by Ben Horvath
photos and video (c) Andy Potts – photographer on board Oasis Surf Charter and at Aloita Surf Resort.
Mentawai July 2014

Mentawai surf highlights from May – July 2014

We here at The Perfect Wave offer an extensive  variety of options when it comes to surfing in the Mentawai. We can arrange accommodation at several surf resorts or boat charters on the best boats.

No other boat trips in any world famous wave zone offer the potential to surf such a variety or quantity of world class waves in such close proximity as the Mentawai Islands.

Within a short journey there are dozens and dozens of quality waves of every description suitable to every level of surfer.

A change in swell size, wind direction or tide may shut down one option, but a quick sail across the strait to another palm-fringed island will open up new possibilities.

It is all right at your fingertips.

11

High season in the Mentawai never fails to deliver. There definitely has not been any shortage of swell from May to July in 2014.

May is seen as the start of peak swell season in the Mentawai. Traditionally it is the time larger, longer period SW ground swells start to line up, and the SE trades kick in like clockwork.

Word from The Perfect Wave surf travel guides and photographers on the ground at Aloita Surf Resort and Spa right in the heart of the Mentawai is that the first fortnight or so in May was a little patchy.  Thunderstorms and variable winds ensured you had to pick and choose your ideal surf windows, but crowds were down, so no one was complaining.

By mid-May, high-season style ground swells really started to kick in and the SE trades became predictable. The Perfect Wave’s resident surf photographer Andy Potts said, “The last fortnight in May was epic with great waves on offer right up and down the island chain. The first real chunky swell of the season delivered double overhead waves to all areas. We scored a standout session at Rifles with solid 6ft plus tubes running the length of the reef.”

Aloita surf guide Toasty said, “The first fortnight and the final week of June in The Mentawai was personally the best period for me. We enjoyed non-stop 4 to 6ft SW swell, generally light to moderate SE trades, so there were surf options everywhere.” Andy Potts jumped aboard the Oasis and headed down to Maccas, HT’s and even further south. Most of the footage in the June highlights clip were taken during the first fortnight and then the last few days of June.

July was also a very consistent month with swell after swell ensuring it was memorable.

Crowds were also highly manageable. The consistency of swell increased options, and spread the boats. Generally speaking, crowds were not an issue outside of a few days here and there, when unfortunate traffic jam situations occurred in the Playgrounds region.

The epic days when conditions totally aligned occurred on July 17-18, when a solid 6-10ft swell coincided with super light winds. July 23 was pretty special too, with light winds and 6ft plus swell.

The late July swell that peaked in the 6-8ft plus range on July 27 and 28 was near flawless, as light winds and minimal crowds ensured there were multiple options across the archipelago.

The Perfect Wave photographer Andy Potts shot most of the accompanying video and still images whilst aboard the Oasis late in the month. Lucas Angulo and Ryder Guest from Kuai and Colin Deveze from California were the standout surfers aboard.

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Perfect Wave

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