Mentawai Surf – How has the Season Been on the D’Bora?

Adam “Birdy” Dube is the surf guide on the D’Bora Mentawai surf charter.

“Birdy” grew up and spent his youth at Crescent Head before moving up to the Byron area to study. After completing uni, Adam went travelling, surfing and snowboarding in America, Canada and Central America.

Birdy’s first foray in the Mentawai was running a small guesthouse in 2009. He loved the area so much that he has been living there on and off ever since. Not long after, Adam met Tom and Joey and did his first run on the D’Bora. He also spent a couple seasons at Togat Nusa retreat before starting his apprenticeship under Joey Melroy on the D’Bora in 2012. In 2013, Adam received an offer to join another boat (Samudra Biru) and seeing as Joey was still keen to guide on the majority trips on the D’Bora, he couldn’t really knock it back. This season, when Joey departed to do some travelling himself, Adam couldn’t wait to spend more time on his favourite boat, working for and alongside the crew he believes to be the best in the business.

TPW – How do you rate the 2014 season?

This season has been so good.

For me, I think the best days were during a run of back to back SW swells we had in late May, early June. Two trips in a row we scored really good Telescopes, HT’s and Roxies which are some of my favourites out there. The SW swells seem to linger a lot longer than the south swells so you get waves for days as apposed to a quick rise, peak and flat again, allowing you to experience a few spots during the one swell.

One morning I was surfing Telescopes real early, the sun was coming up so the sky was all orange and pink and I remember catching a glimpse of the D’Bora from inside the barrel kinda silhouetted. It sounds kinda trippy I know, but I just remember kicking out and thinking how good is this?

Tell us about one of the best days?

Macaronis is not really my go-to spot in SW swells, but there was one session we jagged by ourselves. The wave doesn’t run as long in SW swells, but it throws nice and square on the take off, and to be by ourselves at Maccas these days is rare. Everyone was just frothing, and being a goofy there really is nothing out there that I enjoy more than good Maccas.

How were the crowds?

A lot of people perceive the Ments are getting too crowded. Certain areas are. Especially in the north, where land camp development is getting a bit out of control. But if you know how to duck and weave, there are still plenty of empty waves out there. This year especially, I can’t believe some of the empty days we’ve had.

A seemingly endless run of swells since May and a consistent light and variable wind pattern have helped to spread the crowds out and make this the best season I,ve seen in my 6 years in the Mentawais for waves, conditions and crowds.

What do you do in the off season?

I have a break at the moment and I am looking at this next swell, wondering how I’m gonna enjoy going anywhere else when I know the Ments will be firing, and so uncrowded compared to all the other big name spots in indo.

Generally I just fill in the off season however I can. I’ve spent it in the islands, travelling to other countries and at home in Australia. A lot of my mates at home are tradies. If I’m gonna be in Australia for a while, I usually jump in and throw the hammer round with one of them to help pay the bar tab.

This year, I’m only planning to go home for a month or so round Christmas and be back up here for the first trip on January 28. That time of year can be great. You may not see anything huge, but there are waves out here breaking everyday of the year that are way more fun than summer slop back in Australia. If you luck into a bit of swell, you can jag the bigger known waves without the crowds and, on top of this, you are holidaying on a boat in paradise where you can fish, dive or just enjoy a beer with your mates.