Awesome Surfing in Medewi, Bali

written by local expert Tom Rogers

Tom is the co-founder of Adventure in You and has been traveling the world for the last 9 years, living in 5 different continents. His advice on travel gear, adventure travel, and business have been featured in Foundr, Business Insider, CNN and more.

The main reason we decided to come to Bali was to surf. We knew about all the amazing surf spots that Bali had to offer and were itching to get in the water. Both my partner Anna and I can surf but are nowhere near as good as we would like to be. Let’s just say we still nosedive, miss our pop ups and sometimes look like idiots when riding the wave-but that doesn’t matter because we love it! That’s why we wanted a bit of guidance on how to improve before leaving Bali.

The last two months had involved us eating our way around Canggu, surfing different breaks, mountain biking around Ubud, and taking on 20 sessions of yoga, so why not add another full day of surfing on our last day? Luckily, a friend introduced us to Buddy, a local guy from Medewi who had just set up Bali-SurfGuide.com. So we joined him for a day and headed to his hometown in Medewi to experience the longest left hand wave in Bali. Point of view shot of the tip of a surf board in the water

Medewi Surf

Medewi is situated on the west part of Bali about a 3 hour drive from Denpasar (or 2 hours from Canggu where we were). Medewi beach is a beautiful rocky black sand beach and is home to the longest left hand wave in Bali. Because of this, the Medewi Point Break spot is becoming more and more popular. The waves break over a stone bottom and are great to play around on if you want to improve your skills.

Read: The 10 Best Surf Spots in BaliThe waves washing over pebbles on the beach

As soon as we paddled out early in the morning, I knew it was going to be a great day of surfing. It was relatively busy in the morning as most people were heading in for their daily surf sessions when the tides were high. The tide moves in quick so be sure to surf coming up to high tide or during. Within 10 minutes, I had caught two nice waves and nailed my bottom turns but was having trouble turning back on my heels. As I mentioned, I am not as good as I would like to be.

A man surfing a wave

Buddy however, straight away starting explaining what he noticed me doing wrong and how I could improve. He told me to keep my front foot at an angle and to relax and turn my head to where I want to go. He also reminded me to slowly twist my shoulders after my head and my body/board would follow. Boom- just like that. Mistakes I had kept making the last month had been noted and finally, I was aware of them.

Read: Beginner’s Guide to Surfing: Everything You Need to KnowSurfers in the sea

Sadly in the morning I didn’t get much chance to act on his advice. It got busier, the waves got bigger and I got tired. The locals out there were killing it! Aerials, 360’s and sharp turns. You name it, they were doing it. A quick lunch, rest and chat and it was back in the water. It was almost high tide and Buddy reckoned we had another hour of good surf. At this time there was no one in the water! We paddled out which due to the current, seemed to never end and got in position at the break. The waves started rolling in and we started surfing. On some waves Buddy would pop up alongside me and start shouting instructions if he noticed me doing anything wrong. This helped and towards the end of the session I caught the best 3 waves of my life. Not the fastest or biggest waves I have caught but waves which I had the most fun on. Long left hand waves which allowed me to practice my turns and take in every wave. It was awesome!

Read: Best Surfing Spots in Southeast AsiaA man surfing a wave

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A Surf Guide or a Surf Buddy?

Buddy by name and nature. To be honest I can’t remember the last time I had a guide while surfing. Not that I thought I was too good for one, just that my image of Surf Guide companies involve loads of students, big foam boards, crowded surf spots and the quickest surf session of your life. Buddy Surf School wasn’t like that. It was Buddy and 3 others. Relaxed, no time limit, a local surf spot and 1 to 1 advice. He shared loads of local knowledge about the area, surf spots and techniques inside and out of the water. Although his prices are higher than hiring a guide from the main beach spots, you should surf with Buddy if you want take surfing seriously and improve your skills fast. My advice would be if you decide to go with Buddy ask to be in a small group of 2 maybe 3 max, in order to fully take advantage of his 1 on 1 advice. Prices vary depending on location, size of the group and skill level

For up to date prices and group discounts please check their website and contact information.

Website | Contact  A man surfing a wave

Surfing in Medewi Experience

The day was awesome. Anna had a bit of trouble when we first went out due to the swell being big and the current strong. She ended up scratching her legs on the reef but Buddy helped, made sure she was ok and we continued the rest of the day. Both of us would recommend surfing in Medewi and with Buddy. There are a few other breaks in Medewi so if you get time, go check them out and let us know what they are like. We will be going back! Despite growing in popularity everyone says Medewi still holds the same charm it did 20 years ago.

Please note that despite receiving complimentary services from Bali-SurfGuide, all opinions are ours and remain completely unbiased.

A man surfing a wave


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