If you’re a surfer who hasn’t already been to the truly wave-blessed tropical Indonesian island of Bali, then you are missing a crucial step of your surf pilgrimage. Even more so if you’re a goofy footer, as surfing Bali during the prime season a wondrous selection of lefts break in clear warm water over colourful reefs with a steady trade wind blowing offshore. But enough of the waves for a second, as it is no secret that Bali is peppered with world class waves. What Bali is not so famous for is the hard bargaining to avoid getting ripped off and the tourist traps that many an unsuspecting surfer has fallen into. For first-timers to Bali, take heed of this advice and you’ll find yourself holding onto your holiday cash for a bit longer.
You Need Transport for Surfing Bali
The local infrastructure has a lot left to be desired, and the thought of strolling down to a quiet beach break with a few straw huts serving cold ones here and there will be shattered as soon as you step foot on Kuta beach. You need a ride to get to the best breaks here, and you do have a choice on how to get around.
Scooters and motorbikes with fitted surf racks offer the fastest, best value for money and most dangerous way to get yourself around. Renting a 125cc scooter for one for a day will cost you 50,000 Indonesian rupiah ($5), but if you rent for a week or even a month you can haggle down for a serious discount. A week could cost 250,000 – 300,000 rupiah ($30), while going for a month offers the best deal at 500,000 to 600,000 rupiah ($50-60). These prices are normal, but unscrupulous locals offering bike rental may well try to get double these prices or more out of you. If you don’t know the right price in the first place, how are you to know right? For the bike dealer, every customer is a chance to cash in so chances are they will try to pull a fast one.
Cars are available to rent as well, although it will cost a lot more and you’ll find yourself stuck in traffic and infuriated at the lack of traffic etiquette. That said, you will be safer. Prices start at 250,000 rupiah ($25) a day and get cheaper the longer you rent it for, same like the motorbikes. Same rules apply, expect to get asked for an inflated price and remember to haggle hard to get the best price.
Location, Location, Location
The best thing to do is get out of the Kuta and Seminyak district unless you want to drink your surf trip away. Accommodation is pretty cheap across Bali, but there are luxury villas and hotels on offer where you can pay hundreds of dollars a night. To get settled in on your first trip try the reasonably priced accommodation with a view of the surf down at Bingin beach or Balangan beach. From these two spots you have waves on your doorstep, and with transport you can get to all the other surf spots on the Bukit peninsula within an hour. A modest room with a fan from $15 to $20 a night, with prices rising along with room size, hot water, air conditioning, view etc. Remember you can haggle over a room, in fact it is expected, and the longer you agree to stay the cheaper you can get it, similar to motorbikes and cars. If your budget allows splurge a little on a room, you get a lot more for your money. Have a look around and just compare a $20 a night room to a $50 a room night to see the big difference.
Take Spare Surf Gear
Most of the waves here pack a punch, so pack extra fins, leashes, and a ding repair kit as standard. If you can take an extra board too do it, as snapped sticks are pretty standard when it gets big and especially at breaks like Padang Padang. You can buy kit here but expect to pay more for it, and watch out for locally made equipment that can be cheaper at the sacrifice of quality. One thing that is good in Bali is the price of board repairs when you need it. For each small ding or crack expect to pay 50,000 rupiah ($5) at the surf shops in Kuta, 150,000 ($15) for a fin plug replacement, and you can even get a snapped board slapped back together surprisingly well with a paint job to cover the damage for 400,000 rupiah ($40). Which brings me onto the next point, which is to inspect second hand boards thoroughly if you are thinking of buying. Many repaired snapped boards end up on the racks of surf shops here, so if in doubt don’t buy it!