Mentawai surf recap from 2013 by Andy Potts

I don’t know about you, but I’m bummed to be back at work, plonked in front of the computer. There haven’t been any real waves of note in recent weeks, no stray cyclone swells yet, and the swell prospects for Sydney and surrounds in the short term future is hardly inspiring.

I’m starting to dream about the upcoming Indo season and weighing up the best time to split. Of course every season is different, the swell, wind and tide variables are what keeps our deal so interesting.

2013 will be remembered as one of the better years for swell right across The Indonesian archipelago. May and September were the most consistent months. June, July and August were reliable as ever, and anyone who was up there in early October swell won’t forget the mega SW event. Then of course  one can’t forget the quality waves for The ASP event at Keramas and the Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang either.

Andy Potts, an emerging professional surf photographer from the Gold Coast, spent much of the 2013 winter on location at Aloita Resort and Spa in Mentawai. Andy put this 2013 highlights clip and photo package together for The Perfect Wave.

Andy said, “Greenbush and Macaronis always delivered the goods and proved to be most consistent. The crowds were relatively low considering how consistent the waves were. HT’s never disappoints. We were lucky enough to even get epic 6ft perfect half day to ourselves.”

“I was lucky enough to spend some time with Dane Reynolds and Nat Young at Macaronis which was epic, both of them were charging before Dane unfortunately did some damage to his left arm and their trip was done.”

“Mitch Coleborn and Chippa Wilson also put on a show for a few boats here and there. That was easily some of the best aerial surfing i have witnessed anywhere.”

If you are planning an Indo sojourn in 2014, you should know the drill by know. There’s fun, uncrowded waves to be had in The Ments and East Coast Bali in Feb and March, then the famous lefts of the Bukit, Mentawai, Sumatra and much of the Indonesian archipelago turn on from April through to October.