Surfing in Nusa Dua is a wet-season imperative on the Isle of the Gods. Come here to get XXL waves (one of the few in Bali) and fizzing right-hander reef barrels. We won’t pretend it’s a beginner spot. It’s not. But there’s some serious quality between November and March.
An introduction to Nusa Dua surfing
When people talk about surfing in Bali, they’re probably referring to the breaks that string around the western side of the Bukit Peninsular – Ulus, Bingin, Impossibles. But there’s another top-class spot that waits on the eastern edge and it’s perhaps more of a swell draw than any in the region. Cue Nusa Dua, a part of the Isle of the Gods primarily associated with 5-star hotels and golden-sand beaches.
Common logic dictates that the spot works best in the wet season since that’s when the SW swells switch SE, but really there’s rarely a flat day around Nusa Dua. It’s the reefs off Geger Beach that start the action. They’re tight against the shore and the water, leaving little room for maneuver on waves that are pretty much only for the experts and above. That’s true all the way around to Main Peak, Bali’s sole XXL spot, where things crank up another notch and you really need a deathwish to paddle out.
Our take? Nusa Dua is pure quality but you have to earn it. There’s as much forgiveness from the shallow reefs here as air in space – AKA none. Shifty currents add to the hazards as you move north along the reefs to the peaks that are real solid stuff. But when it’s on, it can be the best ride around.
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Nusa Dua surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to surfing Nusa Dua?
Where is Nusa Dua?
Nusa Dua is the easternmost portion of the famous Bukit Peninsula, which itself is the star of the surf show in southern Bali. The area is best-known as a resort hub for monied folk – notice the Grand Hyatt’s et al crowding the coast. The surf starts at the south end of Nusa’s Geger Beach and continues north through the resort until it fizzles out by Peninsula Island. To get here, you’re looking at about 25 minutes’ transfer from the airport in normal traffic (and the traffic is rarely toally normal).
Nusa Dua surf spots
The main surf zone in Nusa Dua starts to the south of Temple Island, following a reef all the way to Geger Beach, where the Bali coastline curves inwards just a little and the reefs drop away. Here, we’ll follow every spot going south to north…
Temples (or Geger/Temple Lefts)
There’s a sandy channel that runs immediately along the southern end of Pura Geger beach at the very southern end of Nusa Dua. You can use that to get out to the peak for the Temple Left, perhaps the most intermediate-friendly of all the spots here. You’re looking at a steep and hollow goofy wave that cuts straight towards the shore. It will be okay for most when it’s 3-5 foot but transforms into something altogether more brutal when it’s 7+, mainly because of the rips that pull from the channel, barring the way back to the beach. Beware of shallow reefs – the usual hazard of Nusa Dua.c
Elevators
A fast and fizzing right hander that’s all about scoring the backdoor before lipping out on a shallow section of reef, Elevators is one of the sheer performance rights in the Nusa Dua area. It’s virtually ALWAYS working – SE, SW, hardly matters. The take off is key because you have to get ahead of the wave before it slabs up so much that the bottom sucks away and there’s almost nothing between you and the urchins in the void. Shifty as hell out back as the water moves through the Bali Strait with Lombok. Only for experts.
Keyhole Left
Keyhole Left is a tailor-made performance wave that breaks on the east and north side of the small channel (known, simply, as the Keyhole) that separates this wave from Elevators. It’s super steep to begin with, dropping straight into a hollow pit that shoots out into a rippable shoulder before fizzling out as the reef ends abruptly. Short but fun rides for rippers.
Keyhole Right
There aren’t that many people left in Bali who actually enjoy surfing Keyhole Right. This is a brutal wave, smashing in a colossal slab off the same peak as the left mentioned above. It’s big, fast, and occasionally monstrously unpredictable in where it closes out. The reward for sticking to the shoulder? Not that great. How does being dropped off right at the endzone of Main Point sound, in a section of uber-shallow reef filled with urchins that requires massive hold downs simply to survive. It’s got a bad rep but some still like to get out there.
Main Peak
Main Peak is probably the most dangerous wave in Bali, and perhaps even Indo as a whole. It’s known as the only XXL spot on the island. The power comes from a deep channel that carves into the Lombok Straight and sucks up all that SE wet season swell with serious moxie. As the wave forms, it drags the water off the reef in front, meaning you gotta’ wait for the push or high to have enough H2O to make it makeable. Before you even take off, the main enemy will be the rips, which are constantly pushing you along the reefs into ever-shallower sections of jagged rock. If you’re the sort who can make this type of wave (and there aren’t all that many) then the ride could be the one of your life – a 20-foot monster that drags right onto a Nazare-esque wall of moving water that will get the adrenaline gland working overtime.
Chickens
It might be in eyeshot of Main Peak, but Chickens lowers the temperature a whole load with its fun right-hand shoulders. There are multiple take-off zones that work in the wet season, all of them usually well attended. Usually semi-hollow with good power, it’s a top place for hotdoggers or airs. Works best at full tide with a light W offshore.
Blackstone
Blackstone sits right at the top end of the Nusa Dua reef. It actually forms off the rocks and reefs that fringe the two tidal islands here. It’s a left that can be great fun on smaller days, and is actually a rare spot for all levels bar the beginners. It’s often quite busy because the paddle from the shore is nowhere near as crazy as for the peaks at the southern end of the resort.
Where to stay when surfing in Nusa Dua?
One of the great strengths of choosing Nusa Dua to surf in Bali is that it’s got some of the very best hotels on the island. Remember, the place cut its teeth as a bit of a luxury travel destination. We’ve tried to pick out the places that will get you close to the breaks but still offer some of that Nusa Dua sparkle and class.
The Bale
The Bale is south Bali through and through. A series of small villas with their own private plunge pools set in palm-shaded gardens only a walk back from Geger Beach and Main Peak. Don’t mind if I do!
The St. Regis Bali Resort
The St. Regis Bali Resort is one of the most acclaimed resort hotels on the Nusa Dua strip and it happens to be super close to Main Peak and the south reefs. You get the height of luxury here. It’s not for nothing that it’s 9+ on Booking and the full five stars!
Kimpton Naranta Bali, an IHG Hotel
The Kimpton Naranta Bali, an IHG Hotel is an option that’s a bit more inland but also brand, spanking new. Get yourself a sleek villa to enjoy the private infinity pools, the his-her bathrooms, and the secluded terraces. Post surf pampering, eh.
Step-by-step guide to planning your surfing nusa dua trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the surfing nusa dua…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Nusa Dua?
The wet season is when Nusa Dua really shines. As the rains begin in Bali around November, so the swells switch to a more direct S and a touch SE. That pulls the action off the iconic spots of the western Bukit and forces more swell up through the Lombok Strait, right into the reefs of Geger and Nusa Dua. You’ll find the biggest days hit around January, when the XXL scores of Main Peak are pumping. Thing is, though, there’s usually action in Nusa Dua all year round, even in the summer months. Get lucky with a dip in the E trades then and you can come here to find the place way less busy that it should be since everyone’s still prowling down by Padang Padang.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
