Slotted, Indonesia

Shower time

It’s raining in Bondi, and we’d better get used to it – with another wet warm season heading our way. Not the most inspiring day in Bondi, with tiny surf, no light and intermittent showers. Rain will flow into tomorrow before clearing for most of the weekend. I’m still sifting through my shots from the […]

See full post & more photographs
South Bondaka, clean and weedy

Good Bondi Weed

Bondi has a great batch of weed at the moment. Some of the best weed I’ve seen in years. It’s thick, fury and plentiful…be careful, it will try and engulf you! What a sensational day. Ultra clean conditions with little or no wind. Sunshine was out but rising late as we approach the winter solstice […]

See full post & more photographs
Harry Bryant, jungle punt. Mentawais

Pro Cameo

We had a quiet little surf on a fun left in the southern end of the Mentawais. We took turns on sets – all scoring. There was no wind, it was hot, and the waves were head high with sets in the head’n’half range. It was just us… An hour into our session, the Sibon […]

See full post & more photographs
The island wrap, Southern Mentawais

Le Gauche

Indonesia is the land of the left-handers. Indo’s orientation to the great swells from the Indian Ocean means they break left more than right. A goofy footer’s paradise. I reckon we surf 4 lefts to every right. I’m a natural footer! Our bump in swell is dropping and the swell magnets are still putting on a show. […]

See full post & more photographs
Shorty, slotted. Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

Ignite

Hey, how are you? 2 weeks ago, we saw a swell on the charts that would coincide with the middle of our boat trip. And yep, it arrived right on time and produced the goods. Mentawais has ignited. Waves are pulsing, and the boats are spreading out to their favourite reefs. We’ve surfed all day […]

See full post & more photographs
The colours of Indonesia, seeya!

Heading Home…

After surfing 26 surf breaks in 12 days we’re now heading home. We’re done. Cooked. Spaghetti arms. I haven’t worn shoes or touched dry land since May. And barely any mobile reception – it feels good to get off the grid. Today I’ve switched on my computer and have dozens of messages saying they wanna holiday […]

See full post & more photographs
Murray Jacob, biggest man grommet on the globe.

Goofy vs Natural

Fact: The best waves in Indonesia are usually lefts. It’s due to the physical orientation of Indonesia and how it relates to the South Westerly swell source. On a boat charter, there is a constant divide between the natural footers and goofys – we’ve got a 50-50 split this year and the wolf pack go […]

See full post & more photographs
Tumultuous weather in Mentawais, sunny one minute, overcast the next.

Holey Moley

6 things you may not know about the Mentawais (where I am right now): In 1983 the archipelago of Mentawai was discovered as a surfing destination by salvage diver, west Aussie, Martin Daly. The first wave he surfed was Debuts, at the most southern tip of the islands (coincidently where we just slept the night). […]

See full post & more photographs
Karl Page, under cover and under pressure, Mentawais

The Bush

I’ve been out to the Mentawais 17 times now on these boats. Why? The surf is amazing. Full stop. For consistency and diversity of waves, I can’t think of another destination that compares. Admittedly, it’s not for every surfer, most waves are breaking on sharp shallow reefs and offer dreamy tubes…but it can get dangerous […]

See full post & more photographs
Sammy with plenty of wall to work with

Keyser’s

We’re up in the Mentawais, a group of islands off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Plenty of swell and the islands have been lighting up. After surfing 7 different breaks in 48 hours we opted for a slow session at a beach break away from the crowds. It turned on nicely. No official name for […]

See full post & more photographs
Paradise found, plenty of these empty beaches still here

Tick Tock

Wind and waves are going to be at their best in The Mentawais this week (so I’ve been told). We’ve been in a holding pattern for a couple of days waiting for the new swells to fill in. Still surfing daily, just not much over 3-4 foot. Still, plenty to do outside surfing around here. […]

See full post & more photographs
Mentawai hollows, falling straight into a pit.

Variable

The winds have gone light, and swell magnets are starting to fire. (In Mentawai Islands that is). Mentawais are an archipelago of surf rich islands that hug the south coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The area is famous for its barrels, as nearly all waves are on shallow coral reefs. People come from all over the globe […]

See full post & more photographs

: : Bad Eye

We’re having a stormy time here in the Mentawais, despite the glassy conditions depicted in today’s imagery. Last night a bad eye hit. 60 knots dragged two anchors and looted the boat. Probably the worst storm I’ve ever seen up here in 17 trips. Reminded me of the Wolf of Wall Street leaving Portofino…except we […]

See full post & more photographs