3 Best Surf Schools in Bali

Odysseys Surf School has been around since 2003, with its headquarters right at the front of the Mercure Kuta Hotel’s arcade on Kuta Beach. It provides an open, fun, and friendly learning environment for beginners, with a team of experienced instructors who are determined to get you standing on your board within your first few lessons.

Your first lesson gives you handy hints in selecting the right board for you, and the basic know-how of body and board positioning, along with basic manoeuvres. Supported by Oakley and the Academy of Surfing Professionals Australia, Odysseys offers both group and private surfing lessons, as well as a special class for kids. Its arsenal of rash guards, helmets and foam-lined boards in different sizes help you learn to ride the waves quickly and safely.

One of the leading surf brands, Rip Curl set up a base for its surf school in Legian in 1998. These shores are not as crowded as Kuta, providing you with slightly better conditions for learning. After around 4 hours of guidance from Rip Curl’s experienced team of instructors, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the techniques, the form, the best positioning on the board and, most importantly, how to find your way on the waves.

Safety is a top priority for the instructors and they provide the latest range of Rip Curl’s top gear for the purpose. Other than surfing, they also teach kitesurfing, wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding and windsurfing. Rash shirts, board shorts, booties for reef surfing, wetsuits (on request), and helmets, as well as impact vests for kite, wake and windsurfing sessions are all are provided. You can have fun with the soft boards after the course to hone your newly acquired skills.

Pro surfer Frank Faust set up Pro Surf School Bali with a friendly attitude and sociable atmosphere, and his students have formed long-lasting friendships with his team of instructors. The school maintains its personal touch in learning to surf through 6 levels of courses. You learn the basic theories of surfing in the onsite swimming pool. Its beachfront location in Kuta adds to the convenience of getting out on the waves. 

The school’s boards and surf gear are renewed annually, so you get the best training boards equipped with rubber fins to maximise safety on every go. Fibreglass and epoxy boards are thrown in as you move up to more advanced classes. Pro Surf also provides luxury accommodation, a beach lounge bar and restaurant, where monthly pool parties and barbecue nights take place.