Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Tue 30th Sep)

Best Days: Every day over the coming period with plenty of swell and favourable winds

This week (Oct 1 - 3)

After a strong pulse in swell Sunday, wave heights backed off into yesterday ahead of a fresh pulse of SW groundswell today. This has provided solid 6-8ft+ waves across exposed breaks in Bali with smaller surf at more protected breaks along the Bukit under morning variable winds which will freshen from the SE during the day.

Today's SW swell is expected to ease back into tomorrow but a couple of reinforcing S/SW groundswells are due through the rest of the week, keeping exposed spots well above 6ft for the most part.

These swells were generated by a series of vigorous cold fronts firing up from the Heard Island region towards WA during the weekend and yesterday.

The direction will be quite southerly with these swells so protected west facing breaks will see less size compared to swells from the SW, and locations east of Bali will miss out on a lot of size due to the shadowing effects of Western Australia.

Still, exposed spots around Bali should be in the 6ft to occasionally 8ft range tomorrow, back to 6ft+ Thursday, with a very inconsistent S'ly pulse Friday building back to 6ft+ during the day after smaller 4-6ft surf through the morning.

Weak E-SE trades are expected for most of the week, more variable at selected locations early each morning.

This weekend onwards (Sep 30 onwards)

From this weekend and into next week we should see moderate to large amounts of long-range swell, ebbing and pulsing in the 6ft range across exposed breaks, with smaller surf in protected spots.

Friday's swell will drop away through Saturday but a late increase in long-range and inconsistent S/SW groundswell which should boost exposed spots back to an inconsistent 5-6ft and hold into Sunday morning.

A similar sized increase is due again Monday morning but this will be more consistent than the weekend's swell, generated by a polar front that's currently pushing north of the Heard Island region.

Exposed spots should see 5-6ft+ sets Monday morning under variable tending weak S/SE winds before easing back into Tuesday.

Another moderate to large S/SW swell is due through Wednesday and Thursday but to no significant size ahead of a downwards trend through Friday and further next weekend.

Longer term we may see some more significant swell through the week starting the 13th of October, but we'll review this Thursday.

16 day Bali Forecast Graph
16 day East Java Forecast Graph
16 day Sumbawa Forecast Graph