The surfers of Medewi, Bali are looking to bring order to their lineups. Photo: Instagram//Medewi Boardriders//Mulkis Anwar
The surfers of Medewi, Bali are bringing a new level of order to the lineup. Last week, the Medewi Boardriders published a new set of rules that will be implemented at their left point break in West Bali. Most notably, the rules prohibit beginners from surfing the outside of the point and require them to have instructors accompany them in the water.
“Beginner surfers/soft-top users who are just learning to surf are not allowed to surf at the point or outside area. They are only permitted to surf in the inside area/near the fishermen’s boats,” reads the first rule published from a January 3 meeting of the club. “All beginners are required to be accompanied by a surf instructor/coach to minimize accidents in the water.”
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Other rules limit the number of students per instructor to a maximum of two, and any surf instructor who does not comply will not be allowed to surf Medewi, a regulation monitored by the boardriders club. Another rule requires that surfers stay out of the fishermen’s boat channel, a safety precaution that is particularly relevant following a tragic incident where a Chilean surfer passed away after she was hit by a boat last year.
The club also included several universal rules for the lineup, such as respecting local surfers, not dropping in, and sharing the waves. Respected local figures such as Tipi Jabrik and Flora Christin gave their stamps of approval in the comment section of the announcement.
These rules implemented in Medewi could serve as a blueprint for other surf spots in Bali, which have long been dealing with the consequences of extreme overcrowding. Surf etiquette in Bali became a global talking point in 2023 when a lineup altercation went viral after a man attacked a woman on the Bukit peninsula. Overcrowded lineups, foreign surf instructors working illegally, and rapid overdevelopment are issues that the local surf community has flagged as the island continues to change.
