Learn to Surf

Kuta Beach is one of the best places in the world to learn to surf. The waves break over a wide sandy bottom, are forgiving when you fall, and form long, slow walls perfect for popping up on a foam board. A dozen schools work the beach south of Jalan Pantai Kuta — Rip Curl School of Surf is the largest and most professional, but smaller outfits like Odyssey Surf School run good two-hour lessons at half the price.

Expect to stand up in your first session if you are reasonably fit. Mornings are quieter, the wind cleaner, and the sun less brutal. Wear a rashguard — the equatorial sun reflects off the water and will burn you fast. If you already surf, paddle out south of the lifeguard flags and look for the bigger sets toward Halfway Kuta.

things to do activity surfing
A story
Bali's surf culture started here in the early 1970s, when Australian board-shapers like Bob Laverty and Peter McCabe pioneered the breaks at Uluwatu and Padang Padang. Kuta's gentler sandy-bottom waves became the place where the first generation of Indonesian surfers learned — and where most foreign beginners still take their first lesson.

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