10 Best Water Sports in Bali
Bali's Great Water-Based Activities
Great water sport activities in Bali await those looking for something beyond mere swimming and snorkeling. Adrenaline junkies can get their fix from some boat-towed, high altitude, splashing wind-in-hair moments. Most of these activities are focused around Tanjung Benoa, the iconic playground for Bali water sports fans.
Surfing remains the main draw, with breaks around the famous beach resort areas such as Kuta and more challenging reefs around the Bukit Peninsula. Other thrills, from walking on the seabed to discovering Bali’s great underwater gardens, are offered off many coasts, including Nusa Lembongan Island. Here are some of the best water sport activities in Bali to quench your thirst for ocean adventure.
1. Surfing
Amazing waves for beginners and pros
Good for: Adventure
Surfing is the sport that led to the rise of Kuta as Bali’s most famous beach. Both pro and novice wave riders from around the globe continue to search for the perfect waves all over Bali’s coastline, from the challenging barrels around the Bukit Peninsula to the black-sand beach breaks of the island’s western and eastern shores.
Surfing in Bali comes in many forms beyond the normal short and longboards. Bodyboarding, or “boogie boarding” (lying down on a specialized board), is another way to ride the waves, while challenging forms include windsurfing, kitesurfing, and wakeboarding. Beginner’s courses, rentals, and tours are available from various operators in Kuta, Sanur, and the Tanjung Benoa peninsula. Read more
2. Scuba diving
So many great dive sites to explore
Good for: Adventure, Photo
Deep below Bali’s waves lie some of the world’s best dive sites. Being part of a string of islands in the bio-diverse Indonesian archipelago, the island’s temperate waters are teeming with coral reefs and marine life. The varied underwater scenes include drop-off walls and shipwrecks.
If you are new to the sport, Bali is also a great place to learn how to dive and get certified, with numerous dive centers available in the main resort areas. Great dive sites to discover and conquer include Nusa Lembongan, Sanur reef, Amed, and Tulamben in the remote eastern shores, and Menjangan Island up north. Read more
3. Snorkeling
The easiest way to discover underwater marvels
Good for: Adventure, Photo
Snorkeling in Bali is perhaps the easiest way to enjoy the island’s underwater wonders. You don’t need to carry a full air tank on your back and you don’t need any scuba diving certifications to be able to discover vibrant coral reefs teeming with tropical marine life.
Most snorkeling spots in Bali are also readily accessible. Simply bring your mask, snorkel, and fins and hit the shoreline. The tropical waters around Bali are ideal for snorkeling; temperatures are at an average of 27°C and most sites like Nusa Lembongan, Tulamben, and Pemuteran boast calm currents throughout the year. Read more
4. Rafting
Inflatable river-based thrills
Good for: Adventure
The activity of rafting lets you experience the “real Bali”. Immerse yourself in nature as you either swoop down rushing rapids or cruise along steady streams on an inflatable raft. Besides the thrills, you can see some of Bali’s rare flora and fauna from up close. The main rafting rivers in Bali are Ayung River in Ubud and the more challenging Telaga Waja in East Bali.
For a very unique rafting experience, there are canyon tubing adventures along the Siap stream in the village of Payangan in Central Bali that allow you to cruise through a ravine at a steady pace in your own personal inflatable raft.
5. Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
A new slant on coastal sightseeing
Good for: Adventure
Stand Up Paddleboarding, often referred to as “SUP”, is a fun and different way to ride waves. Specially designed boards allow you to confidently stand upright due to their larger size, while a long paddle allows you to cruise along at your own desired speed. You can ride over larger swells, as you would with a regular surfboard, but this is mostly meant for calmer conditions.
Many surf schools in Bali can introduce you to paddle boarding and most claim that it is easier than it looks. In theory, it’s pretty easy. In practice, it’s a full-on core workout. SUP is also a great way to enjoy sightseeing along Bali’s beautiful coasts from a different angle. Read more
6. Sea Walking
A stroll along the seabed
Good for: Adventure, Unusual
Those wanting to enjoy Bali's underwater beauty without dive certifications may opt for unique sea walking tours. This activity lets you walk on the seabed with a specially designed helmet. There are several sea walker operators in Bali, and one of them is the long-established Bali Seawalker Tours in Sanur.
After a boat ride out to the reef site, participants don reef shoes and helmets, which are fed by oxygen tanks aboard the boat, providing them with a constant flow of air to breathe underwater. Seven meters down, you can freely interact with the fish while supervising guides in scuba gear watch over you and hand you fish feed to attract schools of triggerfish, angelfish, regal tangs, and many others.
7. Water Jetpacks and Flyboarding
High-tech, high octane fun
Good for: Adventure, Unusual
You can feel like James Bond using his high-tech gadgetry, or Tony Stark trying on his new Iron Man suit, with water jetpacks and jet bike rides in Tanjung Benoa. These specially designed kits let you levitate up to 10 meters high on a jet of water.
After a briefing on the controls and how the craft works, you strap on the jetpack, or straddle the bike version, and start flying around the coast for about 15 to 20 minutes. These high-density propulsion devices can lift you up in a stationary position, or allow you to move in any direction you please.
8. Kitesurfing
Let the kite fly you
Good for: Adventure
Kitesurfing may not be as popular as regular surfing, but it can certainly bring your wave riding thrills to the next level. Kitesurfing combines surfing with some elements of wakeboarding and even elements of kite-flying.
With some practice, you can speed and “fly” over waves gracefully and effortlessly. It’s the easy answer to those sloppy and windy days out on the beach, where it’s usually hard to find a good curl or barrel to ride with traditional surfing. Popular beaches for kitesurfing in Bali include Sanur and Tanjung Benoa. Read more
9. Wakeboarding
Exhilarating, towed fun for all
Good for: Adventure
The Bali Wake Park is one of the island’s dedicated water sports venues with a focus on wakeboarding. You can find the park near the Sanur side entrance to the Bali Mandara toll road and Benoa Marina in Pesanggaran, South Bali. The park features 5 hectares of artificial lakes and verges sculpted and landscaped out of a marshy plot.
At the park, you can hone your tricks on a series of slides and obstacles. There are also beginner’s courses that are available for kids and those who have never tried the sport before.
Location: Jalan Raya Pelabuhan Benoa No.7X, Pedungan, Denpasar, Bali 80222, Indonesia
Open: Monday–Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm, Friday–Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm
Phone: +62 (0)361 8468866
Wakeboarding
10. Banana Boats and Other Boat-Towed Fun
Bananas, donuts, and even flying fish to ride
Good for: Adventure
An inflatable Banana Boat is just one of the great ways to share some thrills on the waves with your friends or family. You can enjoy rides as a group of up to 5 or 6, depending on the size of the craft. Towed by a boat, the inflatables offer a fast-paced bumpy rodeo ride. Deliberate sharp turns add to the excitement as you’ll see who can hang on without being flipped overboard.
A similar ride is the Rolling Donut, while the Flying Fish offers a higher level of adrenaline rush, letting you experience some airtime while strapped onto a large inflatable that resembles a manta ray. Even higher altitudes can be achieved by taking another boat-towed activity: parasailing.
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