Update from Capt. Greg Vink – MV Addiction, Mentawai Islands

Wow, what a ride the last 5 years have been. Since Addiction first started chartering in the Mentawais in 2006, we have experienced every emotion possible with the ups and downs that come from working in a sometimes inhospitable and remote environment, but the one thing that has remained the same all the way through is the pure stoke experienced by surfers from all over the world scoring the waves of their lives. Time and again you guys have shared with us sometimes life changing experiences that keep you coming back, year after year.

While we are looking forward to 2011 with a totally sold out schedule we have to cast our mind forward to 2012 because it will be upon us before we know it. 2011 has thrown up challenges that we are still dealing with, such as the Indonesian Governments change of law that now requires us to import our boat and operate under an Indonesian Flag and all of the cost, regulation maze and bureaucracy associated with that but we are up for it. The Mentawais are where our collective heart is and from the very start when Eric and I were working our arses off in that stinking hot shipyard in Phuket, Thailand refitting Addiction for all those months it was the thought of all of those barrels yet to be had that kept us focused. Along the way Eric has been fortunate enough to extend his ‘crew’ with Nicole and Eli being able to share the Addiction dream.

Now, 5 years (and countless barrels, good times, and great people) later we are looking forward towards 2012 and beyond and are happy to say that our little group is expanding again. We are welcoming another Captain to our fold and are happy to say that Dickinson Antal has agreed to become a permanent part of the team after having being a relief Captain for the past couple of years. Dickinson’s experience is vast, to say the least with past experience on other surf charter boats as well as years of land travel throughout Indonesian and the Mentawai chain in particular. Dickinson has the same love of the Mentawais and desire to make every Addiction trip truly one to remember for all aboard.

We are now able to release our 2012 schedule and as has been the case in previous years prices keep moving up. In 2011 we were swamped with bookings from new groups before a lot of our existing groups were able to get organised so a lot of them missed out on a 2011 trip. To try and help out we have come up with something that we hope will help out all of our past groups.

For our previous groups only there is a 5% discount off total price for all trips that are booked and have the full deposit paid by 2nd May 2011!

Greg & His Family