You previously read about the awesome few days I scored this wave with my nephew two years ago and how good it gets. I’ve also had some other surfs here over the years which have provided some great waves. Last year I had some great sessions in perfect conditions and have been itching to get back there ever since my last surf there. I know how good it can get and, call me greedy, but I just want more and more feel that my alltime session was still to come.
Our trip this time started with eight days on the Bukit at Balangan, so just a short ten minute scooter ride on my trusty N-Max away to Dreamlands. I had lined up the trip so the low tide, which is needed for Dreamlands to break, fell in the late afternoon. This meant that there would be no ocean morning sickness and the tradewinds would be blowing strong offshore creating the most ideal conditions. Now all I needed was swell. Well, boy did I get swell!
The first two days the swell it was massive! The biggest two days of the season so far! The first day I watched it in awe as only a handful of locals took it on. It was that big it was closing out across the channel on the sets. The surfers looked like a spec when they took off before, if lucky, got a bottom turn in and one off the top manoeuvre before ejecting themselves off the back of the wave. There were some more manageable size waves inbetween, but for me, the risk was too high, but what a sight to see. For those of you that know the Bukit, Bingin was non-existent. It was just a line of whitewater all the way through it from Impossibles. Tow in sessions were going down at Uluwatu. Balangan was at another level with only a few brave souls taking it on. I also heard that the three reefs at Kuta had all been joined by whitewater. I can only imagine what some other spots were doing.
The second day of the swell it was still way too huge for me but it was awesome watching some of the reefs firing! The third day it had dropped a little but still really big, so my wife and I took off on the scooters to try and find something more manageable. We ended up at Honeymoons near Jimbaran Bay but because of the swell direction, the swell didn’t seem to be getting in there much. So we went from too big, only to find too small. It was a shame as the effort to get there through traffic and the long walk along the uneven rocky walking track was a mission! We finally got back to the villa and wound down. It was two hours before the sunset and I was still extremely keen for a surf. I concluded I just had to give Dreamlands a crack right then. I thought if I get smashed, I get smashed, but I’m going! On my bike and off I went.
As I walked past the Warungs leading down to Dreamlands and caught my first view of the surf it appeared not to be too out of control. Once in front of the wave it also looked like a relatively easy paddle out to the peak. At this point, nothing was stopping me paddling out. I am actually glad I didn’t do my normal ten to fifteen minute check before paddling out as had I seen how big and gnarly it was, I may not have gone out! Once at the peak I was so excited to be surfing this wave again. There also were not too many surfers out. I do have to mention there is a left off this same peak too. The left is hollower but very fast and rights are generally not as easy to score in Bali so my aim was to go right, every wave. It was only a few minutes before I could see the swell lines marching down from Uluwatu, through Impossibles, ready to unleash right in front of me. I let the group hustle for the first one and positioned myself for the second wave of the set. I was in the perfect spot, remembering my land lineups from the previous sessions. I didn’t even care how big this wave was going to be, I was committed to go no matter what!
I paddled like a maniac. Long hard strokes. The offshore wind was so strong I was paddling as hard as I ever had to catch a wave. Once into the wave it was a long fast steep drop to the bottom before I drew a long bottom turn and took control of the wave. It easily was the biggest wave I had ever had here. It took my so wide I though it was going to join up with the left on the other side of the beach. If you’ve surfed here before, you’ll know what I mean. As I rode out of the wave, I was thinking three things. What a friggen wave, it’s a lot bigger than I thought and boy am I glad I paddled out.
Feeling quite nervy, noticing the intensity energy of the ocean, I paddled back out to the peak. The following couple of hours were pure adrenaline as I caught a bunch of the best and biggest waves I’d ever surfed at Dreamlands. At times I found myself paddling for my life to avoid getting annihilated, but after getting caught a couple of times, also realising I could survive any beatings the session dished out.
It is easy to see why they call this place Dreamlands. Crystal clear blue water. Lots of sea life. A white sandy beach. Not to mention the perfect A-Frame peak. A surfers dream. As usual in Bali, after a good couple of hours passed and the tide filled in, the waves started to slow down and I caught my last wave in. Getting in past the shorebreak on a big day like this is no easy feat either. The waves break out the back, die off once they pass the reef but then the energy still pushes in through the channel and unloads on the beach. The result is a thumping shorebreak that can easily break your board, or your body, if you time it wrong. Luckily on this occasion I timed it right and made it to the sand unscaved.
The best thing was that over the next two days the swell was to drop only a little so the next two afternoons it was going to be on again!
The following day I paddled out at the exact same tide and although a little smaller, with the full on intensity a little lower, it was still going off! Leanne, my wife, came along for this session and caught some awesome photos. Inbetween sets, besides trying to stay in position, I chatted with a couple of other surfers out there. Hearing of stories about surfers from the first massive two days that I didn’t paddle out, including the alltime rides, nasty wipeouts and nasty injuries. I will say I had no regrets about keeping my feet planted on dry land over those two days.
The third day on my amazing run at Dreamlands the swell stayed about the same size, but the sets a lot more infrequent. Perfect waves, but just a long wait between them but even less surfers out. Nevertheless, they were well worth the wait. Another glorious memorable session going down.
My hope was to score Dreamlands pumping this trip and I did exactly that three days in a row. Not only that, but it was my first three surfs of the trip. So happy, so grateful and can’t wait until 2026 to do it all over again. Unless…let me check my calendar for next month….Now I’m dreaming…
Below: Balangan in all its glory during the huge 3 day onslaught!
