In a rare spell of drop-in heaven rather than surf break hell, surfers in Bali have set a world record for the most people to ride a single wave.

Fifty-three surfers from Bali and as far afield as Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, France and Hawaii rode a wave at the popular “Halfway” break on Kuta Beach, breaking the old world mark of 46 people set at Sydney’s Manly Beach in May.

“It was a case of bodies and boards everywhere, but everyone’s pretty stoked,” Quiksilver surfwear spokesman and attempt coordinator Simon MacGregor told AAP.

The new record was set in near-perfect conditions, although less than half of the 128 people who registered for the attempt made it onto the wave at the same time.

“With everyone strung out right along the beach it was pretty hard to keep it all together,” MacGregor said.

He said the new mark would be registered with the Guinness Book of Records.

The attempt was organised to remind international audiences of Bali’s legendary beaches and surf, rather than recent terrorist bombings which have seen tourist numbers plummet.

Coordinated by the Quiksilver Boardriding School, the record coincided with an international junior surfing contest known as the “King of the Groms” and was organised by Balinese surfers.

Source: Ninemsn