Mentawais
Introduction
Located about 80 miles west of the Indonesia's largest island, Sumatra,
the Mentawai Islands are the home of some of the best, most consistent
surf on the planet. Because of their exposure to swells in the Roaring
40s, the sheer volume of surf spots in the region, and the remoteness of
the islands (some of which are uninhabited), the Mentawais have become
the premiere surf destination for hard-core surfers looking to escape
the real world and surf eight hours a day.
While land-based surf resorts at Macaroni's and a few other popular
Mentawais spots have started to spring up, the most popular way to surf
the Mentawais is still by "boat trip," in which a group of surfers
charters a boat for ten to twelve days. Scores of these surf charter
boats patrol the area from March to November every year, each boat
containing an average of eight frothing surfers, and the result is often
crowded lineups at stand-out breaks like Lance's Right, Macaroni's, and
Thunders. But because the Mentawais offer nearly limitless waves, good
boat operators will know of uncharted surf spots to sneak off to when
crowds at other spots start to build.
The reason for all the hype: simply, the surf. Rights, lefts, big waves,
playful points, open shoulders, and racing tubes ... from three feet to
twelve, the Mentawais has it all.
Charter prices range from $2,000 to $5,000 for a ten- to twelve-day
trip, but those who've experienced the surf in the Mentawais say it's
worth every penny.
Click here
to download Surfline's Mentawais Surf Guide pdf.
Crowds
The stand-out spots like Lance's Right and Macca's have perpetual
crowds on them from March to October, but the beauty of the Mentawais
boat trip is that if you don't want to battle three dozen guys at
Lance's Right, your captain can probably lead you to a little gem nearby
with one tenth the crowd. The busiest months are May, June, and
September.
Hazards
Hazards are similar throughout much of wilderness Indo: razor-sharp
coral reefs, heavy sun exposure, and rough open-ocean passages when
storms arrive. If you've go ashore on any of the islands, it's also
advisable to bring mosquito repellent.
Pollution
Very little, as the Mentawais are nowhere near a population center.
The Seasons
Summer
Summer (December - February) is downtime in the Mentawais, when most
the boats go in for repairs and rest. While there are still waves, the
winds tend to be less than favorable, and much of the Indonesian surf
community relocates to Bali.
Fall
Fall (March - April) is when the big weather machine at the bottom of
the world switches on and starts showering the Mentawais with south and
southwest swell energy. Though fall isn't the most popular time to
charter your boat trip, each year it gets busier with surfers looking to
avoid the winter flood of frothers.
Winter
Winter (June - September) is go time in the Mentawais, and from June to
September it's very hard to get skunked. The source of the surf is
low-pressure systems in the southern Indian Ocean when send ground
swells thousands of miles across the open ocean. Summer is the not only
the most consistent time but also the most crowded.
Spring
Spring (October - November) still packs a punch in the Mentawais, and
October is typically considered a consistent month. But as November
matures, swells die off, and by December most boat charters are in dry
dock getting repairs and readying themselves for the following fall.
Reading
Here are some very reputable boat charter and travel companies who can
help you plan and execute a trip to the Mentawai Islands:
Saraina Koat
Mentawai
Indies Trader
Marine Adventures
Wave Hunters
World
Surfaris
Go to All
Related Content for Mentawais
SurfingList Travel is now ofering surf charters to the
Mentawais on four different surf boats
The Mentawais offer some of the best surf anywhere on earth. The
Mentawai Islands attract swells year round with the most consistent
season generally being between March and November. Waves vary in size
from 2 to 12 feet with the average wave height being about 6 feet. The
region can also get large swells up to 15 feet+. The islands have some
of the most consistent, user friendly surf in the world. There are a
broad variety of waves from waves good for all levels to the perfect
barrels breaking over shallow reef. Some of the most famous surf spots
in the Mentawais include Macaronis, Hollow Trees (also called HTs or
Lance's Right), Rifles, and No Kanduis but there are many other world
class waves to be found here.

SurfingList Travel is offering surf packages via any of 4
different surf boats: the Aileoita II, the Kaimana, the Melaleuca, and
the Oasis. The boats sleep up to 10 people comfortably and can be
chartered for $20,000 USD. Surf Packages are for 10 days and 11 nights
total trip with 10 surfing days. The packages include the following:
- All transfers to and from Padang Airport
- Transfers to and from the Mentawai Islands
- Full catering, snacks, tropical fruit juices, and sodas
onboard
- Use of onboard equipment
- Use of smaller boat for photography
- Two cases of beer per person - extra beer available upon
request.
Hidup ini begitu singkat jika tidak
kita isi dengan hal-hal menarik, dan harus di isi dengan hal yang
bermanfaat. Bagi saya hal yang menarik itu salah satunya adalah
pertualangan (adventure), untuk melihat, merasakan, dan melakukan hal
baru. adapun perjalanan rutin itu antara lain, mendaki gunung, lintas
alam, camping, dll, namun itu semua saya lakukan masih di wilayah pulau
sumatera, dan kebanyakan di hutan gunung. sehingga akhir tahun 2012
saya merencanakan perjalanan pulau dan pantai di luar pulau sumatera.
Bagi saya pulau Sumatera ini begitu
luas, selama 20 tahun hidup, saya
belum bisa keluar dari pulau ini.Namun kata orang nun jauh diseberang
laut sana masih banyak tempat yang lain dan lebih memukau. Menginjak di
umur ke 20 ini aku mulai melihat keluar mencoba meninggalkan pulau
sumatera yang merupakan pulau yang tak pernah ku tinggalakan selama
lebih dari 20 tahun hidup ini. Dan tempat pertama yang aku kunjungi
meninggalkan pulau sumatera adalah Kepulauan Mentawai, tepatnya Pulau
Pagai
.
Peta : Kepulauan Mentawai Sumatera Barat
Peta : Jalur Lintas Kapal Ambu-Ambu Padang - Mentawai
Akses kapal umum ke mentawai ada 3 buah yaitu, ke Siberut, Sipora dan
Sikakap. karena kami mau ke Pulau Pagai, maka memilih rute ke Sikakap.
Dan dari padang kita naik kapal feri bernama AMBU-AMBU di teluk bungus,
teluk bungus terletak disamping teluk bayur (arah ke Painan) atau
sekitar 40 menit pejalanan dari Pasar Raya jika menggunakan angkot
(ongkos = Rp5000,- per orang).Kapal menuju Sikakap hanya beroperasi
setiap hari selasa (berangkat dari bungus padang selasa jam 17:00 WIB).
Lama perjalanan yaitu sekitar 14 jam atau kita sampai di Pelabuahan
sikakap kepulauan mentawai pada hari Rabu jam 07:00 WIB. Harga tiket
ekonomi untuk orang dewasa yaitu Rp.95000,-, sedangkan untuk Anak-anak
Rp 75000,-.