Green Bawl

The first surf spot discovered on Bali's south coast. Picks up all swell from any direction and is often too big to surf. Always looks smaller than it really is from the cliff top.

SWELL DIRECTIONS: S, SSW, SW.
WIND: North (best). NE and NW almost as good. Exposed to cross winds – blown out above 10 knots from any other direction.
SURF HEIGHT: Head High
TIDE: All tides
ABILITY LEVEL: Intermediate, Advanced, Expert
SHOULDER BURN: Exhausting
WATER QUALITY: Clean
BOTTOM: Seagrass
BEST SEASON: Wet Season (November–March)

HAZARDS
Strong rip current in the channel that pulls directly out to sea. Heavy breaking waves.

ACCESS
Car park on the cliff above. Very long steep trail with uneven steps carved into the cliff. Exhausting walk back up, especially in the heat.

Two breaks separated by a channel. The right-hander is a shifty, powerful wave with a wide takeoff area – take off too deep and you won't make it, too far on the shoulder and someone will go deeper. Ends in a deep water channel which is the best paddle-out spot. Not a very long ride but throws occasional barrels and has a well-defined end section.

The left-hander is lesser known but higher quality. Only works on spring low tides (full moon or new moon) when the tide drops low enough. Fickle but worth it.

If you make the wave all the way you end up in the channel with an easy paddle back. If you don't make all sections, you get pushed inside for a hard paddle back to the lineup. The main hazard is the rip current in the channel – do not lose your board here.

BEST TIME TO SURF GREEN BOWL
Early morning when wind is lightest. Best months are October–November and March–April when seasons are transitioning and winds are light. Dry season is usually too big with onshore trade winds. Best on a very small swell with light winds.

CAN BEGINNERS SURF GREEN BOWL
No, under any circumstances. Heavy waves, strong current, difficult access – big boards are very hard to get down to the beach.

CAN INTERMEDIATES SURF GREEN BOWL
Only on the very smallest of swells. Generally an advanced surf spot.