Sanur - Kite Beach

Black Sand Beach is the new kite spot in dry season (May-Sep) with easterly trade winds around 12-15 knots. A grassy rigging area sits behind a wide beach of fine black sand. Conditions vary between choppy and bump-&-jump, but it’s always the east coast’s best low tide spot. Sanur - Kite Beach is a classic broad, white beach yet it hardly attracts any sunbathers. In the rainy season, the WSW is clean cross-shore and less gusty than elsewhere. Dry season easterlies are slightly cross-on, perfect for beginners and freestyle. Mid-sized waves break offshore on Sanur Reef, or 'Blue Reef’, where westerly blows cross-shore. Similar conditions can be found on the left in front of Nusa Dua - Club Med: flat-water inside with waves out on the reef. It’s mid to high tide only, but the coastline bends slightly so the wind blows cross-on – which would make it completely safe if it weren’t for the countless jet-skis and other water users. Nusa Dua – Geger is one of Bali’s nicest beaches, and you can ride right up to the white sands where a couple of 'warungs’ serve snacks. Good from mid to high tide, the wind’s bolt onshore but the lagoon’s huge and great for beginners. While the inside always stays flat, the waves on the reef can reach decent sizes – albeit with mainly onshore winds. The peninsula’s east coast hosts top surfing spots like 'Uluwatu’ and 'Padang Padang’, but high cliffs ensure there’s no useful wind. North of Kuta the island’s thermal skews the easterly trades cross to cross-offshore – even offshore if it’s too strong. The currents can get pretty fierce around here, so west is best for super-confident riders as the beaches get darker, lonelier and the atmosphere more rugged. Pantai Brawa in front of Hotel Bolare often has the strongest wind, almost cross-shore but gusty in the launch zone. There are no rocks or coral, but it’s hardly safe as the waves can get pretty huge – try and stay to the right of the estuary. Follow signs for Tugu Hotel to find Canggu, the island’s best-known wave spot. The tiny beach is strewn with rocks and the wind’s very gusty – there is an obvious channel to get out, but be careful as the current’s particularly strong and rocks lurk under the surface. The neighbouring break of 'Perenan’ belongs to the surfers, so head west to Pantai Seseh where the waves are a little tamer but the wind’s clean, perfectly cross-shore, and there’s a 100m-wide channel right in front of the fishing village. Though not as radical as the region’s other breaks, Balian is a nice A-frame at the mouth of an estuary. The wide secluded beach is backed by a palm grove – real soul surfing! Medewi is equally pretty, and also gets predominantly cross-onshore wind. It offers good waveriding, but entails a difficult launch off a rocky beach.