Just a 40-minute boat ride away from Bali, sits the enchanting island of Nusa Lembongan. Blessed with beautiful white sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters, epic cliffside blowholes, and world-class scuba diving - Nusa Lembongan is also home to an abundance of waves for all levels of surfers.

It can be hard to know what to expect when chasing waves in a new destination, which is why we’ve put together this brief but specific profile of waves so that you can experience the best of what Nusa Lembongan has to offer.

Playgrounds

Not to be fooled by its name, Playgrounds is probably the gnarliest wave on the island when the swell is bigger than 6 feet. It’s a wedgy a-frame that grows and breaks over some pretty sharp reef and sneaky mushroom corals.

Easily accessible by a 5-minute paddle from Coconut Beach, Playgrounds works best on a mid-tide, as the high can bring in strong currents that drag you behind the lineup, and the low can give you proper kisses from the reef.

It’s a good spot for beginners and longboarders when the swell is between 2 to 3 feet, providing a long left and a speedy right, and is the best spot to surf when the wind is strong or onshore everywhere else, as it is the most sheltered wave on the island.

Lacerations

This is a wave with a reason behind the name - Most of the locals and expats on the island will be able to show you a reef tattoo or two from surfing this break.

Probably one of the best barrelling waves in this part of Indo, Lacerations is a fast and mechanical right-hander that breaks over a very sharp reef. When the swell is overhead, you are guaranteed tubes at this spot. There is a pontoon anchored just over the shoulder of this wave, making this the ideal location to get those perfect barrel shots.

When the waves are below 3 feet, Lacerations is also a popular spot for surf schools and goofy footers as there is plenty of mellow, green waves and even a cheeky left-hand section that opens up.

Having a reef shelf that is higher than the other spots, Lacerations is therefore better surfed on the high tide.

Both waves at Playgrounds and Lacerations hold better on larger swells, whilst the other spots tend to max out. So if you’re planning on surfing a 6 to 9-foot swell day, these are your better options.

Razors

A couple hundred meters north of Lacerations lies Razors. This is a high tide, left-hand wave that is extremely fast and sectiony - You’ll have to be quite adept at generating speed to make the sections on this wave.

Patience goes a long way here. Razors is known for its speed and thus, we won’t lie, most of the waves will close out. However, little gems can sometimes sneak through and if you manage to wait for them, will produce the longest rides on Lembongan, with possible tubes on the bigger days, and with the smallest crowd.

If you’re a beginner, this spot is ideal for learning with its wide expanse of whitewash. Most of the surf schools will take you between here and Lacerations for lessons on the smaller days.

Shipwrecks

Across the channel from Razors sits the notorious Shipwrecks. This is a wave that once had three peaks, and even worked as an a-frame before late 2021 when a barge came to be stuck on the reef. Now, 2 right-hand peaks break against metallic remains and a rusty crane.

Shippies is a fast and steep wave that works super fun for more experienced surfers. When the tide drains, the second section can turn into a heavy slab that has the potential for back door barrels. However, this spot is the farthest from the shore and when the tide’s fallen, you’re left with a 20-minute walk over a dry reef to get back to the beach. And so, we recommend surfing this spot on the mid and high tide to avoid cutting up your feet and other appendages.

The current at this break is also quite unpredictable and can be more intense with bigger swell, being exposed to the open ocean. So make sure you are comfortable in the water before attempting to surf this wave on swell days.

Written by Kayli Wouters

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