Mentawai Surf Charter May 2-15, 2009
Want more photos? See the slideshow at the bottom of this post or check out the Photographer’s Light Table in our Mentawai Photo Archive.
It was Joe’s first surf trip out of the country and he is headed to the Mentawai Islands booked on the Indies Trader 3. Are you kidding?! How epic is that? When my son gets old enough to go to Disneyland he will probably experience the same stoke level that Joe was operating on- Frothing! Jason had been to Indonesia once before as had Eddie from California (not to be confused with Eddie from Oz). Adam ‘the Bull’ and Oz Eddie, both from Margaret River area, were the cagey veterans and had been on a Mentawai trip a few years back on what they would call ‘a dodgy Junket’. They were officially upgraded this time around. It was to be a trip of a lifetime for the entire team.
We were amping to get into some waves after several flight connections, the van ride through Padang (culture shock for Joe) and finally the 8 hour journey from mainland Sumatra to the Islands. The first morning was a great warm up wave for everyone – a long, forgiving left hander in the shoulder high range. While it was fun for the day we wanted more and got it. After surfing another fun peaky left we finally stumbled upon a heaving righthander that pushed the limits of the crew. It was head high and up to double overhead most of the time we spent there. The boys were pulling in and getting beat downs on every other wave. After surfing a few days the sessions start to blur. Without a significant swell, we still had head high waves almost everyday.
One of the highlights was Macaronis. This is everyone’s favorite wave- mine included. The wave just gives one the ability to surf their best and rip it apart. Seems every time I get a wave there I consider turning Pro! LOL (you should see the Pros surf it). When we pulled up there were 4 boats. It looked small- maybe chest high. Interesting how the view from the boat is so deceptive. The boys were over it at first. There were roughly 14 guys in the water at any one time. We were bummed, but went out anyway. Surprisingly, everyone on our boat got waves and lots of them. The crowd was cool and took turns. It ended up being head high and super good. Remember that the next time you show up at a break. Be positive and share!
There is now a little shack on the point where photographers can take a break in the shade. I like it, but you won’t find me hanging out there too long. Just too many other good angles at Maccas. One word of caution if you decide to go to the beach – there is a ton of soft clay and marshy-sink-to-your-waist-quicksand-like-muck. I have nearly lost cameras and lenses getting stuck in there. Watch your step!
Nearby, we visited a small village in the tin boat. When word got around we had arrived the children came running from all the houses to greet us with smiles and laughter. I am always amazed at the friendly and curious nature of the local Mentawai people. Later, one of the villagers that had cut his hand with a machete found our boat and consulted Dr. Eddie. Eddie stitched him up on the spot and even sent him off with some pain meds and antibiotics. Well done Doc!
Being in the tropics is another sort of buzz you just don’t get anywhere else. Having a palm tree right there on the beach you are surfing is special. Add to that the luxury of the Indies Trader 3 and that is about as good as it gets. Let’s just say the boys were comfortable and enjoyed chocolate ice cream for desert and had fresh laundered towles and drinks waiting for them after each session. This just one click off the equator! We also found out how important it is to have a larger vessel when we returned home. The seas where rough and some boats even turned back. Not us, we powered through the night and made it safely to Padang. A little rattled, but stoked to get home and see our families and share the memories of our trip of a lifetime.
Special thanks to the guests for hiring me shoot their trip, and a big terima kasih to Captain Joel and the crew of the Indies Trader 3!
Dave Collyer
Mentawai Islands Surf Trip- May 2009 – Images by Salty Camera Surf Images
Above is a slideshow of the best 125 images. It was hard to narrow it down because there were so many to choose from. If you hire us for a trip you should expect to get over 500 photos of yourself. Some guests went home with over 1,000! Of those there are more than a few epic ones!
Hey, be sure to check out the little buttons on the bottom of the slideshow. They let you view the trip ‘full screen’ and also see the thumbnails and choose which photos you want to look at. If you are interested in prints or editorial use of any of these images please contact us for details. - Evan
