Uluwatu seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (April - October)
The statistical record at Uluwatu is clear: nearly all of the useful energy arrives from the SSW/SW window, even though the classic N-NW directional window is theoretically optimal for a NNW-facing beach. From April through October the Indian Ocean storm tracks feed the Bukit with long-period SSW/SW groundswell, while the southeast trades replace the monsoon winds. Average heights run from 5-6ft (1.7m) in the shoulder months to 7ft (2.2m) during June-August, with periods of 13.8-14.4s. Ideal wind percentages reach 71-89% in the peak months, and Uluwatu delivers its signature long, hollow, powerful reef waves.
Fair Surf Season (March & November)
March and November are transitional. The swell direction is still good and the periods remain solid-around 13.2-13.3s-but average size sits closer to 5ft (1.6m), and wind direction becomes more variable as the trades and monsoon trade places. Clean windows are common, but consistency and overall intensity are a notch below the April-October core.
Low Surf Season (December - February)
The northwest monsoon takes charge in December, January and February. Winds swing to W, WNW and WSW, the very directions that chop up the surface at Uluwatu, and ideal wind drops to 23-39%. Swell height stays around 5-6ft (1.6-1.7m), but periods shorten to 12.4-12.7s and the wave quality suffers. These months are not necessarily flat, but they are the most inconsistent and wind-affected of the year.