Indonesia:

Mentawai Islands one of the best boat surfing destinations
 

By John S. Callahan

Average Wave Height: 6 TO 10 feet The Mentawai Islands, off the coast of West Sumatra, are one of the best boat-charter surfing destinations in the world. With an abundance of surf spots and calm conditions, the islands offer very consistent swell from the southern hemisphere during the peak April to October season.

Being smack on the equator, the islands are extremely lush and tropical, and aside from occasional Christian missionaries and loggers over the past century, they are largely pristine.

There are no towns of significant size, and most of the indigenous Mentawai people make their home in the forest, fishing and hunting in the manner of their ancestors. Mentawai Christians live on the coast, fishing, growing cloves and occasionally trading with mainland Sumatra.

All of the Mentawai people speak a unique dialect, a proto-Malay language with the more westernized Christians of the coast also speaking the national language of Bahasa Indonesia and a smattering of Aussie-accented English.

The roster of world-class spots includes the legendary waves Lance?s Left and Macaronis, one of the most celebrated performance waves in the world. There are a slew of slightly less perfect breaks like Rags, Thunders and Scarecrows, all breaking over sharp coral reefs with full Indian Ocean groundswell punch. The resulting hollow, powerful waves spell trouble for beginners. This area is for advanced surfers only.

You are a long way from serious medical attention out there, and coral cuts are a regular occurrence. The average trip length is 10 to 14 days, with an overnight transit from Padang, on Sumatra, to the closest breaks. Go to sleep to the heavy throb and vibration of the diesel motor, and wake up when the anchor chain rattles into the water at the first stop.

Your guide will know the tricks of the trade, be able to make the call and put your boat at the right spot depending on the locally variable winds and subtle effects of swell direction. Then, surf yourself silly for the next 10 days before making the overnight run back to Padang.

A good boat with a surf guide, experienced Indonesian captain, cook and crew, and including an SSB radio, medical kit, and other safety equipment will run from US $80 to $120 per day all inclusive. Cheaper boats are available, but you get what you pay for and the poor quality of food and drink and total lack of any safety equipment could spell disaster.

Drawbacks to the Mentawai include increasing crowds, more than 30 boats presently offer trips to this playground, and it isn?t cheap (unless you want to "feral" it on a slow, unsafe boat and eat nothing but white rice for the whole trip). Deadly cerebral malaria is present in this area, and should be taken very seriously. The good news is, being on a boat cuts your exposure to mosquitoes by 90 percent as compared to camping in the forest.

As the waves in the Mentawai?s generally range from perfect to more perfect, in the 4 to 8 foot range, and glassy (that would be overhead to double overhead), with little if any local winds to make chop on the face, a three board quiver from a 6.0 to a 7.4 will handle almost any spot in the Mentawais. At least two strong leg ropes, several quick drying bathing suits, a wide brimmed sunhat and a couple of rash guards for sunburn are all you need.

Its no fashion parade out there: scruffy beards, sunburnt, peeling skin and festering coral cuts are the adornments of choice.