Uluwatu is a place on the southwestern tip of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia.
It is home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple.
Uluwatu comes from ulu, meaning ‘lands end’, and watu, meaning ‘rock’.
Geography
Visible in the Bukit Peninsula are layers of tertiary limestone resulting from the tectonic subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Eurasian Plate, bringing it above sea level.
Uluwatu borders the Indian Ocean to the south.
Surfing
Uluwatu was “discovered” as a surfing destination in 1972 due to the making of Morning of the Earth, a 1971 classic surf film by Alby Falzon and David Elfick.
The original goal of the film was to show waves around Kuta.
After a few days of shooting around Kuta beach, they found Uluwatu.
The only way to get to Uluwatu is to descend the temple and emerge through two rocks at the base of the cave, at the beach of Uluwatu.
At the time, no roads were leading to the beach, which meant that surfers had to bring all the supplies they would need.
Steve Cooney surfed the first wave in Uluwatu history, capturing it on film for Morning of the Earth at age 15. After the film’s release on 25 February 1972, Uluwatu received immediate attention from surfers across the globe.
Today Uluwatu is one of the most popular surf destinations in all of Bali. With surfers visiting from all over the world and with the advancement in video technology, there has been some incredible aerial footage showcasing Uluwatu’s beauty from the air.
Breaks of the Wave
According to the series of wave breaks, starting at the top, the wave is composed of five breaks: The Bombie, Temple, Outside Corner, Racetracks, and The Peak.
Bombie
Bombie is the first of the five breaks in the Uluwatu series, located on the outer reef.
Well known for breaking boards and snapping leashes, Bombie is an extremely powerful wave.
On bigger swell days, the wave can reach up to 20 feet.
Surf is fairly consistent year-round, but the best time is from May to October.
During this time of year, southeast winds blow.
Typically, the surf is caused by groundswells coming in from the southwest.
Left-breaking reefs are present in the bombie.
Temples
Temples received its name from an old Temple in the foreground of the cliff.
It is the second wave break in the series.
This wave is recognized by the heavy amount of swell it receives.
It is not a highly populated wave by surfers because it takes more effort to get out to it.
However, there is a strong crew of expats and local surfers there, and proper etiquette is required at all times.
Outside Corner
Next in line is the Outside corner, making this the other outer reef portion of Uluwatu.
The outside corner is next to The Peak and Racetrack, connecting them as swells pick up.
During low tide, experiencing breaks can be expected on the biggest swells, but not before reaching 6 feet.
Some of the waves during this time will build up, reaching 15 feet (4.6 m).
This makes for a ride that covers approximately 300 yards (270 m).
Racetracks
Racetracks makes for an incredibly fast ride.
Low tide is its prime time.
During low tide, large barrels form at the end of the ride.
The water is extremely shallow here, making it something to be cautious of.
Beware of the reef at the end of the ride. Racetracks are known to dry dock there, making it a deep concern for surfers and very dangerous.
Mid tide is another great time for surfing.
Unlike low tide, during mid-tide, the barrels are more navigable, which is more likely to reach the end of the ride with success.
The Peak
The Peak is found at the end of the series of breaks.
Uluwatu’s entrance and exit are located at the base of the cave.
The Peak works well at every tide stage.
This wave makes many hollow barreling waves at high tide.
Unlike high tide, low tide at the Peak is known for closing out.
The peak has a reef break.
Winds from the southeast make the ideal waves.
It is key to have a board the size of 6’8-7’4 while surfing this wave.
Swells
Due to deep-water channels on both sides of the Bukit Peninsula, swells are mainly found there.
Strong currents make for larger swells at low tide.
During these lower tides and large swells, the Peak, Racetracks, and Temples are all under white water, and Bombie and Outside Corner take the swells, creating 15 feet (4.6 m) waves.
At high tide, small swells will be more prevalent, creating barrels.
Transportation
The closest airport to Uluwatu is Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar.
The airport is 21 miles (34 km) north of Uluwatu.
Forty-one airlines depart out of the airport, offering nonstop flights to 50 cities every week.
There is a minimum of 966 domestic flights and 889 international flights per week departing from it.
Surfers Blessings
The Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple is one of nine directional temples of Bali, found 70 meters (230 ft) up at the top of the rock at the southwest most point of the peninsula.
Locals on the island believe that Gods have blessed the surfers who surf the Uluwatu wave because of how divine and perfect the waves there are.
The temple is believed to protect Bali against evil.
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