| The Mentawai Islands, stretching from latitudes 2 | | | | tackle larger waves than you might be able to at |
| to 3 degrees south off the west coast of | | | | home. Intermediate surfers can get good waves, |
| Sumatra are without doubt the destination most | | | | although some of the celebrated waves are more |
| aspired to by surfers worldwide and are home to | | | | challenging than they look in still photos. Prepare |
| a large number of the best waves on earth.Here | | | | for anything from 2-10 ft, but rarely more.So you |
| is some additional knowledge on surf travel guide. | | | | positively need some lessons over surf travel |
| The Setup | | | | guide. |
| Four main islands and dozens of islets are fringed | | | | The Reef |
| by palm cultivations, 28 degree water and coral | | | | The quality waves are over lava based coral reef |
| reef, backed by dense jungle miles away from | | | | lying at varying depths. Some are flat tables with |
| any western style "civilisation". Like much of | | | | a safe covering of water, others are pocketed, |
| Indonesia, volcanic eruptions shaped the | | | | pointy, shallow and hard to avoid in the event of |
| topography and sea bottom of these islands, | | | | a fall. Very few surfers come back from a trip |
| making for extremely deep trenches in the ocean | | | | here without some kind of a cut, so make sure |
| floor and fast rising land mass close to the | | | | you take the necessary medical supplies with you. |
| shoreline. The result is minimal dilution of swell | | | | Season |
| energy and funnelling and refraction of waves to | | | | Swell is in best supply from April to October, with |
| the enormous benefit of surfers. In conjunction | | | | July and August often representing the peak of |
| with the above, the Mentawais present almost | | | | consistency and size. This middle of season is also |
| the widest swell window and fetch in the Indian | | | | the driest and most crowded. Boat operations run |
| Ocean. | | | | from April to October/November for these |
| The Waves | | | | reasons, and because, after November, the |
| The convoluted shorelines, deeply recessed bays | | | | weather can get pretty unsettled. Trade-winds do |
| and many islets also add variety of angle to swell | | | | not operate this close to the equator, and winds |
| and wind, so whatever the breeze or swell | | | | are shifting and unpredictable. Many days are |
| direction, somewhere will be offshore and lined up. | | | | wind-free, or with the breeze veering 360 |
| It's a slam dunk for surfers! Waves here tend to | | | | degrees in 24 hours. Thanks to this, goofy |
| have considerable power without necessarily being | | | | footers and natural can both get their fix on the |
| heavy in the Hawaiian sense. Generally speaking, | | | | same day, with rights and lefts often next door |
| peaks are relatively predictable, enabling you to | | | | to each other. |