Balangan

Surfing at Balangan Overview

Quick Info

Travelling down to the Bukit from Kuta, the first piece of magic that makes this coast such a surfer’s paradise is Balangan. You will need to navigate the maze of roads that weave down to the coast from the main road to get here, but a beautiful white sand beach, framed by cliffs awaits you.

A beautiful spot, with plenty of places to eat, drink and hang out.

About Balangan

Balangan is a relatively straight piece of reef that stretches from the headland, all the way across the beach. Typically Balangan is separated into 3 sections, that will align the best on a full high tide and a solid 4-6ft swell, where it can peel and barrel perfectly from behind the headland to the inside shut down section.

The first section will break up behind the over hanging headland, and offer quick, zippy walls that will allow a few turns and options to look for the barrel. But unfortunately, it will typically out run most surfers before it gets to the second section.

The second section can offer a little more time, with a few more turns, and still barrel opportunities. It can break a little further out as the sets swing wider than the first section, so sitting a little off the reef can sometimes pay off. This section will typically out race you after around 80m, but can link to the 3rd section on some better days.

The last section is right down the end of the reef, where once again fast, barrelling but zippy walls are the theme. When surfing the end section you need to be aware of the coral at the final shut down, as it can go dry on the lower tides and you can get stuck on the inside, especially when big.

When Balangan is small, and the tide is high, it is a great spot for progressing beginners / intermediates to hone their skills on the reef. You will typically be sharing this wave with the local surf camps.

Best Conditions for Balangan

Balangan breaks on all tides, and all directions, although a south swell seems to line it up a bit better. It will break from 1ft through to double over-head. Offshore winds are the dry season SE trade winds making this a very consistent wave during the dry season when long period swells are common.

Getting in and out at Balangan

Access to this wave, is up the top of the point under the over hanging headland. On low tide you can walk around the beach, and along the reef out to the end, where you can try to poke your head around the corner to see if a set is coming, then make the dash across the reef and jump off the edge. Be aware of sneaking sets coming around the corner. On the higher tide, you can take the same path, but you will be paddling instead of walking.

Coming in on high tide you can just straighten out anywhere along the reef and ride across the reef. On lower tides you will have to walk across the coral.

Be aware of the end section shutdowns on the reef when coming in.

Getting to Balangan

Get to Balangan by making a turn to the to the west at the main intersection in Ungasan, at the Nirmala supermarket onto Jalan Pantai Balangan. Follow this road as winds all the way to the beach, there is plenty of space to park and places to eat.
To get to the western most end of the beach turn left off Jalan Pantai Balangan where it forks at the sign the says “Le Yanandra” and follow this unnamed road to the end.

Hazards to look out for at Balangan

The coral here can be sharp and shallow on the low tide, and the end section can abruptly break onto the coral at low tide.

Making the jump of the end can be difficult in bigger swells and low tides, so be sure to time your dash well.