MENTAWAI ISLANDS
CHARTER GUIDE
By Nick Carroll
INTRO
Without
doubt the most thoroughly publicized, photographed and fought-over surfing area
of the past decade, the Mentawai Islands remain a source of intrigue to waveriders
worldwide -- and a site of occasionally fiendish territorial battles among the
three key tour operators and 20 or more boats that run surf charters to the
islands' many excellent surf spots.
The Mentawais (pronounced men-TAH-wee) lie off the western coastline of the Indonesian island of Sumatra -- 150 nautical miles southeast of Nias. They consist of four large islands and numerous smaller ones, some charted and some not, strung out along a line from 3.3S/100.5E to 2S/99.5E. Volcanic in origin, the islands are geographically dynamic, some sinking into the ocean, some rising and all of it happening much too quickly for the formation of South Pacific-style coral-limestone atolls. As a result, most good Mentawai waves break close into the islands along shoreline-based, coral-encrusted lava reefs, with swells being refracted into these reefs by deepwater offshore lava slabs. Refractions are so extreme that some of the better breaks in the region face almost directly opposite the open-ocean swell angles, with waves wrapping halfway around islands to strike the reefs.
THE SURF
Literally hundreds of ridable waves dot the islands. Many of them have magic
days; many are known to only one or two boat captains. Several are way up in
the world-class zone. The general tone is typical Indonesia -- powerful but
not bone-snapping, with numerous hollow sections and some lengthy waits between
bigger sets -- especially on the dying end of a swell. The islands are outside
the southeast trade wind belt and susceptible to fluky, stormy equatorial wind
shifts. Oddly enough, this suits the wide variety of reefs and angles; it seems
as though no matter what the wind's choosing to do, somewhere's always offshore.
(Of course, that somewhere might be four hours away.)
Broad exposure to all reaches of the southern Indian Ocean provides the Mentawais with unrivaled swell consistency, well beyond that of Bali. Background pulses keep waves breaking even between the stronger hits, and swells will often arrive over the top of each other in the mid-season boom. Few will push beyond the 6- to 10-foot range, however.
Out of the many, a handful of spots have made themselves the focus of most charters, partly due to their quality, partly to consistency and partly to ease of access. Another factor may be the lack of detailed regional surf knowledge among many captains, or their lack of personal surf lust -- not all are surfers. But we digress. Here's a look at four of the hot handful:
Lance's
Left
Facing almost directly into the prevailing southwest swell, Lance's Left is
a "go-to" wave, easily ridden by all but the least competent surfers,
yet challenging the skilled to a couple of deeper takeoff zones and accompanying
barrels. It's a broad shelving reef that curves through around 45 degrees into
an eventual closeout across jagged inside coral, but poses little danger, thanks
to numerous easy exit points throughout the ride. When a new swell hits Lance's
Left, it can take on the best attributes of Grajagan's Moneytrees section --
slabby, thick takeoffs, broad faces and a nice blend of barrel and rippability.
It'll keep up this action into the 10-foot zone on a fresh swell before mushing
out wide into the adjoining deep water. On smaller swells, that original takeoff
zone mellows into a softer, playful drop and swinging peak that beckons the
surfer farther and farther down the line, while a new section -- long, thin
and cylindrical -- pops up way over near the outside dry reef. This new section
is deceptive and should be left to the highly skilled; it conceals a grand risk
of coral burn.
Other than that, it's a great starter wave for a Mentawais trip and often treated as such by captains good and otherwise.
Consistency:
8 to 10
Difficulty: easy to medium
Danger factor: low to medium
Barrel factor: medium
Lance's
Right
This spot -- just around the headland from Lance's Left -- has been renamed
several times (see "History" section below). It's also semi-commonly
known as HTs or Hollowtrees, after a typically Mentawaian dead tree trunk that
once stood way out on the reef. The trunk is gone now, but the wave hasn't changed
a bit. Although the reef faces east, it benefits from the outer-reef refraction
theory to draw in as much swell as most other spots in the area. It's basically
a squared off slab of lava-coral reef about 100 yards wide, with a rarely breaking
cloudbreak outside that peaks waves up onto one of two distinct sections. Deeper
and gnarlier of the two is The Office, well over in front of vicious exposed
coral heads. A well-struck 6-foot wave at The Office is like flawless Backdoor
Pipeline; a badly chosen one is extremely sketchy, with the inevitable wipeout
being quickly followed by a pounding way too close to the coral for comfort.
Safer, yet somewhat weirder, is The Cage, a wider-swinging walled-up peak that
tubes on takeoff, but occasionally pinches shut. Low-tide Cage sports three
perky little coral heads on the inside that'll gladly take some skin if permitted.
Smaller days are a frolic -- tubes, airs, mad carves, whatever you can think
up. Lance's undoubted allure is assisted by the Sumatran mainland's seabreeze,
which creates a very light offshore most afternoons.
Consistency:
7 to 10
Difficulty: medium to high
Danger factor: medium to high
Barrel factor: high
Macaronis
Some darn good surfers have called this the best performance wave in the world.
If they're wrong, it's surely up there in the rankings. Macaronis is tucked
inside several other reef layers near a lovely green-water bay that makes a
beautiful calm overnight anchorage. This, plus the wave quality and ease of
riding, makes Macas the target zone for almost every boat captain in the islands,
and the subsequent crowding in its tight takeoff area can get way out of hand.
The wave itself is a sectionless left peeling across a curved lava-coral shelf
that slopes up out of the water at an almost offensively perfect angle. An occasionally
complex takeoff resolves swiftly into a long hollow wall with curves suited
to any turn or tube you'd care to imagine. Theoretically, Macaronis has an upper
limit around 6 feet, but has been known to hold bigger in perfect conditions.
One drawback for the less-skilled surfer is that takeoff zone: like most excellent
waves, Macas is not friendly to people who try to pick up the wave farther down
the line, having by then established its dredging flow. Getting in from the
start is the key to Macaronis' magic.
Consistency:
5 to 10
Difficulty: easy to medium
Danger factor: medium
Barrel factor: high
Thunders
Also known as Rags, Thunders has suffered from the same syndrome as Lance's
Right in the naming stakes -- it's too popular for its own good. Being broadly
exposed to the southwest and a little farther off the Sumatran mainland, it's
possibly the most consistent break in the whole chain. It's a left that superficially
resembles Lance's Lefts, but upon investigation, shows itself to be a very complicated
lineup, with numerous takeoff spots and massive inconsistencies in the reef.
Wave choice becomes a very broad and open game, with wide easy faces and tight
hollow barrels all over the place. Most waves tend to find their way into a
peaky inside section and an eventual collapse onto craggy coral. Thunders shows
better form early in a rising swell, when its true nature as one of the better
large waves in the region becomes clear -- a solid, slabby wall bleeds quickly
into a swinging hollow peak, which reforms on to the inside. Some surfers have
been lured way up the line on less consistent days -- generally they've found
themselves to have been magnificently sucked in by mirage-like dreams of barrel
sections, which don't actually exist.
Back across the bay from Thunders lies one of the best rights in the islands, perhaps the world, on its day -- a rifling cylinder across nearly bare coral where 10- to 15-second tubes are a serious possibility. But be warned, this is a place for super-skilled surfers only, unless you enjoy the sensation of being cleanly stripped of flesh.
Consistency:
9 to 10
Difficulty: medium to high
Danger factor: medium
Barrel factor: medium
GETTING
THERE
The handful of surfers who prowled the chain pre-1990 did it by taking an
irregular ferry ride from the Sumatran mainland and hoping they ended up near
some kind of surf. Today, almost everyone books a place in advance on one of
the surf charter vessels that run out of Padang harbor on Sumatra's west coast.
Padang -- a large smelly trade town of more than 500,000 people -- is a short
plane ride from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. The planes ain't big and experienced
Sumatra-trippers almost all have horror stories of board bags that never made
in into the cargo hold. It's a 90-mile boat trip from Padang to the island fringes
and a day's cruising between the main breaks.
WHEN
TO GO
Good swells can hit at almost any time of year, but scary weather during
the monsoon season (November-March) should be avoided. Most charters do not
run during this period. The best and most in-demand timeslot is May-June and
August, which seem to be most consistent for high quality groundswells.
THE ATTACK
Boards
The wide range of wave types and conditions give a surfer plenty of opportunity
to fool around with a quiver. But the ideal size and wave-weight -- 6 feet,
hollow, fast and hard -- suits the competent surfer's magic 6'6" to 6'10"
range. A quiver built around these sizes, plus your regular home-brand hotdogger
for smaller days, will deal with almost anything you're likely to find. Even
the bigger days can be handled comfortably without the need to resort to major
gunnage. (Generally in Indo waters, boards over 7'2" will hang you up in
the tube.) Expect to snap a board, so make sure you back up that middle range
and you won't regret it. Many waves can be comfortably handled on longer funboards
and even longboards. Recommended quiver: four boards, one standard hotdog range,
the other three midrange and interchangeable. Spare leashes!
Technique
Competent surfers of all stances and styles will find sweet spots somewhere
in these islands. One key point: Indonesian waves are best ridden from the deepest
possible takeoff spot. Much of the time, trying to pick up a wave from the shoulder
will result in failure as the thing steamrolls right by. Stay relaxed and focus
on the starting point of the wave, not the halfway point. Antsiness should be
avoided. A desperate attempt to catch 30 waves an hour will burn you out by
the third day. These reefs provide a God-given opportunity to work on rail-to-rail
speed and tuberiding. Take your time and concentrate on clean, carving turns,
holding the rail down in the turn as long as you can and breathing out through
the end of the turn. Don't hunt the tube too fiercely; it'll find you.
Warning! This is not a surf zone suited to beginners. Be clear about your skill level before tackling the heavier, hollower spots.
Gear
This is a surf trip without a land base and well away from any serious medical
help or opportunities to back up your surfing equipment. You should be fully
prepared for seasickness, minor cuts (up to a few stitches), reef scrapes and
sea ulcers, sunburn and surfboard damage. Some boats carry functional first
aid kits, but don't rely on it. Also, do not expect to be able to buy prescription
medications. The ocean temperature around the islands is warmer than almost
anywhere else you'll have been, hovering around 80 degrees. It's a good idea
to re-wax your boards with warm-water wax before the trip. And it can be nice
to wear a cotton T-shirt instead of a rashguard for UV protection because the
T-shirt aids in evaporation cooling (and trust us, after six or seven laps of
the reef, you'll be too warm for comfort).
Recommended
gear:
1) powerful sunscreen, anti-UV rash vest or T-shirts (see above), sunburn relief
gel, cap or helmet (optional)
2) reef walkers or hard-soled wetsuit boots for possible pursuit of board across
reef
3) seasickness prevention pills (machismo is not an antidote)
4) easy to use UV resin ding repair kit/s
5) small medical kit including antibacterial wash (i.e. Betadine), antibacterial
powder, minor protective bandaging, painkiller and anti-inflammatory (i.e. Motrin),
suture kit
6) effective tropical insect repellent (not vital on board, but good if you're
going ashore for a visit to one of the island towns)
7) warm-water wax/waxcomb
HISTORY
As with most remote surf locations worldwide, we'll probably never know
who first surfed the Mentawai chain. People were consistently riding Lagundri
Bay on Nias, not far to the north, in 1975, which may be some guide. A group
of Australian surfers claim to have visited Macaronis in 1980, after a ferry
trip across from Padang. Strangely, they never went back -- which perhaps says
more about the rigors of overland travel in Sumatra than it does about the wave.
The islands were -- and still are, in places -- home to extraordinary bands of Sumatran-origin tribesmen, who lived high in the rain forest areas of the larger islands and practiced cannibalism. Indonesia's governing authorities have shown somewhat conflicting attitudes to the islands. They sometimes appear to be concerned with preserving their natural state and, at other times, open the door to giant tropical hardwood logging corporations and relocating thousands of mainland Javanese people to the area's small port towns.
A salvage diver and keen surfer by the name of Martin Daly happened to be working out of Jakarta in the late '80s and surfing Panaitan and other Javanese islands on his time off. He'd been looking at charts of the Mentawais for a while and became convinced the islands had to have good surf with Nias so close by. In 1989, he got together with a mate and headed up in a borrowed boat to look around. Over the next two years, Daly uncovered a wonderland of excellent reefbreaks, only once stumbling across another surfer -- the Lance of Lance's Right, who'd beaten him to that particular wave by a day. In 1991 he let slip to an Australian friend and savvy Indo traveler, Glenn Stokes, that he'd found paradise. Glenn suggested they hook up with a few other surfers to cover costs and agreed to put together a crew for next season. Unknown to Daly, the crew -- among others of Glenn's mates -- consisted of Tom Carroll, Martin Potter, Ross Clarke-Jones and Stuart Cadden. At first Daly was furious, but relaxed when he met the surfers and realized they just wanted to go on a vacation surf trip. Their 10 days among the islands coincided with possibly the best swell conditions of the past decade of Mentawai madness. Only two images -- blurry, bootlegged and unnamed -- of Carroll and Potter riding a 15-foot left made it to the surf press.
Over the next three years, Daly ran cautious charters for an increasing clientele on board his 75-foot steel-hulled Indies Trader. The first magazine photo trip was in 1993 for Surfing magazine and Rip Curl, with surfers Tom Curren, Chris Davidson, Brock Little and Frankie Oberholzer, and photographer Jeff Hornbaker. Further trips followed, and the veteran Indonesian sail charter boat Katika began running charters as well. Although the islands remained unnamed in the surf press until 1996, they hardly remained unknown, particularly among the increasing number of surf vacation entrepreneurs. (One odd offshoot: since it was all so new, rival captains started renaming spots in an effort to claim them as original, new spots. In this way, Lance's Rights earned the secondary name Hollowtrees, Thunders became Rags, and so forth.)
And the gold rush among investors and boat captains was just beginning. The torrent of images from pro surfers and photographers made waves like Lance's Right into something of a surf media cliche. Yet, despite the apparent crowding, many spectacular Mentawaian surf spots remain barely ridden and out of range of standard charter boats, and few surfers will regret their visit to the islands.
DOCTOR'S
ORDERS
On board a boat, the traveler's exposure to insect life and rotten food
is minimal. This reduces the risk of malaria, dengue fever, hepatitis and other
hideous tropical nightmare diseases that otherwise face surfers in Indonesia.
For regular updates on travel disease warnings, see the federal government Centers
for Disease Control web site (www.cdc.gov) or similar sites such as www.medicineplanet.com.
The greatest health risks are injury resulting from surfing accidents, heat stroke and dehydration. A chronic risk is sheer exhaustion from over-surfing -- a real threat for the average surfer, whose general fitness may be OK but not up to eight hours' powering every day.
Small cuts and scrapes will rapidly fester in the tropical climate if not treated swiftly and smartly. Wash them right out, clean with antibacterial wash and keep dry using an antibacterial powder. Do the routine after every surf, and you should at least keep infection at bay for the rest of your stay. You should also be prepared for onboard suturing of bigger cuts if necessary, with or without local anesthetic.
A few general
tips:
1) To combat dehydration and exhaustion, limit your surfing time to mornings
and afternoons, stay the heck out of the midday sun, stretch, sleep, drink a
lot of water and eat plenty of the available carbohydrates -- rice, noodles
and vegetables.
2) Don't drink tap water, either onboard or in any hotel where you might be
spending a night in transit. Stick to bottled water for drinking and brushing
teeth, or be prepared to suffer the runs.
3) Don't be a fricken tough guy about seasickness. If you've never been on a
boat in rough water, let us tell you: Real Manhood has nothing to do with it.
Just be smart and take Dramamine during a rough crossing and save yourself a
lot of punishment.
4) The average boat charter is between 10 and 14 days -- a long time to be out
there on a boat with limited company, space, etc. Take some good books and be
prepared to put up with less personal space than you may be used to. A good
attitude to this will help preserve your mental health.
ROAD
RULES
Politically, Indonesia is a republic. The capital is Jakarta, at the northwest
tip of Java. The major religion is Islam. Despite recent political upheavals
-- in 1998, the decades-long reign of former President Suharto was ended after
massive public protests, riots and ensuing deaths -- the country is considered
relatively safe for traveling Americans. Indonesia does not require a prior
visa for tourist travel, but you will need your passport for stamping.
Indonesian people in general are polite and dislike confrontation. If faced with aggressive demands from noisy Westerners, they'll tend to shy away and view the noisy one with distrust and uncertainty. Try to remember you're not in the U.S.A., and your problems won't get solved by head-on collisions. The island people are super mellow and really enjoy the interaction with surfers and charter boats because it occasionally results in some income from the sale of fish, crabs, bows and arrows, and the like.
The local currency is rupiah. You can find ATM machines and numerous moneychangers in the Jakarta airport. On the boat, you won't need cash for much, apart from a farewell tip for the boat's crew -- highly advised, especially if you're planning on coming back. (A total US$100 tip will work fine.)
An important item to note is that of surf etiquette. On board a boat, a group of surfers will tend to form a "wall" against other boat groups and grow territorial over spots. This is completely inappropriate, as is trying to dominate your fellow crew members in the lineup. In the Mentawai chain, no surfers are local -- all are tourists. Under these circumstances, the water vibe should never degenerate into jockeying, wave-stealing and other unseemly actions. Surfers are best advised to take turns in wave selection, give the lesser skilled riders a break and treat the amazing opportunity to surf the islands with the respect it deserves.
THE CHARTERS
The wide range of possible charter boats makes it difficult to offer a complete
picture of each, but all tend to share certain levels of service, comfort and
function. There's one basic truth: you get what you pay for. This means that
boats with a high price tag, such as Captain Daly's all-but-impossible-to-book
<I>Indies Trader II</I>, have equally high standards in all areas
(including secret surf spot knowledge).
Most boats now boast air conditioning -- a near essential for cruising these waters, where air temperatures and humidity stay fixed above 80 degrees. Most also have onboard trolling rods and other fishing gear (don't expect much...the waters aren't exactly alive with beasts), video style entertainment and pretty good food. Typical onboard meals might include: breakfast (coffee, fruit, eggs, toast, rice), lunch (chicken or steak sandwiches, fruit, sodas) and dinner (fish curry, veggies, rice, maybe a simple dessert of cookies, fruit salad). Sodas, beer and bottled water will be always available, but some boats charge for alcoholic drinks.
Boat numbers vary from eight to 12 surfers. If you want to go alone, you'll be assigned to a group; if you want to go as a pack of buddies, you may be able to fill a boat and earn possible discounts. Some boats provide more room than others, but all are totally bearable to a hard-core surfer looking for a wave feast. The bigger boats carry satellite phones and faxes from which you can call anywhere in the world (for a scary price -- try $10 a minute or more). You should check with your booking agent for details of the boat you're being booked on.
Ease of
booking: 8 to 10
Comfort factor: variable, 5 to 10
Crowd factor: variable
Opposite sex: forget it
Food: variable - 4 to 10
Apres-surf entertainment: fishing, diving, videos
BOOKING
INFO
Good Sumateran Surf Charters
888-407-4663 (USA)
www.surftraveler.com
Boats:
Budyadari, up to 10 people, $1,750 per person for 10 days, 11 nights
Christine, up to 8 people, $1,250 per person for 10 days, 11 nights and
$2,450 per person 23 days, 24 nights
Suzanna, up to 8 people, $1,250 per person for 10 days, 11 nights
Prices include all meals, drinks, beer and ground transfers in Padang.
Quiksilver Travel
www.quiksilvertravel.com
Boats:
Nusa Dewata: 13 days; contact for price; up to 5 surfers
Barrenjoey: 13 days; contact for price; up to 8 people
Navistar: $150/day, including all food and drink excluding beer; up to
8 surfers
Indies Trader II: contact for price and availability; up to 8 people
Saraina Koat Mentawai
Surf Charters
www.mentawaisurfcharters.com
Boats:
Seimoa: $1828 - $3000 u.s.d. per person for 10 days/11 nights. Max 8.
Wijaya: $1650 u.s.d. per person for 10 days/11 nights. Max 9
Aileoita: $1650 u.s.d. per person for 10 days/11 nights. Max 8
Nagalaut: $1650 u.s.d. per person for 10 days/11 nights. Max 12
Irish Mist: $1350 u.s.d. per person for 10 days/11 nights. Max 6
Scame: $1850 u.s.d. per person for 10 days/11 nights. Max 5
Waterways Surf Travel
Phone: 888-669-7873
www.waterwaystravel.com
Boats:
Pelagic: 14 nights; $3,250; max 8
Triton: 11 nights; $1,755; max 10
Neptune: 11 nights; $1,755; max 12
Huey I: 11 nights; $2,065; max 10
Vaninda: 11 nights; $1,755; max 10
Strictly Business: 11 nights; $1,700; max 8
Indies Explorer: 14 nights; $2,212; max 10
Wavehunters
/ World Surfaris
www.wavehunters.com or www.worldsurfaris.com
Boats:
Indo Jiwa: 14 nights, $1,500 pp (12 pax)
Freedom: 11 nights, $1,850 (8 pax)
Bintang: 11 nights, $1,875 (w/8 pax); $1,500 (w/10 pax)
KM Nauli: 11 nights, $1,920 (8 pax)
Mangalui Ndulu: 11 nights; contact for prices
Navistar: 11 nights, $1,450 (8 pax)
Santa Lusia: 12 nights, $1,350 (10 pax)