• Group Size: 6-8 guests
• Number of Cabins: 6 x a/c cabins
• Length of Stay: 11 days surfing, 12 nights on board
• Destination: Mentawai islands (Telo on request)
• Surfing Ability: Intermediate to advanced only
• Budget: High
• A/C: All interior & cabins
• Photos: Free of charge
• Beers: 20 cartons of Bintang included
• Tender: 1 x speedboat
• Port: Padang, West Sumatra

Tengirri is a 46′ (14 metre) Power catamaran that was designed and built in Australia back in 2004. Since 2005 she’s been operating in both the Mentawai and Telo Islands & remains the bench mark for medium sized groups (only 6-8 guests) that are looking for a “higher end” surf experience in West Sumatra.

Where the bigger boats operating in the region typically offer just a handful of guest rooms, Tengirri offers it’s guests an impressive 6 private sleeping cabins which means extra privacy for you. Twin hull catamarans are also more stable at night (than single hulls) meaning you’ll sleep better too! And like all the top tier vessels in the region, she also boasts plenty of mod cons you’d expect including; TV, I-Pod compatible stereo, media player, satellite phone, fishing & snorkelling gear as well as a speedboat to shuttle you to the waves all day, every day. You can also expect food of the highest quality.

What really separates this surf charter boat from the rest, is it’s speed and safety. Although the vast majority of travel time is spent at night, day time cruising speeds can reach a whopping 16-17 knots. That’s seriously quick when you compare it to the 8-9 knot charter boat average for the entire region. And with all the safety specs you’d expect, you can always feel safe during your trip.

Accommodation includes:
• Fully air conditioned interior and guest cabins
• 6 x guest cabins
• 3 x exterior deck areas
• Indoor saloon with dining table & flat screen TV
• TV, I-Pod compatible stereo & media player
• Bathrooms: 1
• Toilets: 1
• Showers: 1 indoor, 1 outdoor

Despite being only 46 feet in length, space & privacy certainly isn’t a problem.

Guests can spread out thanks to 3 large outdoor deck areas (back-bottom deck, back-top deck, and front of the boat) that are fully covered from the sun, and are ideal for chilling out & watching the waves.

There’s also a spacious indoor saloon and seated dining area that includes a flat screen TV, I-Pod compatible stereo & media player.

Tengirri also boasts 6 guests cabins. These air conditioned sleeping quarters include 2 cabins with a double bed in each; 2 cabins with 2 single beds in each; and 2 cabins with 1 single bed in each.

It’s also worth noting that a twin hull catamaran like Tengirri is more stable and rocks less when moored up for the night. And combined with the fact that you probably wont have to share a cabin with the groups “snorer” (there’s always at least 1 in a group), you’re pretty much guaranteed a better nights sleep than on most other boats operating in the region.

Included in all packages:
• 3 large, healthy delicious meals are served each day
A mix of Indonesian & Western cuisine served for breakfast, lunch & dinner. There are no set meal times so when you eat depends on what the surf is doing. So don’t think if you stay out surfing from 10 am to 3pm that you will miss lunch!
• Breakfast
For a quick light breakfast before an early surf there is cereal, toast etc for you to help yourself. After surf (morning) the cook will prepare a “hot” breakfast / brunch – typically pancakes, omelettes etc.
• Lunch
Usually sandwiches, noodles, tacos, jaffles to fuel you up for the afternoon session.
• Dinner
Lots of variety and always plentiful, typical dinners include spaghetti, BBQ chicken, curry beef, lasagna, burritos and stir fried veggies as well as plenty of fresh fish & sea food. Dinners are accompanied with vegetables, rice and fresh salad.

Snacks (included) – available at all times
• Fresh fruit such as bananas, watermelon, mandarins, apples or papaya
• Chips, chocolate bars and lollies etc
• Tea, coffee, soft-drink (coke, sprite etc.), fruit juice and water

Alcohol

20 cartons of Bintang beer are included in the package price. Spirits and other alcohol is available at local prices.

Includes:
• Breakfast, lunch & dinner
• Snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks
• Unlimited Tea, Coffee and Water
• 20 cartons of complimentary beers

What’s included
• Airport transfers to and from the boat in Padang
• 11 days surfing & 12 nights on board Tengirri surf charter surfing in the Mentawai Islands (Telo on request)
• Single bed in an a/c cabin
• 3 large, healthy delicious meals served each day
• Snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks each day
• Unlimited tea, coffee and water each day
• Speedboat shuttles to the surf from dawn til dusk, all day every day
• Surf photo package
• Fishing & island excursions
• 20 cartons of complimentary beers, per trip
• DVD player with a huge selection of movies, CD player, magazines, books
• Fishing gear & snorkelling gear
• Use of Stand Up Paddle Board
• All necessary zone permits

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
• Tips for the crew
• Mentawai Surf Tax (IDR 1,000,000 pp / approx. AUD 100) – required for trips to the Mentawais
• Phone calls can be made from the boat at a cost of $US5/minute (incoming calls are free). Email is not available.

Official Specifications
• Registration: INDONESIAN FLAG
• Length OA: 14.1 Metres
• Length Hull: 13.0 Metres
• Beam: 5.00 Metres
• Depth: 1.58 Metres
• Draft: 0.66 Metres
• Fuel Capacity: 2 x 1750 Litres
• F/W Capacity: 2 x 420 Litres
• Lightship Weight: 13 Tonnes
• Construction: Aluminium Alloy
• Hull Type: Symmetrical Hard Chine
• Main Engines: Cummins C-430 8.3Litre 430Hp @ 2600 rpm
• Transmissions: ZF 302IV Ratio 2.184:1
• Propellers: MIKADO 4 Blade Skewed
• Max Speed: 15 Knots
• Cruise Speed: 12 Knots (day); 10 Knots (night)
• Genset: Perkins
• Watermaker: 120Litres p/hour

Electronic, Navigation & Communication Equipment
• GPS Chart Plotter: FURUNO Navnet GD1900C
• Radar: FURUNO Navnet GD1900C 36nm
• Heading Sensor: FURUNO PG-500
• Sounder: FURUNO ETR6/10N
• Autopilot: FURUNO NAVPilot 500
• Compass: Riviera
• VHF Radio: Icom IC-M402S
• ICOM 710 HF Radio
• AM/FM/VHF Receiver: GME GR-100
• THURAYA Satelitte Phone
• Steering: Hydrive Power Assisted
• Controls: Morse
• Anchor Winch: MUIR HR1200

Safety equipment
• Liferaft: 2 x ZODIAC (6 Pax each)
• EPIRB: GME MT400
• Lifebuoys: 2
• Lifejackets: 18

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):
• Burgerworld
This is a softer pointbreak – like righthander. Can offer barrels at times, but usually long rippable walls with many cutback sections. When the swell is small this place has waves. As the size comes up it turns into a mush burger – hence the name. An extremely picturesque setting too..
• Beng beng
This is a left just up from E Bay. Good for all abilities and works on medium swell.
• E-Bay
This is a hollow super picturesque lefthander that barrels off the take-off with a short wall down the line. A great option when a lot of swell is hitting.
• Pit Stops
This is the right off the peak at E-Bay Usually a playful right that can offer some cover-ups off the take-off, but mostly a high performance waves with air sections at the end. Ends in a sandy channel.
• Bank Vaults
A heavy righthander that barrels and spits. Usually larger than most spots in the area. Watch out for clean-up sets. Can handle a bit more swell than its neighboring wave, Nipussi.
• Nipussi
A shorter right that breaks down the point from Bank Vaults. Definitely fun and rippable. Usually has fairly deep water from the takeoff to the inside. Ends in a riptide that sucks all the water back out to sea. Along with Burgerworld this is a good option when there’s not much swell, and usually the most consistent spot in the area.
• Hideaways
A very hollow left that can be shallow at times. It comes out of deep water, then unloads on a shallow section of reef before barreling towards the channel. More dangerous at low tides.
• No Kanduis
A long barreling left that wraps around a small island. Usually very sectiony, but can line up on the largest of swells. Fast takeoff, pull-in and pump like mad!
• Four Bobs
Good with tons of swell. A mellower option as it is a softer wave than some of the other closer breaks. Mainly a right with a short barrel off the takeoff, then backing off into the channel. More shallow on the inside.
• Rifles
One of the best waves in the world when on, no exaggeration. A very long righthander that wraps around the other side of the same island as No Kanduis. Insanely hollow once it’s a few feet overhead, but usually more sectiony at smaller sizes.
• Icelands
Beautiful setting, lefthander – big deep water wave. A lot of punch …. another consistent lefthander for when the swell is smaller. Good snorkeling and spear fishing when surf is small also.
• Telescopes
A perfect wrapping left hander. Long walls wrap around the reef with very few sections on larger days. Mostly breaks in pretty deep water, but on the bigger days it can get heavy outside and shallow on the inside reef.
• Scarecrows
Breaks off of an island just south of Telescopes. Good lefts but less predictable and shifty. This wedgy wave works best on a dropping high tide. Good snorkeling inside here also. Bintangs – A short and hollow right across the channel from Lance’s Left. As the wave approaches the reef, the bottom drops out before barreling towards the channel.
• Lance’s Left
Long left walls wrap down the point before hitting the last section, which is the main take-off area. Great hollow section after the take-off. A bigger gun helps on the larger days. Watch the inside on low tide if the swell is carrying in there.
• Hollow Trees (HT’s, Lance’s Right)
A great righthander that has been all over the surf mags and videos over the last decade. The main takeoff spot is up the point where most of the waves start barrelling and peel flawlessly down the reef. On larger swells it can be very shifty and hard to read. It can shift more to the end bowl where it can break, reform, then bowl again into the channel. The inside is very shallow and is often referred to as the “surgeon’s table” due to the many reef-cuts doled out to traveling surfers.
• Bat Caves (Gilligan’s Island)
A righthander that breaks when wind favors only lefts. Sometimes enjoyed more by longboarders – usually funner than it looks from the boat.
• Macaronis
One of the most perfect waves in the world. A very hollow wave with many shallow spots. Lefts start from way up the point, then gradually slow down as it approaches the channel. The further up the point you paddle, the faster it barrels when you take-off. After the initial barrel ride, this wave offers one of the most rippable walls for any maneuvers you can think of.
• Greenbush
A heavy lefthander – Sick takeoff and then pull in quick. Beautiful setting but if you don’t make the takeoff, pull in fast enough, or straighten off you’re on the reef.
• Rags Left
A great lefthander that can hold the biggest swells. It is very hollow and can often dish out some of the heaviest hold-downs in the island chain. Usually a bit more water moving around so a larger board can be useful.
• Rags Right
A shorter, hollow right on the southern end of Rags Island. Needs higher tide now – a lot shallower after the quakes. Fast, short barrel …. better be on your game. Drop in, pull in, go fast, don’t be greedy, leave the inside alone and kick out. Be ready for the reef and scrapes – fall flat!!!
• 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.
• The Hole
A fast hollow left with quick take off and hollow end section. Ends in very shallow water, better for advanced surfers.

Get the picture? If there is a landmass poking up above the surface of the ocean in this part of the world, it probably has a coral reef protecting it and a perfect wave wrapping around one end or the other.

Seasons & Weather

The Mentawai are in western Indonesia, just below the equator, so these islands generally see more rainfall than Bali and the islands further southeast. Indonesia as a whole has a tropical climate and in the Mentawai in particular, there is little difference in the length of a day any time of year. Indonesia’s seasons divide in two: wet and dry.

The wet season begins in October and lasts until March, with the peak rainfall measured in 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 receive more rainfall than those areas in the south and east, it can rain at any time of year. 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 during June through August, which is also in the heart of surf season.

Prime swell season for Indonesia is the southern hemisphere winter months from March/April through September/October when Low pressure systems off Antarctica and the Indian Ocean pulse ground swells toward the equator.

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 northerly 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 transition months often experience glassy conditions and can be the best time to sample a larger variety of waves.

Air temperatures range between 75° and 85° all year and water temperatures are always in that same range. If you want big surf with favorable winds, 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 then March/April or late Sept/Oct is probably best. If you don’t mind rain but want good surface conditions and smaller, clean surf with nobody else around: give the off-season a try, from November to February.