Choose Your Surf

 

Mentawai Surf is carrying the banner of Indonesia, an island-rich Pacific nation, as one of the topmost spots in the surfing world. This is one string of islands just off Sumatra with enough reefs that produce the dry-season swells into some of the best waves on the planet. 

 

Already acclaimed as one of the world’s best surfing spots, Mentawai surf is simply reestablishing the island nation’s place in the firmament of top surf spots in the world.

 

The following are the top reasons for being so.

 

Mentawai

 

This string of islets had already been a surfing territory since it had been discovered only recently. Some pros strayed here back in 1992. What they discovered had amazed the surfing world. From then on, the most wave-rich region in Asia

 

Three distinct areas (Siberut, Sipora Pagai, Macronis) are each centered on the Mentawai’s main three islands. The island of Siberut in the north is the best known of them all, and is hosting the surf region called Playgrounds that abounds with breaks.

 

A Frames / 4Bobs

 

This one is relatively in a deep reef, usually attracting a crowd known for being versatile. It is located in the Karangmajat island forming an outer reef.

 

4Bobs is a mellow reef break that rolls into a channel and works like a mellow beach on even the biggest swells. It’s a nice ride that can even barrel occasionally.

 

Rifles

 

Curling in the south side of Karangmajat island is a series of very different sections. Rifles is one hell of a wave for regular hunters.

 

Sometimes it lines up to offer connected tubes that run for over 400 meters. But most of the time, though, it is chopped into sections by the reef. This is an intermediate wave and is generally considered one of the best in the Playgrounds region.

 

Sipura / Pulau Silabok

 

Sipura makes the base at the Central Ments. This is one part of the archipelago that’s way less busy than Playgrounds to the north. However, it still has moments of world-class quality sought for by surfers.

 

Pulau Silabok is the tiny fragment of land that sits just off the north tip of Sipura. This one is a pretty private place. The breaks here are mainly the province of guests at the sprawling hotel resort that occupies the east and west shores.

 

Iceland / Ombak Tidur

 

At Iceland, the wave changes completely on small and big swells. You wouldn’t notice it on regular days. However, when things go overhead it’s a whole new other beast.

 

Its barreling sections dwarfs the North Shore as they roll and roar overhead on the reef into HUGE pits. These are the sights that only the best surfers can dream of making.

 

Ombak Tidur is known as sleepers, a very good quality reef break that runs right along the shoreline south of Iceland on Pulau Pototoga. This is a lovely, sectiony break that is a good intermediate and up wave because the paddle and rips can be tricky.

 

All in all, at Mentawai surf, there are 19 more surfing regions that are just as challenging, daring, and definitely amazing to the real surfer at heart.