The Mentawai islands sit just West of Sumatra. This archipelago is made of four large islands: Siberut, Sipura, Pagai Utara and Pagai Selatan.
On each of these islands there are over 10 different spots, some of them already world famous such as Hollow Trees (aka HTs or Lance’s Right), Maccaronis, Rifles, Greenbush or Nokanduis.
The wind and wave conditions of the Mentawai are what make this country a true surf heaven on earth: perfectly shaped reefs, light winds and consistent long distance swell. On top of that areas like Playground host over 10 different perfect surf spots within a 1h boat ride radius, to satisfy surfers of all levels in any wind/swell/tide combination.
The Mentawai islands are surfable (and surfed) year round. Best time of the year is April-October, with more consistent and bigger swells. It is usual to surf one or two swells per trip during those months.
During the rest of the year (November – March), perfect surf is also available. Swells come from further South than during the high season, and travel longer distances which results in a better quality (higher periods). The winds are very light and there are hardly any charters operating in the area while most of the resorts are closed. It’s the perfect time of the year to surf perfect waves with hardly anyone else, although the waves tend to be smaller than during high season.
Our large experience in the islands off Sumatra and the different forecast sources we work with, guarantee that we always in the right place at the right time.
We normally take advantage of nighttime for long crossings (including from and to Padang) so we can surf as much as possible during the daytime.
There is no fixed itinerary, as each trip is different according to the wind and waves conditions and surfing level.