Group Size: Max 12 (14 on request)
Number of Cabins: 2 large a/c cabins
Length of Stay: 11 nights (Banyak trips) and 12 nights (Mentawai trips)
Destination: Mentawai Islands
Surfing Ability: Intermediate to advanced only
Budget: Medium to high
A/C: Cabins and all common rooms
Photos: Available but not included
Beers: Available but not included for Banyak trips. 24 beers included for Mentawai trips
Tender: 6m power cat (200hp), a 4m centre console (40hp) and a rubber ducky (15hp)
Port: Padang
“Seriti” is the proud home to one of the most experienced crew in Sumatra, operating trips to both the Mentawai & Banyak Islands since 2000. A large and spacious 25m aluminium vessel that was originally built in the USA but has since been customised for surf charter trips. Sleeping 12 passengers (in 2 large air conditioned bedrooms), guests have a common area inside (a/c) as well as at the rear of the boat where there is a huge shaded deck area as well as an additional top deck (also shaded) to sit back and watch your mates get slotted in between surfs.
Daily meals and snacks are included in all packages aboard Seriti. The menu is always varied, plentiful and of course tasty, with a range of Western and Indonesian style dishes served each day.
15 reasons to surf Mentawai without giving up the comfort of Seriti.
LARGE DINING ROOM
All meals will be taken in a pleasant dining room, with unobstructed views of the day’s wave.
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY
EPIRB, 7 fire extinguishers, lifeboat for 25 people, 5 bilge pumps, GPS, radar and latest generation sonar. Having the correct safety equipment and knowing how to use it saves lives. Our team is trained and our boat is certified to offer excellence in safety.
TRAINED STAFF
Our surf guides, Diego and Lucas, have years of experience in the Mentawai Islands, reacting wisely to swell, wind and temperature charts.
2 SUPPORT BOATS, SNORKELLING AND FISHING EQUIPMENT
Total freedom to come and go between the islands, the waves and to explore your fishing skils.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILMING SERVICE
As surfers, we understand the value of having the best waves recorded by a serious and focused professional. Our photographer and videomaker Gustavo Camarão does not accumulate his function of recording the trip with any other, being exclusively focused on eternalizing the many special moments that you will experience. This service is optional and paid directly to the photographer, at a cost of USD 300.
AIRPORT/BOAT TRANSFER
Once in Padang, you don’t need to worry about anything else. Our staff will welcome you and take you to the boat in an air-conditioned van. The same applies for the return journey from the boat to the Airport.
2 DIESEL ENGINES WITH 350 HP EACH
Providing the security of never drifting and ensuring a maximum speed of 15 knots above the average Mentawai boat (10-12 knots cruising speed).
AIR-CONDITIONED LIVING ROOM WITH SOFAS, MOVIE COLLECTION, AND SEVERAL GAMES
Although some of our guests try hard, we have yet to have a surfer who has managed to stay in the water all day. Your entertainment for when you recharge your batteries will be of the highest quality.
12 NIGHTS/11 DAYS ON BOARD SERITI
It is not by chance that we have chosen 11-day trips. This range ensures that we can surf a variety of waves, satisfying all tastes.
3 GOURMET MEALS A DAY
This is the point that undoubtedly surprises most those who travel with Seriti. Our menu is a gastronomic experience and at the same time it has been prepared to guarantee a lot of energy throughout the trip.
SNACKS, FRUIT, SNACKS, WATER, ISOTONIC AND BEER
Once on board, you will forget about the existence of your wallet.
3 ENERGY GENERATORS
Our generators never shut down. All internal environments are cooled 24h/day and our electrical systems are always at full throttle.
2 FUEL TANKS WITH TOTAL CAPACITY FOR 5,000 LITRES
The archipelago has more than 30 waves of international quality, and all of them will be within your reach. There’s no doubt that a good trip on a long-range boat is the best way to fully explore what the islands have to offer.
WATER MAKER (DESALINIZER) AND 10,000 LITRE FRESH WATER TANK
Your cool water shower after your session and before meals is guaranteed.
Trip inclusions:
- 11 nights (Banyak trips) & 12 nights (Mentawai trips) on board the Seriti surf charter
- 10 days surfing (Banyak trips) & 11 days surfing (Mentawai trips)
- Single bed in an a/c sleeping cabin
- 3 large, healthy delicious meals served each day
- Plenty of snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks each day
- Tea, coffee and drinking water each day
- Speedboat shuttles to the surf from dawn til dusk, all day every day
- Use of fishing & snorkelling equipment
- Fishing & island excursions
- 24 beers per person (Mentawai trips only)
- All necessary zone permits
- Transfers in Padang (Mentawai trips)
What’s not included
Flights to and from Padang
Hotels if needed
Visa Fees and Departure Tax
Any additional cost resulting from late arrival or the need of early departure
Use of satellite phone
Tips for the crew
Photos & Video USD pp
Mentawai Surf Tax (IDR 1,000,000 pp) approx. USD 70 / AUD 95
Radar
EPIRB – Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
Radios – HF/SSB, VHF Radios
Life Jackets
Life raft for 20 People
First Aid Kit (with staff on board trained to use it)
Satellite Phone Available
If you’re looking for downtime, you’ll certainly find it aboard the Seriti – in between epic sessions, you can happily ready a book while swinging in a hammock or throw on a movie in the air-conditioned comfort of the saloon. However, if you’re after something a little more action-orientated, the Seriti has a range of equipment on board including snorkelling and fishing gear. You may also want to head to shore to chat with village locals, hike or rally up a game of touch football on the sand.
- Snorkeling coral reefs
- Fishing
- Beach walks
- Trekking
- Island exploration
- Beach bonfires
- Swimming
- Cameras on-board to try your hand at surf photography
Surf
The Mentawai Islands lie roughly 100 km off of the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. They consist of 4 main islands with many smaller islands scattered throughout. From north to south, the main islands are Siberut, Sipora, North Pagi, and South Pagi. These islands block most swells from reaching the mainland on Sumatra, but they offer some of the most perfect surf in the world. Access to the islands is by sea only with regular ferries to the main trading ports, but by far the best way to access the surf is by charter boat.
From up north to down south the following is a list of better known spots from which to choose (leaving out some semi-secret and un-named spots):
• Ebay – A perfect barreling left that needs a bit more swell. Very scenic.
• Kandui – A very fast, challenging, barreling lefthander that breaks from 3 – 12 feet, but is Triple Black Diamond over six feet.
• Nokandui – A long, hollow freight-train left hander, that needs size and perfect conditions to be makeable.
• 4 Bobs – Short right well protected from most winds, shallow reef.
• Bank Vaults – Right hander that can be a little shifty, but serves up backdoor barrels. Very heavy board snapping power with size.
• Nipussi – A very consistent short fun easy right.
• Scarecrows – Just another world-class lefthander that will satisfy your wildest dreams – and occasionally match your worst nightmares.
• Telescopes – A long, beautiful lefthand reef pass that is out to sea and exposed, so prone to the wind. A spectacular wave.
• Lance’s Left – Quality fun long left, very consistent, best with southeast wind. Can be a series of lefts if you want to push further up the reef.
• Lance’s Right (HT’s) – One of the best right hand barrels in the Mentawai with a couple take off zones. Best with no wind or Northwest wind. Be careful of the “Surgeons Table” and inside area of shallow sharp reef.
• Macaronis – Voted the best wave in the world by Tracks Magazine and “funnest wave” by Waves Magazine, this left hander is the star of countless surf videos. A hollow but manageable take off followed by a long wall that is often workable, or hollow. Makes the average surfer feel like a super star!
• Rifles – One of the best rights in Indonesia, a long hollow wall with multiple tube sections. To make the length of the wave you must commit to riding the tube, likes the south swell and light northwest winds.
• Thunders – A swell magnet and “go to” spot when the swell is small. This can be a fun long walled left with multiple tube sections, but when big provides a “Sunset” like drop that sometimes gets a bit fat and shoulders off down the line.
• Rags Left – A long barreling wave that turns on during large southwest swells and has been surfed up to 15 feet.
• Rags Right – This wave has been described as “a formidable opponent to your health, safety, and well-being.” Low tide is out of the question, but on a high tide and the proper swell, this is one of the thickest, hollowest tubes in the Mentawai’s.
• The Hole – A fast hollow left with quick take off and hollow end section. Ends in very shallow water, better for advanced surfers.
Seasons & Weather
The Mentawai are in western Indonesia, just below the equator, so these islands are generally wetter and more lush than Bali and the islands further southeast.
The Indonesian archipelago stretches along the equator between the hot, dry Australian land mass to the south, and the hot, wet Asian land mass to the north. Indonesia’s climate is tropical and in the Mentawai there is little difference in the length of a day year around; but because of those land masses lurking above and below, Indonesia’s seasons divide in two: wet and dry.
The wet season begins in October and lasts until March, with the peak rainfall measured January and February, when high pressure flowing south from the Asian mainland combines with humid air from the Indian Ocean to bring rain throughout the archipelago – although the northern and western islands get more rain than those in the south and east.
March/April is the beginning of dry season, when high pressure over Australia pushes air north to blanket Indonesia with warm, dry air. The dry season peaks June through August, which is also in the heart of surf season.
Prime season for swell in Indonesia is the southern hemisphere winter – March/April through September/October – when low pressure systems off Antarctica and the Indian Ocean pulse ground swells toward the equator. These ground swells travel for thousands of miles, allowing them time to “unwrap,” organize and march onto the reefs of Indonesia as perfectly groomed lines.
Winds are also a factor to be considered. May through Aug/Sept typically sees easterly trades which are favorable for many of the main breaks. November through February generally sees northwesterly winds, which may not be favorable for the big name breaks, but there are waves that favor this wind direction. The shoulder or transition months of March/April and September/October will experience light and variable winds due to the changing of seasons. These months often experience glassy conditions and can be the best time to sample a larger variety of waves.
Although most of the rain falls during the wet season, rainstorms can occur at any time of year. Air temperatures range between 75° and 85° year around and water temperatures are always in that same range.
So, when is the best time? Like with so many questions the answer is: “It depends.” It depends on your desires. If you want big surf with favorable trades, May to September is probably best. If you want to experience some glassy conditions and get a few more rights and less people (but possibly sacrifice some swell size) March/April or late Sept/Oct is probably best. If you don’t mind rain but good surface conditions and smaller, clean surf with nobody else around: give the off season a try, from November to February.
Water water everywhere. Sibon Jaya custom-made platform for all kinds of ocean activities: fishing from the tender, snorkeling, free-diving, SUP. The interior and above decks areas are comfortable and shaded and perfect for lounging, reading, catching up on movies and TV shows you don’t have time for back in the modern world. Days are long in the Mentawai, and there is plenty time for reading and relaxing. Take a trip into the interior of any island for an unparalleled cultural experience!
Contact me
handraharbi@gmail.com
+6281374006060
