that you had to negotiate. Then once at the water’s edge I had to wait for a break in the waves and time it just perfect for a quick dash into deeper water. Then I made the long paddle up the point toward the top of the line up. The six surfers were evenly spaced along the point. You could sit way at the top of the point, midway down or closer in. Either way you would score a perfect wave.
I paddled out to the top of the point and chatted with the one other surfer up there for around sixty seconds before a set approached. Without hesitation he said ‘you go’, so I went! A steep entry into the wave and as I bottomed turned I viewed a never ending wall of perfection. It was one of the best waves I’ve ever surfed. Super fast with a huge wall to carve up and down plus open hollow sections. As I finally got off the wave way down the point I sat on my board, facing my wife who was taking photos, arms in the air thinking aloud, oh my god, can you believe this! I was in awe! Then I paddled back out and proceeded to get perfect wave after perfect wave after perfect wave. At times I would be paddling back out and be in position for a perfect wave but had to let it go as didn’t have the energy to paddle into it. I would just stop, sit, put my arms in the air in joy and watch it roll through. Then keep paddling out, catch me breath and go the next one.
After a good two hours of unlimited perfect waves, the wind changed direction and started to ruffle the line up and the high tide started to swamp the waves. There were still plenty of good waves but not quite as perfect and I was exhausted, so I decided the next would be my last for the day. I said goodbye to the friendly turtles that were also there for the occasion and paddled into my last wave which took me all the way in. It was a little hectic coming in, again waiting for the right moment to do the dash to avoid the waves crushing you on the rocks, but I made it unscathed.
I had just had one of, if not the best session I’d ever had in Bali in twenty trips! One of my best session’s anywhere when I think about it! Pure perfection.
We returning to where we were staying watching the surf drop through the remainder of the day but that evening, as the tide ran in, it pulsed again and we decided to do it all over again the next morning. Wondering if we made the right call with the dropping swell and thinking we may arrive to a flat surf, we actually arrived to pumping waves again. Slightly smaller waves, slightly less perfect, but plenty of them and once again only six surfers out. I surfed until I literally could not paddle back out as was so sun drenched and exhausted feeling like my shoulders were about to fall off. Then once I came in, the wind came up, the waves died down dramatically and I realized I had just scored another perfectly timed session.
I’ve been to Bali twenty times and surfed so many different locations here but love that I still am finding new locations and still getting that feeling of surfing a new place for the first time. Being gifted this secret place at as good as it gets was just a bonus. A bonus I am very grateful for! A bonus I will never forget!
Thank you Bali Karma. The search continues. Yewwww!
