Learn to surf in Bali: camp, school or your own board
Surf camp, surf school or a board of your own: what each gives you, where beginners learn in Bali, what a lesson costs, and which board to ride after the lessons.
· 4 minute read
Camp, school or your own board
There are three ways to learn here. A surf camp is a place to stay with coaching built in, booked by the week. A surf school sells lessons by the session, and you sleep wherever you like. And once you can stand, you paddle out on your own, on a board you rented or bought.
| Way | What you pay for | The board | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surf camp | A room, coaching on most days, often meals and video of your surfing | Included at some camps, rented on top at others | A first week or two with everything organised |
| Surf school | A lesson of about two hours | A soft top, usually in the price | Learning while you stay wherever you like |
| Your own board | A board, rented by the day or bought used and sold again | The one you choose | Surfing between lessons, and after them |
Where beginners learn in Bali
Kuta is the island's learn-to-surf beach: a long beach break over sand, with surf schools along it, and the same beach runs on through Legian to Double Six. In Canggu, Batu Bolong is the gentle wave beginners share with longboarders, and most surfers call it Old Man's.
Uluwatu, Padang Padang and Bingin, the famous names on the Bukit, break over reef that sits close under the surface at low tide. Baby Padang, beside Padang Padang, is the beginner wave there. Before you surf over reef, read what happens if you get hurt here.
What a lesson costs
| School | Shared, per person | Private | In the price |
|---|---|---|---|
| On Kuta beach | Rp 200,000 (beginner group) | Rp 325,000 | The lesson. Transport is extra |
| In Canggu | Rp 450,000 (two to a coach) | Rp 550,000 | Board, rash vest and pick-up in Canggu |
Each school's own price page, read on 7 October 2026. Prices change, so ask before you book.
The difference is mostly how many people share the coach, and whether the school collects you. A camp is priced by the week instead, with the room and usually meals in the same price, so compare a camp with a week of lessons plus somewhere to sleep.
Choosing a surf camp
- Coaching hours
- A camp's price covers the room as much as the coaching. Ask how many sessions a day are coached and how long each one lasts.
- Students per coach
- Ask how many people one coach looks after in the water. It says more than the size of the camp.
- Where the lessons are
- Ask which beach you learn on and how you get there. A camp beside a reef break should be able to tell you where it takes beginners instead.
- The board
- Some camps include boards and some rent them on top. Ask which, and what size of board you would start on.
- Video
- Many camps film the sessions and go through the footage with you. Seeing yourself surf shows you what the coach keeps describing.
Comparing camps side by side is what Find Surf Camp Bali is for: a directory of the island's surf camps by area, with filters for what a camp includes, from food and video analysis to equipment. Andri, who built SurfPoint, runs it too.
Your own board, once you can stand
Once you stand up on most waves in the white water, you will want to surf between lessons, and that means a board of your own for a few hours a day. If you are here for two weeks, renting is probably cheaper. Past about three weeks, buying a used board and selling it again before you fly usually costs less, and the trip guide works out whether to rent or buy a surfboard in Bali.
Keep the float. A beginner rides close to their bodyweight in litres, and after the soft top that usually means a longboard, a big funboard or a midlength. The first-board guide explains why a shortboard can wait. Work out the litres you need before you look, then search by volume rather than by type, because two boards of one type can be far apart in float.
Used boards are listed area by area, so start near where you are staying, for example with used boards in Kuta or used boards in Canggu.
Common questions
- Is Bali good for learning to surf?
- Yes, on the right beach. Kuta is a long beach break over sand with surf schools along it, and Batu Bolong in Canggu is a gentle wave many beginners learn on. The famous breaks on the Bukit are over reef and are not where to start.
- How much does a surf lesson cost in Bali?
- On 7 October 2026 a school on Kuta beach listed a two-hour beginner lesson at Rp 200,000 a person, and a school in Canggu Rp 450,000 a person with two students to a coach, board and pick-up included. A private lesson cost more at both.
- Do surf camps in Bali include a surfboard?
- Some do and some rent one on top of the price. Ask before you book, and ask what size of board you would start on.
- Should I go to a surf camp or take surf lessons?
- A camp suits a first week or two when you want the room, the coaching and the transport organised together. Lessons by the session suit you if you already have somewhere to stay or want to learn at your own pace.
- Should I buy a surfboard after surf camp?
- If you are staying more than about three weeks, a used board you sell again before you fly usually costs less than renting. A beginner rides close to their bodyweight in litres, so look for that much float.
After the lessons
Longboards, funboards and midlengths for sale across Bali. Filter by volume to see the ones that float you.
Search used boards