The crowds go where the Instagram photos go. These three breaks reward the surfers who go five minutes further.
Bali’s most photographed waves sit on the Bukit Peninsula. And for good reason, Uluwatu, Dreamland, Bingin, they’re all world-class. But world-class also means world-crowded. Parts 1 and 2 covered those lineups. This is Part 3.
Three breaks that don’t make the highlight reels. Pasut for a black-sand morning with nobody watching. Pandawa for mellow walls under dramatic cliffs. Klotok for dry-season reps without the Keramas circus. All of them real. None of them packed.
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Pasut Beach
Advanced Beginner → Intermediate
A beautiful black-sand beach further north of Canggu. Slow, playful waves ideal for longboarders and relaxed intermediates. No crowds, no stress, just you, the ocean, and a few coconut palms.
CONDITIONS
🌊 Swell direction
Handles up to 1.5m on S–SW swells. Best with offshore trades. Small, crumbly waves perfect for relaxed progression.
🌙 Tide & wind
Mid to high tide keeps the shape clean. Too low and it goes flat. Needs a bit of size to wake up.
🏄 Skill level
Advanced beginners to intermediates. Super forgiving, ideal for slow pop-ups, trimming, and footwork. Longboard heaven.
GOOD TO KNOW
No board rentals or surf scene here. Bring your gear and expect a quiet lineup with space to roam. Great day-trip from Canggu.
🌿 Local insight
Walk north past the warungs to find a palm-lined track with access to an empty peak. Perfect for solo sessions or filming that quiet glide.
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Pandawa Beach
Confident Beginner → Intermediate
South-facing, beginner-friendly, and dry-season clean if you go early. Pandawa offers a gentle step up from beachbreaks without the stress of Bukit’s core reef spots. Ride mellow walls under dramatic cliffs, with just enough power to level up.
CONDITIONS
🌊 Swell direction
Works with mid-sized SW swells (1–2m). Needs consistent energy to wrap into the reef, under 1m and it may be too slow.
🌙Tide & wind
Mid to high tide is best: low tide is sharp and shallow, high tide softens the wave but keeps it safe.
🏄 Skill level
Best for confident beginners (with guidance) and intermediates. Easier takeoffs than Green Bowl or Uluwatu. Right is short and punchy; left offers a longer wall and is great for carving.
GOOD TO KNOW
Access via Pandawa’s cliff road. Park near the west end of the beach. Paddle out is long but has a channel. Bring your own gear, board rentals are limited and basic.
🌿 Local insight
Skip the touristy east side, west-end warungs are quieter and closer to the lineup. On small days, local boats can drop you near the takeoff zone for cheap. Bring reef booties if you go at low tide.
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Klotok
Beginner (with surf school) → Intermediate
A softer, friendlier entry point to Keramas. Klotok breaks with less intensity and more forgiveness. Perfect for dry-season intermediates looking for reps. Catch it early on a clean swell window and you’ll score playful walls without the pressure.
CONDITIONS
🌊 Swell direction
Works on leftover S–SW energy in dry season. Cleanest on 1–1.5m mid-period pulses. Smaller days are mellow, bigger days give it punch.
🌙 Tide & wind
Go early to benefit from smaller winds. Mid tide works best: too low gets shallow and tricky, too high makes the wave slow.
🏄 Skill level
Beginner (with surf school) to intermediate. Easier takeoffs than Keramas, with space to progress. Rarely crowded and perfect to practice turns.
GOOD TO KNOW
Easy access and a chill vibe. Just northeast of Keramas, look for surf vans and ask locals if you’re unsure. Warungs nearby, but bring your own board.
🌿 Local insight
Skip the Keramas crowds at 8am and drive 5 minutes: Klotok will often be glassy, surfable, and empty. Especially good on days with light W or no wind.
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The Intermediate Ladder
Bali Part 3: the breaks that build surfers nobody’s watching
Reps on sand: Pasut Beach
Empty black-sand peaks for working on your pop-up, trim, and footwork. Zero pressure, full focus.
Mellow walls: Pandawa
First proper reef with a channel paddle and walls long enough to actually turn on. Great carving ground.
Step into the east: Klotok
Keramas-adjacent energy without the Keramas consequence. Empty mornings, punchy walls, no crowd to navigate. Then you’re ready for the real thing.
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That’s a wrap on Bali chapter: three parts, twelve breaks, one island. Whether you’re stepping on a reef for the first time or chasing an empty morning peak before the vans roll in, Bali has a wave for exactly where you are right now.
Next up in the Indonesia Chapter: the Mentawais, the Lombok coast, and Sumbawa. Follow along and don’t miss the next guide 👇