December at Desert Point is full wet season. Don't come — the wave doesn't break, camps are closed, and the holiday season is happening elsewhere on Lombok.
December at Desert Point is full wet season. Monsoon storms with 300mm of rain, onshore westerlies blowing the rare SW swells flat, the access road washing out repeatedly, and almost all camps closed for the season. Christmas and New Year traffic affects nearby Senggigi and Kuta but doesn't reach Bangko Bangko. Don't come — plan for July.
# Desert Point in December: Wet Season Lock-In
December at Desert Point is the deepest part of wet season. The monsoon trough is parked over the Indonesian archipelago. Onshore west winds blow daily. SW swells from the southern Indian Ocean are scarce and short-period. Rainfall reaches 300mm across 20 days. The road from Sekotong is repeatedly washed out. And almost every camp is closed for the season.
If you're a surfer reading this looking for any reason to visit Desert Point in December: there isn't one. Wait until July.
The same three factors that make January and February write-offs apply to December:
Wind: Dominant westerly monsoon wind blows directly into the wave face. The easterly trade winds that make Desert Point world-famous won't reliably return until April. Through December, every surf-camp veteran is 4,000 km away in Australia or Europe.
Swell: The southern Indian Ocean storm track has shifted south. Most swell energy that reaches Indonesia goes to Bali's east coast or further north. SW pulses reaching Lombok in December are typically 3-4ft at 10-12 second period — not enough to break Desert Point properly.
Road: 300mm of rain across 20 days saturates the unsealed sections of road from Sekotong. The final 10-12 km becomes mud. Even 4WDs get bogged on the worst days. Multi-day trips from anywhere in Lombok become genuine logistical challenges in December.
Camps: Most foreign-managed boutique camps closed since November. Indonesian-owned camps running on minimal staff with limited food, frequent power cuts, and no other guests.
Probably 1-2 camps maximum, all Indonesian-owned. Skeleton staff. Limited menu. No bar service (or BYO from Sekotong). Wi-fi unreliable. Cell signal patchy. Generator cycling on schedule.
Pricing drops to 50-70% off peak. You can negotiate for multi-night stays. The camp dog will get significant attention.
This is genuinely "the camp owner is here, you're welcome to stay, but don't expect anything resembling peak-season operations" territory.
In a generous reading of December: maybe 1-2 sub-classic surf days in a two-week window, if a freak SW pulse aligns with offshore wind, and if the road is passable, and if you're committed enough to drive in for the long-shot.
In a realistic reading: probably zero classic days, possibly one fun mid-tide session at 3-4ft, lots of staring at onshore mush.
This is not a surf trip. It's a wet-season retreat with a remote possibility of catching surf.
Lombok's holiday-season tourism happens at Senggigi, the Gili Islands, and Kuta. None of it reaches Bangko Bangko.
If you're in Lombok for Christmas-New Year holidays:
Bangko Bangko has none of this. It's a remote surf-only village that empties out in wet season. Christmas at Desert Point means dinner at the camp with the staff, not a holiday-season experience.
December is when the road is at its worst. Heavy rain regularly leaves the final stretch impassable. A 4WD is mandatory; even then, expect 2-3 hour drives instead of the dry-season 90-minute trip.
Plan for the possibility of being stuck either at Sekotong (waiting for the road to dry) or at the camp (waiting for the road to allow exit). Build in flexibility.
If you're determined to come in December, hire a 4WD with an experienced local driver from Sekotong. Carry water, snacks, fully-charged phone, and patience. The route is remote and breakdown help is hours away.
Don't come to Lombok for surf in December: The whole island is wet-season and the surf options are limited. Bali is the right answer.
Bali east coast: Keramas, Sanur, Nusa Dua all break in December's wet-season pattern. Short flight from Lombok if you're already in the region.
If in Lombok, surf Inside Ekas: It's the only Lombok wave that works reliably in December. Beginner-intermediate friendly. Camps open year-round with daily Kuta shuttles.
Non-surf Lombok: Diving Gili Trawangan (lower visibility but viable), cultural visits, Mount Rinjani trek (closed in December for wet-season safety — wait until April). Beach time at Kuta or Senggigi (wet but pleasant).
The Desert Point season runs May through October. July through September is the genuine peak. December through April is for staying away.
If you're thinking about Desert Point and your dates fall in December: postpone to July. The wave is fundamentally a peak-dry-season phenomenon and trying to surf it outside that window is a waste of time and money.
Don't book in advance for December. There's no demand pressure — the camps that are open will accept walk-in guests with a phone call ahead.
For someone reading this and planning to visit Desert Point eventually: book your trip for May, June, July, August, or September. Avoid December entirely.
December bleeds into January which bleeds into February which bleeds into March. Four months of essentially the same wet-season conditions, with March showing the first slow improvements. April is the inflection. May is when planning becomes worth doing again.
December at Desert Point: don't.
December at Desert Point is essentially indistinguishable from January. If you're already in Lombok for Christmas and somehow a forecast shows a freak SW swell with offshore wind for 24-36 hours (it happens once or twice in a wet season), it's worth driving over for a single session. Otherwise, save Desert Point for July. The wave needs months of planning anyway and December has nothing to offer surfers. The Christmas-New Year crowd in Lombok is all in Senggigi, the Gilis, and Kuta — none of it touches Bangko Bangko.