In short. Bali's lifeguards are called Balawista, and in Badung they are the UPTD Badung Lifeguard Kuta service. Flags: between two red-and-yellow flags you can swim, because the lifeguard can see that zone; red means no swimming, do not enter the water; yellow means waves and current are weak, swim with care; red-and-white chequered means alarm, everyone out of the water; black-and-white chequered is a zone for surfers only. Flags are moved during the day. The main danger at Kuta and Canggu is the rip current: a narrow stream that carries you away from shore and does not pull you down. If it carries you out, do not swim straight to shore, lie on your back, stay afloat, wait until the stream weakens after a few tens of metres, and call a lifeguard. When BMKG warns of waves of 2.5–4 metres, red flags stand along the whole coast. Keep children within arm's reach, and do not enter the water after alcohol or at sunset.
Who watches the beaches. Bali's lifeguards are called Balawista, from Badan Penyelamat Wisata Tirta. In Badung regency this is the state service UPTD Badung Lifeguard Kuta, whose towers stand from German Beach in Kuta to Mengening Beach north of Canggu, that is along the whole strip of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Canggu. They are on duty by day and into the evening, NusaBali reported, quoting the head of the service, Wayan Somera. Sanur belongs to Denpasar and has its own lifeguards. At sunset the towers empty, and after dark even locals do not enter the ocean in Bali.
Flags. There is one system for all guarded beaches, explained by Bali Post together with the lifeguards and the water police:
- Two red-and-yellow flags: you can swim between them, and the lifeguard sees the zone. Everything outside the flags is out of his sight.
- Red flag: big waves and a strong current, do not enter the water. A red flag is a ban, not a suggestion.
- Yellow flag: waves and current are weak, you can swim, but with care and without a lifeguard watching.
- Red-and-white chequered: alarm, everyone leave the water.
- Black-and-white chequered: a zone for surfers and boards only, swimmers must not go there.
Flags are moved during the day because the current shifts. If you swam in one place in the morning, check at midday where the flags stand now.
Rip current. The main cause of swimmer deaths on long sandy beaches such as Kuta and Canggu. It is a narrow stream that runs away from shore through the surf zone. The American ocean service NOAA describes its speed as higher than that of an Olympic swimmer, and gives one rule: do not fight it. People drown from exhaustion when they try to swim straight to shore against it, and the strength of the stream is not the cause. Signs you can see from shore: a strip of darker, smoother water between two patches of foam, a gap in the line of waves, and muddy water with sand being carried out to sea. Right where it looks "calmest", do not go in.
If it carries you out. Do not panic and do not swim straight to shore. Lie on your back, stay afloat, and get your breath back: the current does not pull you down, it carries you away from shore and weakens after a few tens of metres. Then swim parallel to the shore to leave the stream, and only after that towards the shore at an angle, with the waves. Raise a hand and shout: the lifeguard on the tower looks specifically for raised hands. If you see another person being carried out, do not swim after them. Run to the tower or to any surfer with a board, because a board is the best rescue aid here.
Waves and weather. Lifeguards step up patrols when BMKG announces a high wave warning: in summer 2026, with a forecast of waves of 2.5–4 metres, red flags stood along the whole Badung coast. Warnings come to the Info BMKG app, which also sends earthquake messages, with details in our guide to earthquakes and tsunami. In the rainy season, from November to March, the ocean brings both rubbish and strong currents, and Kuta beaches are often closed at that time.
What this means for you. Swim between the red-and-yellow flags and only while someone is on the tower, keep children within arm's reach, and do not enter the water after alcohol or at sunset. Remember two signs: a smooth dark strip without foam is the way out to sea, and a raised hand is a request for help. For an ambulance after an accident: 112 and the cars in our guide to emergency numbers.