Since the discovery of waves by hard core explorers in the 1990s the Mentawai Island chain has revolutionised surf travel. The West Coast of Sumatra pack more perfect waves per square mile than any other surf destination. There are many recognized quality breaks, with Hollow Trees, Macaronis, Rifles and Green Bush are known as some of the best in the world. Being isolated and spread out over 100 miles it was discovered early on that boats were the best way to access the breaks.
A long righthander breaking off a postcard picture island located at the bottom of the Mentawai chain. Huge wedges seem to hang in space for ages as the lines march toward the lighthouse. Climb the tower to take some amazing shots of the lineup.
The waves can be an incredible spectacle when the wind stops and a big swell blows in from the south.
Far away from the Playgrounds crowds is a long winding right hander that delivers speed runs and some nice barrel sections. Best at 4 – 8ft on a South swell, lighthouse swings in from deep water and wraps around the island. Climb the tower here for an awesome perspective or enjoy the solitude as you’ll likely be here alone.
Another very hollow left off a small island in the southern end of the Mentawais. Starts barreling right at the takeoff and never really stops until a closeout section hits the end of the reef. The Hole is a quality left hand reef that offers up a deep, super hollow, and very shallow barrel. The waves require a lot of skill to surf here and break for up to 50 meters over a coral reef.
The drop is steep and goes right in to the barrel, get out before the bone crunching closeout section.
Gets good between chest high and double overhead. We recommend riding a shortboard then step up as the size picks up. This break is suitable for advanced and pro level surfers. The surf here is pretty fickle (3/10) and will generally be uncrowded (3/10). The best winds are from the East or Northeast. The best swells are from the South and Southwest. Works on a low to mid tide best tides.
Consistency of swells are only recorded for a swell with a period of more than 7 seconds. It also shows the peak, shoulder and off peak seasons for surfing at The Hole. We recommend wearing boardshorts or a bikini year round. Water temperatures range from 28 to 25 year round. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
A consistent hollow left and a great option when everywhere else is small.
Thunders in Sumatra (Mentawi Islands) is an exposed reef break that usually has waves. May-Oct (Dry Season) is the best time of year for waves. Offshore winds are from the north. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the southwest. A reef breaks left. The waves are rarely busy here and please keep the rocks lined up.
The best time of year for surfing Thunders with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of December. Clean surfable waves found in 74% of the time in December, while 26% were likely to be blown by the wind. For the remaining 0% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
Interactive Thunders surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail.
The nearest passenger airport to Thunders is Tabing (Padang) Airport (PDG) in Indonesia, which is 246 km (153 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Thunders is Padang Kemiling (Bengkulu) Airport (BKS), also in Indonesia, 254 km (158 miles) away.
A great lefthander that can hold the biggest swells. It is very hollow and can often dish out some of the heaviest hold-downs in the island chain. Usually a bit more water is moving around so a larger board can be useful.
Rag’s Left is a quality left hand reef break that offers up super long barreling sections when the conditions line up. The waves here are challenging to surf and break for up to 250 meters over a coral reef. The earthquake made this break a little worse than it was, now perfection and closeouts are intertwined needing an expert eye to discern the two.
With a long barreling wave that turns on during large south-west swells. If you are lucky enough to catch Rags at 8 ft or bigger, don’t forget to shoot a photo of the lineup, it is an extraordinary sight, one that you are unlikely to see too often. Rags Left is very dependent on swell direction, tide and wind. When everything falls into place, massive barrels start from an outside boil, eventually mellowing further down the line into a large open face that can be ridden for a further 100m or more. We don’t surf here that often as Rags Left works in same conditions as Macaronis, which is a more predictable and user friendly wave.
Gets good between head high and triple overhead. We recommend riding a shortboard then step up as the size increases. This break is suitable for intermediate and advanced level surfers. The surf here is somewhat consistent (5/10) and will get busy at times (5/10). The best winds are from the Southeast. The best swells are from the Southwest. Works on a mid to high tide best.
Rags Right in Sumatra (Mentawai Islands) is an exposed reef break that has consistent surf. May-Oct (Dry Season) is the favoured time of year for waves. Ideal winds are from the east. Groundswells more frequent than windswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southwest.
There is a right breaking reef. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up. Take care of rocks in the line up. The best time of year for surfing Rags Right with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of July.
Clean surfable waves typically 78% in July while 21% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 1% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and grooms at times.
Interactive Rags Right surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations.
The nearest passenger airport to Rags Right is Tabing (Padang) Airport (PDG) in Indonesia, which is 243 km (151 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Rags Right is Padang Kemiling (Bengkulu) Airport (BKS), also in Indonesia, 258 km (160 miles) away.
Super mechanical left that barrels from takeoff then provides a long, extremely workable wall. One of the best performance waves in the world. Situated in Pasongan Bay on the western side of North Pagai in the southern region of the Mentawai Islands this super mechanical left-hand reef break offers a bit of extra gnar for experienced surfers.
The long trip across the globe to the remote area of the Southern Mentawais is worth it for just one pumping session at Macas. This unique corner of the Mentawais is also home to several other waves which provide surf for all abilities. Find out how to surf Macaronis and much more below.
Experienced surfers travel from all across the globe to get barreled, throw airs, or rip up the face of Macaronis near-perfect left. Reminiscent of the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch. Macaronis breaks predictably and consistently over a less threatening section of reef than other death-defying waves in the area.
Not only a goofy footer’s dream but favoured by natural footers too, expect a solid barrel section, followed by a clean and open inside shoulder ripe for maneuvers. It’s easy to find yourself too deep in the barrel when below head high and don’t expect to paddle out in a hurry at double-overhead as the take-off becomes extremely ledgy and heavy (except for onshore conditions which round-out the tube section).
Caught inside?
Be prepared to wait out the set in the foam over a few inches of water above seriously razor-sharp coral. If it is a bit overhead with Southwest swell and East wind then leg it for Macaronis. Great fun for charging and highly experienced and advanced surfers.
The real perk of Macaronis is the predictability. With changing swell, you can expect slight differences, but the channel always seems to stay same as you make your way into the lineup. Macaronis and the surrounding surf breaks are accessible only by boat with Macaronis being a short boat ride of approximately 800 metres from Macaronis Resort. There are two anchorages available in the bay for two surf charter boats per day which are booked in advance according to the regulation put in place by the Mentawai Government in 2009.
Long left-hander with two barrels sections. Loves any size swell.
This reef/point break has plenty to offer surfers looking to ride for upwards of a quarter-mile. Offering a thick-lipped barrel section up the reef and long, fast walls for big turns, with the occasional soft shoulder down the reef towards inside. While not exactly forgiving, or gentle by any means is recommended for experienced surfers.
While not exactly the most famous wave in this part of the Mentawais. Lance’s Left wraps around the point of Sipura Island via three predictable sections. Each section has its own flare and changes from a heaving barrel to a soft and lumpy walled section.
With too much swell you can expect deceivingly unmakeable hollow barrels. For ideal conditions, keep your eye on the forecast for a rising mid-tide coinciding with anything chest high to double overhead. Expert tip: Steer clear of the inside when big and keep your eye out for the keyhole in the reef when paddling out or in.
There’s a small keyhole in the reef that you can follow to the line-up if you get caught inside. You’ll need to take a few on the head before getting back out to the channel. Definitely best approached from the outside by boat, especially under larger conditions.
A common surfer magazine cover, or more-likely centrefold, Lance’s Right is likely to impress even the most well-travelled surfers. Read on to learn more about what makes Lance’s Right an iconic surf spot and when to catch it at its best.
A short, perfect barrel complete with the renowned surgeons table which should be avoided at all costs. Lance’s Right is the world-class break of this part of the world. The Office is the farthest section of the reef which offers a quick drop and deep barrel for expert surfers.
The Main Peak, which follows The Office, is an open wall which shoots surfers over the shallow inside section known as Surgeons Table. If you’re looking to work your way through maneuvers towards the Surgeons Table, you’ll need to wait out a decent sized swell (6-8 feet). Otherwise, you can expect each section to break separately with a small channel between each break.
Lance’s Right is easily accessible via the southwestern side of Sipura Island. Hollow Tree resort and Ombak Losmen’s are located just steps from the beach at Lance’s Right. This isn’t to say that the paddle is the best course of access. Still easily accessible by boat from all over the Mentawais and you can save your arms for catching waves.
Icelands as most of the other waves in the zone is a left and is possibly the most ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ like wave in the Mentawais.
When everywhere in the chain is flat you can still pull up at Icelands and get a head high wave with a lazy but whack-able wall. With a big west swell everyone is getting excited about Telescopes. The Ice turns into a monster with barrels big enough to drive the speedboat through.
The name relates to the watercolor after the wave breaks, leaving a fizz of air bubbles in the water.
For far longer than in other places, the peak shifts and getting caught inside are just part of the fun. North to North East winds or flat calm are the only times you will see the best of this wave, but it can turn on some incredible sessions.
The swell magnet of the area, Icelands is a left with many faces. An easy going west peak is fun, but the main part of the waves loves the south swell angle producing a solid drop, barrel section, and bowl at the end. can be quite heavy in
Telescopes needs a decent sized west swell to start doing its thing. Though not as consistent as the other breaks in the area, a session at firing Teles will remain imprinted on your mind long after you’ve left the Mentawais.
Picture perfect, Telescopes consistently offers a long barrel section that is open to a wide variety of surfing abilities. Located just a few miles south of Suicides, off Cape Kinilok on Sipura Island. All things considered, Telescopes is one of the mellower barrel options for this section of the Ments. Read on to learn when, where, and how to surf Telescopes.
A well known world class wave that draws surfers from all over the world. Expect a steep drop in, near perfect barrel which opens up to a clean, steep shoulder ripe for maneuvers. A surprisingly deep coral shelf sits under the break and offers a bit of forgiveness you won’t find from other waves on this list. On a good day, you can expect 200 metres of thigh burning goodness. Can hold surf up to triple overhead but be ready for strong currents and the occasional clean-up set. Overall, Telescopes should definitely be on your list of places to surf in the Central Mentawais.
Telescopes is another break accessible only by boat.
There are a few accommodation options nearby but you’d still expect a long paddle from the southern edge of the island to reach the lineup. Boat is your best bet.
