Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Tuesday 29th March)

Best Days: Wednesday morning, later Saturday onwards

This week and next (Mar 30 – Apr 8)

Welcome to the first forecast of the season for the Indonesian region, and whilst things are currently quite slow across the islands, there is some better southerly swell on the cards from Sunday onwards.

A small background S/SW groundswell that should be in the water today is expected to ease off slowly through tomorrow before bottoming out Thursday evening and Friday.

Swell magnets around Bali should still offer 3ft sets, backing off to a very inconsistent 2ft Thursday and Friday, with no real improvement until late Saturday.

Light local offshore winds are due each morning before weak E/SE trades kick in through the afternoons.

Moving onto later Saturday, and currently in the south-eastern Indian Ocean a strong polar low is generating a fetch of severe-gale to storm-force W/SW winds, right on the edge of our southern swell window.

With this we should see a very inconsistent S'ly groundswell spreading up radially towards us, kicking later Saturday to 3-4ft across exposed breaks, peaking early Sunday to 3-5ft. Due to the acute S'ly nature of the swell and where it was generated, locations further west of Java and east of Bali probably will see smaller surf.

A much better S/SW groundswell will replace this swell into the afternoon though, generated by a vigorous polar front projecting up from south-east of Heard Island, towards the south-west of WA over the coming days.

Wind speeds won't be as strong as the polar low, but the alignment better, with a broad and persistent fetch of SW gales generated through our southern swell window.

A moderate to large S/SW groundswell is expected, building Sunday afternoon to a good 6ft+ across exposed breaks late in the day, holding Monday morning before starting to ease later and further through Tuesday from the 5ft range.

Moderate to fresh E/SE trades are due to kick in for this swell later Sunday and Monday, more than likely variable early morning.

Through the rest of the week, the swell will slowly drop away, bottoming out Friday as the trades slowly ease off.

Longer term small to moderate S/SW swells are due from next weekend onwards, but more on this Thursday.

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