If Singapore was an harmonious society where order and conformity ruled, then Bali is the polar opposite. There are very few rules, apart from a couple that carry the death penalty. It's chaotic and scrambled. It's beautiful and chaotic. It's completely in harmony.
We're here in the off season, which would normally mean less crowds, but with a small, less than 1m, southwest swell slapping Bali like a soggy towel, there aren't many places to surf. Uluwatu sticks out far enough to salvage even the most woeful swell. The only problem is the concentration of surfers who would normally be absorbed into 7, 8 or 10 spots along the coast.
Don't get me wrong, even with an underwhelming swell, Ulu's is still a lot of fun. The outside section is called Temples – a racy left that delivers, but not really so reliable in a small swell. Then in the middle you have Peaks – a worthy place to snag a bomb, if you're lucky, with lefts and a mostly unattended right. Further down the point you'll find Racetracks, one of the better-shaped waves on the Uluwatu menu.
The paddle out starts with a walk down a cliff face terraced with restaurants, surf shops and Uluwatu industry. By the time you reach the cave you're ready to start paddling out across the shallow reef and into the lineup. The warm water (30°C) is some kind of bliss after thickening our blood in New Zealand's chilly climate. The crowd is a mixture of abilities with people from throughout the world, but it is the locals who have this place wired.
Usmin is one of Bali's top surfers and his reading of the breaks is akin to a needle reading the grooves on a record. He leads the charge followed by an international cast of out of season "could have made the tour" almost pros. They're impressive to watch. No competition pressure, just coil and unleash.
There is very little etiquette in the water, although dropping in on the locals is an absolute no-go area. Dropping in and snaking everyone else seems to be fine (believe me, it's not).
As chaotic as the lineup is there is beauty in the warm water, sunny skies and charm that Bali just dishes up in spades. It may have changed a lot in the past 20 years, but it still has a beating heart of gold.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We're still in Bali, so will bringing you more from here next week. Until then ...
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