What's Happening with the Uluwatu Seawall? What Surfers Need to Know

If you've started following surfing accounts on Instagram, you might've seen a whole lot of commotion around something called the "Uluwatu seawall".

Diggers on the cliff at Uluwatu. Concrete seeping into the lineup. A whole lot of angry comments underneath. Outrage. Confusion. Even a little fear.

The real questions though are: is the wave being wrecked? What about the environmental ramifications? Should you still book that Bali trip?

Short version: the waves are still firing and your trip is very much on, but there's a bigger story worth understanding before you paddle out.

Here's what you need to know (and where we stand).

First, what even is the Uluwatu seawall?

Uluwatu isn't just a wave. It's a cliff, a cave you paddle out through and a temple perched on the edge of it all.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali's nine directional temples. It sits about 70 metres above the ocean. Locals believe it protects the whole island from evil. So far it's done a pretty sweet job.

A few years back, a crack opened along the southern cliff face beneath the temple. In 2024 the Indonesian government announced a roughly 78.6 billion rupiah project (about $5 million USD) to shore up the cliff. The plan has two main parts:

• A 25-metre seawall pushing out into the ocean, built to take the punch of the waves at the base of the cliff
• A road cut into the cliff face. First for machinery and later on maybe pedestrians

That second bit is what really kicked things off when the first photos leaked in 2024.

Why are surfers so fired up about it?

Protecting a 1,000-year-old temple sounds like a good thing, right?

The anger isn't about whether the temple should be looked after. It's more about how it's been handled.

The whole project moved fast and kinda sneakily. Apparently there was no environmental impact assessment. And for a structure built in the ocean at one of the most famous waves on earth, that should've been step one.

Because that wave is a major drawcard for tourism in Indonesia. 

People smarter than us call it an economic multiplier, which means it creates jobs and brings money to the island. Reefs are delicate ecosystems too. And any change to the shape of a reef can change the wave that breaks over it.

When the wave in question is Uluwatu, well, you can see why people are kinda shook.

So has the wave actually changed?

Not yet, no.

The waves haven't changed. Every break in our Uluwatu surf spots breakdown is still doing exactly what it's always done. The worry isn't that Ulus is bad today... it's what could happen down the track.

The biggest concern us as surfers have is the backwash. This is the water bouncing back off the new wall and messing with the swells rolling in. Backwash can make a wave difficult, even impossible to surf.

But there's a plot twist. In June 2026, an ordinary six-foot swell damaged part of the half-finished wall. And with the dry season regularly serving large 2-metre-plus swells at Ulus, there are real questions about whether this thing can survive the waves it's meant to withstand.

So should you still surf Uluwatu?

Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.

Uluwatu is still one of the best waves on the planet. And the Bukit Peninsula around it is stacked with options for every level.

If you're still finding your feet (literally and figuratively), you'll be at mellower spots like Dreamland, Baby Padang or Thomas Beach anyway. These Uluwatu beaches are still top-notch. None of those have changed one bit.

The magic of this place is still very much here. If anything, it's a good reminder to come experience it... and to do it the right way.

Here's where we stand on it

Uluwatu has been changing for years, from a wave you had to hike into back in 1972 to the buzzing clifftop scene it is today. Some of that change has been beautiful. Some of it has been rushed and careless.

We're not anti-change. What we don't want is change that steamrolls the culture, the reef and the waves without asking the people who live here first. Plenty of locals are pushing for better answers. From proper environmental checks to talk of a surfing reserve or sanctuary for the whole Bukit.

Here's what we can promise, though.

Our team is made up of born-and-raised, know-every-tide locals.

Stay with us and you get a direct line to the Uluwatu of yesteryear, the stories, the spots off the main drag, the version of this place that existed long before the diggers showed up.

FAQs

Q. Is the Uluwatu wave ruined by the seawall?

No. As of 2026 the wave at Uluwatu is unchanged and still breaking the way it always has. The concerns surfers have raised are about possible long-term effects, like backwash from the wall, not anything that's happened yet.

Q. Why is a seawall being built at Uluwatu?

To protect the cliff beneath Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple after a crack appeared in the southern cliff face. The Indonesian government announced the roughly $5 million project in 2024, including a 25-metre seawall and a road cut into the cliff.

Q. Can beginners still surf in Uluwatu?

Absolutely. The main Uluwatu break is for advanced surfers, but beginner-friendly spots nearby like Dreamland, Baby Padang and Thomas Beach are completely unaffected.

Q. Is it still worth visiting Uluwatu right now?

100%. The waves, the cliffs, the sunsets and the culture are all still here. Here's why Uluwatu is worth visiting.

Q. Will the seawall change the surf in the future?

Maybe, but nobody can say for sure yet. The main worry is backwash altering the swells. It's still speculative. Local surfers are pushing for a proper environmental assessment before the project goes further.