BATUKARAS – A PLACE FOR BEGINNER FROTHERS

We are currently in a bungalow with no walls, no doors, and with a slow sand bottom right hander 2 minutes away. As a beginner surfer, I thought it would be a great idea to write down my thoughts on the place as it is probably the best beginner wave I’ve experienced, (out of the few).

As the experienced surfer Axel is, he chose Batukaras as our first stop to get me started a bit for the rest of our five months here. The wave is really nice and slow and is a good place to go from catching white water to green waves. Even though I would have liked a left hander, I’ve still had heaps of fun on this wave!

The weekend crowds are a bit of a pain, as they like to swim right in front of the waves and as the kook I am i’ll run them over if I would ever dare to get out there. And the last thing you want to do is run somebody over, ruining their holiday and your surf session.

Don’t worry too much about the local surfers as they are the nicest, happiest people you will ever meet! Theres been a few times where I’ve found myself being in the way of someone on a wave as I’m trying to get out, which if you say you’re sorry and try your best not to have it happen again, usually end with a “no worries!” Or a “its ok!” And a smile. This is of course not something you should be doing on a regular. Its not cool to ruin someones wave, try your best to see where in the water you should be. If you don’t have someone with you to help you out in the water, ask someone for tips on where to be before you jump in! And always admit to your mistakes and say you’re sorry.

They have a lot of longboards on the beach for hire here as well and some surf shops if you forgot to pack wax or a good swimsuit, plus some really awesome cheap food! Yay for not being hangry after your surf!

The wave works at almost every tide and swell so you’ll get at least one session a day. For beginners, high tide works best as the wave breaks slower, giving you nicer green waves and better white water if you’re not ready for green ones yet.

Low tide works better for experienced surfers because the wave gets more hollow and steep. So get out at hight tide, have fun, and try not to swallow too much water!

There you have it! Batu Karas is probably the best place for beginners to go (when in Indonesia at least). I’ve really liked this place and I hope to come back soon. We’ve met some really nice people here and i’ll always have a special place in my heart for Batukaras and their chocolate banana pancakes.

Until next time!

//Julia