Located on the Bukit Peninsula, Uluwatu is at the heart of surfing in Bali. A must see destination if you visit this beautiful island. Also good if the surf is small as there is always something to surf here. It’s not uncommon to see over 100 surfers in the water so be prepared to haggle for position. Uluwatu is a massive coral reef that offers up amazing left hand rides in four distinct sections.
Temples, the furthest to paddle but can have good to excellent rides up to 100m in length. The barrels here can be thick and heavy! There is usually less crowd surfing here.
The Peak, the jewel in Uluwatu’s crown, can hold 15 foot (triple overhead) plus. As the name suggests, you are presented with a well formed peak and in good swells the waves holds up and can provide deep and lengthy barrels as the wave links through to the next section. On the right tide and size it is possible to make it through to the Racetrack. Be prepared to haggle for position with a talented pack of surfers.
The Racetrack reef really starts to work well from 4-6 foot (overhead +). Can provide thick barrels from take off, lengthy rides of of over 150m and wackable sections. Be wary of the reef that awaits not to far beneath you. Keep an eye out for the end section which serves up epic stand up barrels over a shallow ledge.
Outside corner, starts to break at 6-8 and is the outside reef of The Racetrack. Not as hollow but serves up big walls for over 150m.
What are the best surf conditions for Uluwatu?
Gets good between chest high and triple overhead. We recommend riding a shortboard, step up, then your rhino chaser as the swells begin to pick up. Ulu’s is best suited to intermediate, advanced, and professional surfers. The surf here is super consistent (9/10) and will be very crowded (8/10). The best winds come from the East, Northeast, and Southeast depending on the part of the reef. The best swells are from the South, Southeast, and Southwest. Something will be working at every tide.
We recommend wearing boardshorts or a bikini year round. Water temperatures range from 29 to 25 year round. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
