Mentawaii Islands
The Mentawaii Islands, located off the North West Coast of Indonesia are a surfing phenomena. The wave rich coastline of this tropical paradise is home to some of the best and most consistent surf in the world. The typical surf season runs from April through to October, however the months from November to March have been known to throw down some epic uncrowded sessions when the right swell and winds come together.
Getting to the waves: Flights to Padang depart most days from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. If you book in advance, most resorts will provide transfers to the local port where boats depart. The crossing from the Sumatran mainland to the Mentwaii island chain can take anywhere between five and fifteen hours depending on ocean conditions and your choice of vessel. Sea sickness tablets are advisable along with a dose of anti-biotic’s.
Exploring the waves: Be it a boat trip with ten of your best mates, or a land camp meeting new people, the Mentwaii’s will be sure to deliver the waves of a lifetime. Whilst a boat trip is widely considered the best way to surf this island chain, the past decade has seen the introduction of a number of surf orientated resorts which allow the comforts of being land based, whilst still providing fast, easy access to numerous quality waves in the area via fast boat.
LANCES LEFT
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Upper intermediate to experienced
Bali Bible Rating: *****
Lances left is a long mechanical left which breaks over a relatively mellow reef. Despite producing some fast hollow sections, the mechanical nature of this wave makes it suitable to upper level intermediate surfers willing to test their ability in world class waves.
GREEN BUSH
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Experienced
Bali Bible Rating: *****
Green Bush is yet another regional classic. Located not far from the famous Macaronis, Green Bush is a fast (and in bigger swells heavy) left hand barrel breaking over shallow reef. In the right swell direction, this break produces long racey tubes with a difficult yet achievable exit. This wave is worth checking out on Youtube which has some great footage or pros and punters alike scoring some amazing left hand barrels.
HT’s (LANCES RIGHT)
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Experienced
Bali Bible Rating: *****++
HT’s is one of the best right hand barrels in the world and is a favorite of ours here at the Bali Bible. A steep sucky take off rolls along shallow reef throwing down seriously hollow (some times stand up) tube sections. A perfect ride will see takers ride long barrels all the way from the top section, through to the appropriately named surgeons table (a shallow sucky end section breaking for around 15 to 20m in less than two foot of water). Despite it’s reputation as a heavy hollow right hander, the mechanical nature of this waves makes barrel riding relatively easy. The pinnacle of tube riding for the more experienced surfer.
BINTANGS RIGHT
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Upper end intermediate to Expert
Bali Bible Rating: ****
In a land with lefts a plenty, Bin Tangs provides natural footers with some welcome relief. A fun, relatively easy barreling right hander which holds small to large swells, Bin Tangs is good stop off to keep the natural footers cheery.
RIFLES
Direction: Right hand reef break
Experience: Expert
Bali Bible Rating: *****
Rifles is yet another totally epic right hand reef break offering long fast barrel sections. The reef here is shallow, and can be close to unsurfable on low tide for those without a death wish. That said, many have claimed the best rides of their life here as the wave does pay out well against the risks.
MACARONIS
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Upper intermediate to expert
Bali Bible Rating: *****
Another Indo classic, Maccas has been described as the funnest left hand wave in the world. On most days a long, fun easy barrel is on offer. Despite being described as a super fun wave, in bigger swells perfect hollow caverns are common providing epic tube riding possibilities.
SCARECROWS
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Experienced
Bali Bible Rating: ****
Scarecrows is another great wave which provides fun rippable left hand walls. In the right conditions easy open barrels can be found. The shifting peak allows nature to call priority on the bomb sets, helping to separate the relatively small crowd.
TELESCOPES
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Expert
Bali Bible Rating: *****
Yet another epic Indonesian left hand reef break (it feels like that description is suited to most waves in the area). A long barreling left with a few fast racey sections, telescopes provides those with good tube riding ability the potential to slot into some long perfect barrels. On small to medium swells, Tele’s is a perfect mechanical, goofy footers dream. On a big swell, Tele’s will do its best to impersonate Fiji’s infamous Cloudbreak. Surf Tele’s, its all time!
RAGS RIGHT
Direction: Right hand reef break
Experience: Expert
Bali Bible Rating: ****
Rags right provides a super heavy right hand barrel which breaks across sharp shallow reef. Not the ideal first stop on anyone’s trip, as an encounter with the reef could easily cut one trip short. For experienced surfers only.
BENG BENGS
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Intermediate to expert
Bali Bible Rating: ***
Beng Bengs is a super fun left hand reef break. On the right swell direction Beng Bengs’s provides a fun steep wall for carving off the lip. This is one of less critical waves in the area providing a good starting point for those finding their feet in the perfect Indonesian conditions.
BANK VAULTS
Direction: Right hand reef break
Experience: Expert
Bali Bible Rating: ****
Bank Vaults lives up to its name, as once you make the drop you will likely find yourself racing a thick heavy tube section hoping for an exit which may or may not exist. Like a bank vault, once locked in it’s a hell of a hard task getting out. Pick the right wave and you will be treated to a super heavy yet humbling pit. Pick the wrong wave and expect a solid beating. You don’t want to get locked in the vault!
NIPUSSI
Direction: Right hand reef break
Experience: Intermediate to expert
Bali Bible Rating: ***1/2
Nipussi is a fun, less critical, right hand wave providing a more mellow option than its angry neighbor Bank Vaults. That said in bigger swells Nipussi can really turn on providing easy tube riding opportunities.
BURGER WORLD
Direction: Right hand reef break
Experience: Intermediate to expert
Bali Bible Rating: ***
The wave of burger world provides a short, fun, rippable, right hander. Another good, relatively mechanical wave to help you find your feet before hitting some of the more critical waves in the area.
NO KANDUI
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Experienced
Bali Bible Rating: ****1/2
No Kandui is a super hollow, lightning fast left hander, breaking over shallow coral reef. In the right swell this waves provides incredibly fast hollow tube sections. As the name would suggest, for most surfers the barrel is a No Kandui (pardon the pun). Better left to the upper end experienced surfers.
PITSTOPS
Direction: Right hand reef/sand bottom break
Experience: Intermediate to experienced
Bali Bible Rating: ***
Pitstops is a short punchy right hand reef break. A fun take off and punchy wall allow for quick maneuvers off the lip. Not the reason one would travel all the way to the Mentawaiis, yet a fun wave adding to the variety of waves in the area.
THUNDERS
Direction: Left hand reef break
Experience: Expert
Bali Bible Rating: ***1/2
When the swell is small, a sail down South to Thunders will more often than not still provide waves in the 4ft++ range. Long period Indian Ocean swells roll in out of the deep ocean “thundering” onto the left had reef break. With a hollow take off and rippable end section, Thunders is the place to head in small swells.