Lombok may just be a stone’s throw away from Bali (or 25 minutes by plane), but don’t get fooled by this. The surf seasons in Lombok are opposite to Bali. In Bali the best surf season is the dry season (May to October), while in Lombok it is the rain season (November to April).
But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you can’t surf in Lombok during other months. You can! There is surf all year round in Lombok. We just love it more during the wet months. If you come to Lombok between November and April, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Reasons why you should come to Lombok during the rain season
In short: the waves are glassy, there is no wind, the ocean is warm and the island turns lush green. Plus, many more surf spots are working, which means more wave options and less people in the line-up.
We know, the first question you’ll ask: “But what about the rain?” Well, the South of Lombok is much more dry than Bali, which means we experience heavy rain spells, mostly in the late afternoons, but just for a couple of hours. The wettest time of the year is around the end of December until mid-February.*
*A little disclaimer here: whether you believe in the climate change or not, climate change is very real. This means whatever we are telling you here is based on the historical data. However, lately we’ve been observing dry spells in the rain season and rainy days in the dry season, so nothing is for certain.
What is it like in the dry season?
The dry season in Lombok is from May to September. During this time the humidity drops, the wind picks up while the ocean and the air cools down. It’s still hot according to most visitors, but us locals can feel the temperature drop.
When it comes to surfing, the swells we get during this time tend to be bigger, but be prepared for a bit more choppy conditions due to the wind.
It’s also the peak season here (sic!) and less spots are working, so you can expect more people in the line-up.
Having said all of that, irrespective of the time of the year, we will still make sure you have fun in the surf while staying at Xanadu. We are not attached to one particular surf spot and choose where we take our guests the next day taking into consideration their surf level, the swell and the weather conditions.
