The second area may well be the best wave in the world; G-Land or Grajagan located on the southern tip of East Java. This spiraling, dazzling lefthander has three main sections, Kongs, Money Trees and the crown jewel of the trilogy Speedies. Since 1995 G-Land has hosted the annual Quicksilver Pro, the richest and most highly respected surf contest in the world. The 1997 Quicksilver Pro will long be remembered as one of the greatest contests ever when Speedies turned on in all its glory for the entire contest.
You can get to Nusa Lembongan by taking a boat from either Sanur or Benoa Harbour and finding accommodation when you arrive. G-Land is a bit more difficult and you must book, as the two camps are located inside a National Park. There are two camps to choose from, the Tiger Camp and the Jungle Camp. Ask at most surf shops in Kuta and they will tell you how to con­tact the camps.
Now that you know where to surf, how do you know what it will be like? Firstly you need to know the tides, Tubes Bar and most surf shops can provide you with a tide chart for free, knowing the tides is important when surfing the coral reefs. Accurate five­day swell forecasts can be picked up from outside the Quicksilver Boardriders Club at Bemo Corner, Kuta and other surf shops. Working out the right mixture of conditions is up to you. Good luck!
The Kuta area has the highest con­centration of surf shops anywhere in the world. The newer, larger shops compare more than favorably with the best surf shops in the USA, Europe, Japan or Australia. All the major surf brands are represented, Quicksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl, Spyderbilt, Volcom, Stussy, Rusty and many more. If purchased from surf shops they are all genuine products but be careful in the warungs where they are usually copies, which put nothing back into the Balinese surfing. The genuine product is still a bargain compared to the Japanese, USA or Australian prices so enjoy your shopping for a new pair of boardshorts or a tee shirt.
If you want to party while in Kuta there are two great bar and restaurants which cater to surfers, check out Tubes Bar in Poppies II and All Stars Surf Cafe at Kuta Centre in Jalan Katika Plaza.
The Bali Surfing Association runs local contests as well as the Bali International Grommet Contest and the Billabong Asia Challenge. The local highlight is the annual Bali Open, which crowns the Island Champion each December.
Balinese surfing legends such as Made Kasim, Wayan Suwendam Ketut Menda, Wayan Ganti and Made Switra still surf regularly and they rip, the next genera­tion spearheaded by Bali's un official International Ambassador, Rizal Tandjung and ably supported by the likes of Ismael Dooley and Made Adi Putra a11 have international potential. Tandjung cemented his surfing reputation at the 1996 and 1997 Quicksilver Pro when he scored perfect 10 point waves in each event against the best surfers in the world.
Sadly, for the novice wishing to learn to surf, there is still no official surf school in the Kuta area. The best advice is to be careful if you are renting a board on the beach or taking surf lessons from the guy you just met at the beach. Surfboards are not toys and they can hurt you and other people when not used correctly.
The final word on information regarding Bali and Indonesian surfing belongs to two excellent publications that can be purchased from most local surf shops. Check out "Indo Surf and Lingo" by Peter Neely and "Surfing Indonesia" by Leonard and Lorca Lueras. Happy surfing and enjoy your holiday in Bali.