THE WAVES
surf in the mentawai islands
-surf conditions-
If you decide to come to Mentawais you can do it from March to November; due to their position in the Indian Ocean the islands are exposed to the South-Southwest swells, so from March to April the waves are smaller but consistent as well. Then they will become stronger in May. The same happens to the ending of October and the beginning of November: smaller but consistent waves again.
From April to October strong swells from South Africa and Antarctica reach our coral reefs carrying amazing waves that roll into clean and perfect barrels. Now you can plan your trip thinking of this: if your choice is NO crowded and easier surfing we suggest you to book in March, April, October and November, if you like to play rough you must book from May to September! Surfline suggests Mentawai in August is the Best Bet in the world.
-THE waves-
HT'S
Hollow Tree’s, known locally as HT’s or Lance’s Right, in short, is one of the best and most consistent fast, barreling right-handers in the world and our resort looks straight out over it. You are welcome.
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The wave wraps around the south end of the island and into the sheltered bay where it unloads on the reef known as The Office and finally the Surgeon’s Table. As the name suggests, this wave is for intermediate and advanced surfers and rated as one of the top five waves in the world.
With 10 world-class waves within a short boat or bike ride from our resort, there’s surf to suit all levels. Or if you don’t want to hit the waves, then simply enjoy a tropical paradise and watch the action unfold from the beach.
LANCE’S LEFT
Lance’s Left is a long and consistent left hander right around the corner from the Resort. The wave offers a barrel of the take off and a long open face for multiple manoeuvers down the line. Being on the other side of the island and facing east the left is a good option when the wind is onshore at HT’s. Perfect for all levels and long perfect lefts lovers.
COBRA
Cobra is A frame peak just a few meters up from Lance’s left that offers a good backdoor left hand barrel. Don’t forget to kick out before it closes out on dry reef. Sometimes you may get lucky and connect with Lance’s Left and get one of the longest waves. This wave is a good option to get away from the crowd of Lance’s left.
LANCE’S LEFT
Lance’s Left is a long and consistent left hander right around the corner from the Resort. The wave offers a barrel of the take off and a long open face for multiple manoeuvers down the line. Being on the other side of the island and facing east the left is a good option when the wind is onshore at HT’s. Perfect for all levels and long perfect lefts lovers.
Hinako ISLANDS
The Hinako Islands are a group of 8 small islands off the west coast of Nias Island in the Sirombu District of the West Nias Regency, part of the North Sumatra Province of Indonesia.
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The islands are a popular surfing destination, specifically Asu Island, and nearby Bawa Island. The waves at Bawa favor north winds and the waves at Asu favor south winds. The two islands are approximately 25 minutes apart by speedboat.
The waves at Bawa were revealed in magazine articles and Ripcurl's The Search film in 1994, featuring Tom Curren riding some of the biggest waves ever seen in Indonesia at that time photographed by Ted Grambeau and filmed by Sonny Miller.
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The breaking pattern of the waves at both Bawa and Asu was significantly affected by the earthquake on 28 March 2005, measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale. The seafloor in the region was raised by up to three meters and over 900 people were killed on Nias Island. The good news is that historically, quakes like that only happen every 200-250 years, so we don't worry about that happening again any time soon.
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The lift changed the waves at Asu and Bawa, but they still produce amazing waves and all the pictures that you see on this site are from 2007 or newer, so you can see that the waves we get are still world class. The lift also created several new waves, that few people know about, and only we know when they are on...
Folo, Miser and Ina Miser; Ama Bute, unknown local, Earl with Olivia, Ama Tari, and Tari back in 2009. The connection was just beginning to take hold...
Hinako locals on Asu to harvest the old coconuts, scoop out the coconut meat and smoke it into 'kopra' to preserve it for shipping to Sumatra.
A birds eye view from over Asu looking East toward the rest of the Hinako Archipelago with Nias Island in the distance.
Ama Tiani - Our local legend that harvests our young coconuts for us to put on ice and enjoy the sweetest and freshest coconut water you've ever tasted. Come try...
Ono Niha - Nias Man - This pic is from circa 1915 and shows the power of the Nias people who have inhabited this island for 10,000 years, moving and shaping the rock of the island into their culture. The name Nias comes from the Niha people.
The A-Team, our Asu Camp crew, without whom none of what we do would be possible. Our gratitude to our team and the happiness of our crew resonates through our camp and many guests have commented on how amazing the vibe is in our home. Come feel the vibe...