Padang Padang

Padang Padang is Bali's version of Pipeline—a short, violent, left-hand barrel that explodes over a dangerously shallow reef. Unlike Uluwatu which works on small swells, Padang needs solid 6-foot+ surf to break properly. When it does, it produces some of the most photogenic tubes in Indonesia: thick, round barrels spitting in front of a clifftop temple. The takeoff is critical, the bottom is shallow, and the crowd is intense. Access is via a set of stone steps that wind through a narrow gap in the cliffs. The annual Padang Padang Cup showcases the wave's world-class potential.