Surfing in Kuta Indonesia: A Perfect Place for beginners and Kids
Our 4-year old finding his sea legs at the Hard Rock Surf school in Bali.
Surfing Kuta for Kids
During our time here in Bali, we had the opportunity to see and/or surf a large majority of Bali’s famous surf breaks.
Kuta is the place we chose for our 4-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter to take surf lessons. I joined them as well for a family day of fun, sun and longboard adventures.
I joined them as well for a family day of fun, sun and longboard adventures.
Our 4-year old riding his first wave
Kuta beach is perfect for kids because it has white sand and white water, which creates a very safe beginners break on which to learn.
Depending on the tide, the outside swell can be hectic, with strong riptides and decent sized swell which is not beginner friendly, yet offers a fun and challenging wave for the advanced beginner and intermediate all the way up to the experienced surfer.
Surf shops and Lessons in Kuta
It is easy to rent surfboards on the beach but for the same price you can rent very nice soft top boards from the surf shop in front of the Hard Rock Hotel.
We rented boards and signed up for lessons here. They take small children as young as 4 all the way up to 38 🙂
Starting on the beach poolside (yes there is actually a manmade artificial beach at the hotel pool) at the Hard Rock the kids learn to paddle, balance and stand. Once they had the basics covered they head to the beach break with their instructors.
The intermediate adult lessons were horrible, so for this I would go elsewhere, but for the kids I thought this was an excellent experience.
The Hard Rock also offers free lockers to store your valuables while you hit the breakers, which is a big advantage over renting your board on the beach.
The Hard Rock Hotel surf shop is open until 6 pm.
Renting our boards with the kids at the Hard Rock Hotel In Kuta
KID AND FAMILY FRIENDLY SURF SPOTS
While I am at it, I will mention a couple other kid friendly surf spots that you should consider if you are visiting Bali.
Jimbaran Beach
I found the beginners break at Jimbaran beach on my second day when the tide was just right and you could spot the break all the way from the end of the beach.
The break is perfect for long-boards and beginners. It is a long right hand, very light and steady wave.
If you are standing on the airport end of the beach just walk about 1.2 miles and you can’t miss it. You can rent boards on the beach and they offer lessons.
You can read my post on where we stayed in Jimbaran here.
Medewei
We stopped only briefly to see this famed super-long left-hand surf break on our way up the coast from Balian beach.
It looks like a great wave for beginners. Appears somewhat shallow in low tide and breaks over rock, but the inside wave is gentle and appears very safe.
If you are a beginner looking for surf in Bali this would make a great stop!
Balian Beach
The Aussies told me Balian was for beginners, but I would say it is an intermediate surf spot. The rips are strong and the current can be difficult to manage. The wave, when it is really breaking, makes for a rather steep curling face that packs some serious punch.
There were beginners out there the 3 days I surfed it, but unless it is a smaller day, I would opt for the pool instead.
Regardless, the accommodations in Balian are top notch, and this is a beautiful beach with great surf, a nice pool, and spectacular sunsets. That should be reason enough to stop here.
You can read my post on where we stayed in Balian beach here.
Jump into the Gap
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" - Henry David Thoreau
Those beaches look amazing! I bet the diving would be spectacular.
I know I can’t wait to hit the water. I am still so confused by Bali. No matter how much I plan, it is hard to put these islands into perspective. I am sure this post will be a lot better once we actually get there :-).
I am realizing though after talking to more and more people that slow travel may be the way to go with the kids. So a lot of what I have conceived out of the box may be an outline of where we could go more than where we actually where we go. And the more I think about it, hunkering down on a bungalow for $20-30 a day, for a week, with a couple boards and beach towels may be a lot better than 5 hour boat rides to see Komodo Dragons… I will let you know. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I had to move the entire site to a new server last night so I am still working out some of the kinks. Hope you are having a great summer so far Dom!
Stephen