Surfing in the Mentawais (What’s It Actually Like)?
Surfing in the Mentawais || Ever wanted to go surf the Ments? At the start of the season, I got the opportunity to visit and surf the islands with a bunch of friends due to a last-minute dropout. We stayed at HTs Resort and surfed Lances Right every day! The waves were fun, but surprisingly tricky for a seemingly perfect wave. In addition to showing you the waves on offer, I’ve explained everything you need to know for a land-based Ments trip, from how to get there, where to stay, and estimated costs. Enjoy and fire away with any questions in the comments! Yew!
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00:00 Introduction
01:09 First Look at HTs
02:15 Surf Session
04:42 What HTs is Actually Like?
06:10 The surgeon's Table
06:44 Crowds
07:28 HTs Resort
08:18 The Ments on a Budget
This was my first trip to the Mentawai!! Hope you find some of the info helpful to make a Ments trip happen! Any questions, sick ments stories or info, please fire away in the comments!! Yew!
brilliant mate thank you !!✌
I liked part when you were describing how shallow certain sections of that reef is. Its like whooooaaa lol. Great job
Where did you get your hat 😂
I spent 2 weeks feral in the Mentawais in 2005 living with no electricity, no phone, no internet, and no running water. I remember the nightly rain storm but also how we surfed empty waves near Kandui resort. I took the overnight ferry to get back to Sumatra and it was a long and arduous trek. Oh - and the local police showed up and demanded our local taxes be paid as well, which I was happy to pay. I think my 2 weeks cost around $200 if my memory is right. I'd love the chance to go back but not sure if that'll happen now that most my best surf days are behind me. Shout out and thanks to the UK surfers who befriended me and gave me a hand-drawn map on how to get there / who to talk to and to Damien the Aussie who was crazy enough to join me on that adventure. It was the best 2 weeks of the 2 months I spent in all of Indo!
Wow! That sounds gnarly hahah! That's insane! Bet it was so wild then, and even wilder decades ago!!
I was there in the 90's on the legendary boat Christine. No island resorts, hardly any other boats and every session was enjoyed with our crew of about 7 surfers. We also practiced not paddling out if another boat was already on it and if you missed a wave it's back to the end of the line. But with a smile knowing you'd be on the next one in minutes. Spent 2 solid weeks surfing both unknown and legendary breaks with no one around. Trip of a lifetime for sure.
Hey Brian! Wow, I bet it was amazing back then, no resorts and/or people!! But yeah that's solid etiquette that certainly doesn't happen anymore haha! Sick!!
Same! It was amazing before the land camps and internet sellouts ruined it!! Too easy for boring people to crowd all the good lineups these days
really appreciate the underwater views.. we all know how shallow it is, but from hearing about it to seeing it is a whole different perspective.
Thank you for all the information traveling there to mentawai..surf trips....one of few that explains everything..travel/hotels/costs/reef photos for dangers/ how the crowds from other boats arriving/ so in-debt..just awsome info...I have learned so much from this ....hank you..Greg
Hey Greg! So stoked you found it that helpful and looking forward to sharing some more info-dense vids in the coming weeks and months!! Yew!
Amazing!
Such a nice video! Excited to see more from you brother!
Hey Dill! Thanks heaps and looking forward to sharing more videos!!
Cheers bro!thanks for sharing!
No problem 👍
Great Vid...MSR..Rocks
Thank for the videos and info, bud!
Very helpful !! Thanks mate
Cheers Enrico! Glad you found the content helpful :)
Good overview of the reality of destination surf resorts in Indonesia. The waves can be excellent but reef scrapes and cuts happen often. I spent a week at Nihiwatu/Sumba and scored big, heavy waves. It was the best waves of my life but I still am so glad I didn't get pounded on the reef as medical care is a long journey away. When you get back home to surf it feels safe like a kiddie pool. Keep charging Dan!
Hey John! Yeah I think it's something that isn't talked about enough, yet that's the reality!! But that sounds like a mental trip, heard Sumba is a pretty wild place as well!
great video dude... i surfed at hts last summer... stayed at kingfisher... had a blast but def felt that reef at HTS....
Thanks mate!! Yeah i feel ya, the reefs such a prominent factor!!
I was there in 1995.my friend cut his knee on the Ht reef.good times no resorts no crowds i sat on the beach just jungle .no a/c looks nice i will keep my memories thanks for the videos
Wow bet it felt insanely remote back then! But sketchy if an injury happens.. was your mate alrite??
Planning on going summer 2024 from Hawaii. Looks so beautiful can’t wait to hit the waves out there
Sick!! You'll get heaps of waves for sure!!
great vid!
Great video thanks mate!
Stoked you enjoyed it!!
Super helpful. Thanks.
Hey Julio! Epic to hear, and glad you found the info useful!!
@@DanHarmon123 For sure. I am actually heading out there from Bali next year in March. It looks amazing. I have one other question. I planned to fly Garuda to Padang but I see you flew on a cheaper airline. Was it OK?. Any hassle with the boards? Would you recommend them?.
I use to surf the Mentawais in the 80’s & 90’s no one around and empty barrels. A beautiful lonely experience
I bet it was amazing back then!! But even harder to get there hahah??
@DanHarmon123 4 days in total from Sydney.. 3 planes and a boat. My next door neighbour told me about the Mentawais in the late 70's I was only 9 or 10 years ago at the time and he'd been surfing indo for years.. my first trip there was in 1989.. no surf camps, no fast boats, no crowds. It was the end of the world back then.. we stay in the little village at H.T's and walked through the jungle to different breaks.. the next boat that took us back to Padang was 3 weeks away.. truly blessed to have spent time there
THANKS LEGEND GOOD TIPS
Thanks Pablo! Stoked you found it helpful!!
nice and informative dude, subscription earned
Hey mate!! Thanks and stoked you found it helpful!
Great insight
Thanks Paul!!
Nice, im from a near city in Mentawai, Padang. Well now i know why foreigners go to west sumatra, they want to goto mentawai lol
Nice footage and edit 👌
Thanks so much Curtis!!
looks amazing what a dream ... even though too shallow for me hate to meet the "surge table" after all the effort & cost to get there
Yeah it's a dreamy spot for sure!! And yeah the table sucks haha!!
Got back 2 months ago, it’s f***in epic!
Sick!!
Nice edit Dan, looks like the boys scored. That one that Jack got was mad
Hey mate! Thanks so much and yeah we had every type of wave hahah, and yeah the boyz were ripping!!
@@DanHarmon123 Looked like a fun trip. We were there on Pelagic for that one good day. Hope you got some waves this recent swell
Epic video man 👏👏 I’m curious about the etiquette in the lineup in these types of places? Can you give us some insight?
Hey mate! Yeah it's a tough one to navigate to be honest! There's like a pack of expats who've lived there for decades who dominate the best ones, then the more advanced surfers are next in line and kind of mix it up with them! Then everyone else fights for the scraps hahah. There's also a pack of local kids surfing the inside!!
Hard core competitive with advanced surfers when I was there, but no snaking at least.
Try Krui in South Sumatra. It’s like The Ments but all the waves you can get to by scooter. And no charter boats dropping crowds
Yes! Krui is sick! I went there years ago and would love to try and get back one day!
Thanks for tip heading to Indo for 2 months in few days from chiang mai Thailand can’t wait to surf
Nice job showing the reef underwater view. Would be below average to get rolled over that gnarly stuff. Do many mates actually get damaged by the shallow section?
Hey David! Super below average hahah! Yeah a couple got rolled across it but nothing super serious! I'm sure that sections seen it's fair share of injuries over the years though!!
Great detailed info terimakasi
Hey Seraaj! Glad you found it helpful :)
Rad, that surgeons table looks pretty tasty, brilliant that you filmed it, ridiculously shallow 😅
Oh mate, that thing is so gnarly! I couldn't surf a wave without thinking about it hahah!
Nice images mate. I visited the surgeons table myself. Fortunately/unfortunately rocked up there on our first day of the trip - Totally not surf ready - 8-10 and pumping. Dropped in and scored a few and thought I was the shit!! Then on the next one went super late ...snapped my board and I remember standing on the surgeons table.... ankle deep looking up at the next one ... thinking ...ah shit ...this is gonna hurt !! Bam!! ...."Take that" ...said the ocean . Just letting me know who's boss !! But ....we went on to have a blast after I got dialled in. Thanks for invoking the memories dude. !! Happy surfing.
@@DanHarmon123 the name alone conjures up images of being sliced and diced by a psychopath as it is😅
Hi Dan, epic video. Could you tell us which season/ month you were there? Curious if it's the high season or not :)
Hey mate! Yeah of course, it was end of March, start of April!! So yeah, like the start of the high season!
This video really hurt deep down in the pit of my stomach enjoy it you guys while you can people god bless you all
I don’t really understand your comment. But if you didn’t like the video, you opinion is most welcome :) I will say though, this is Lances Right, one of the most famous waves on the planet and one that’s been crowded for decades.
Hi Dan! Do you know any other good surfing places similar to Bali (old mains type of waves) with warm water, and good for long board? I’m upper beginner-intermediate, and struggling to find an alternative to bali that is way too crowded ..
What a thrill! Every surfer’s dream!
Yeah dreamy place!! Waves were more challenging than I expected though!
A crowd everywhere you go you created. awesome.
What do you think about nias? The island above? Is it as expensive if you’ve ever been?
Haven't been there yet!! But definitely on my list...
if someone were to stay at lance's left at kingfisher , do u think that would be less crowded cuz its the only location on that side of the point? as opposed to staying HTs side. Since u stayed HTs side do u feel like you definitely surfed the left way less? thinking to stay over at the left, but i want to be able to surf the right pretty often too
Hey Mate!! Great question and yes, there are way more camps on the (right-hander side), and I didn't even surf Lance's Left (some of the other boys did though). But I'd imagine if you were staying out front of it, you could score it at times with less people. For example after a storm/wind switch maybe!? Hope that helps :)
Great video mate, would love to work with you one day!
Hahaha maybe one day ;)
Thanks for the vid. How'd you find the crowds?
Hey mate! Pretty intense crowds to be fair... Because we were watching it all day, we could run out when the crowd thinned out, especially on smaller days and even had a surf on my own when it was 2ft and onshore. But if its pumping, there's 40-50+ guys out there!! Which is insane!
Hi, I’ll probably have a stop there soon and im travelling without boards, is it possible to buy or rent one there ?
Hi mate!! There are very limited board options to be honest, but if you stay at HT's Resort, they are partnered with OnBoard Store Bali so they have a few boards you can buy and rent!! I'm not too sure about other camps tho!
actually really crowded there were 50 out at Macca's and Lances when we went zoo
Good to know. Stay home, surf Lowers for free, get the same amount of waves. 😅
Yep, it's pretty gnarly out there for sure!!
Hahaha fair enough! I must say, Lowers is the most insanely crowded wave I've ever surfed haha! Sick when you do get one though!!
@@DanHarmon123 LOL its the super bank for me...basically lowers X10 on the crowd
😍😍😍
Don't forget to buy a small bottle of Betadine before you leave the mainland! Even little foot cuts can end your session.
Great shout!!
Hey Dan, I am living in the Philippines. My girlfriend and I are new surfers. I want to avoid crowds and super expensive places to surf. Where do you recommend I go to in Indonesia to surf for 3 weeks late March early April?
Hey mate! Sorry for the slow reply! Hmmm, so many places to choose from, I'd maybe check out Kuta Lombok (beginner and intermediate-friendly) or Bali (Medewi or Canggu) but those are more crowded! Hope that helps :)
@@DanHarmon123 Thanks Dan! I have seen your videos on Lombok and found some flights. Any special vaccines needed to go to Lombok? Great videos!!
What are your thoughts on Kandui Resort?
Hey Joe! I've never actually been there, but from what i've heard its kind of in the same caliber as HT's resort, like it's a wicked place to stay!! Not sure what the waves are like there though, will need to do some research or go and see for myself!!
@@DanHarmon123 Thanks Dan!
Hi Dan, not sure you saw my question yesterday, so here goes: I planned to fly Garuda to Padang but I see you flew on a cheaper airline. Was it OK?. Any hassle with the boards? Would you recommend them?.
Hey Julio! Yeah i flew with a company called Transnusa! I'd never heard of them either until this trip, but yes they were ok, just had to pay extra for boards, $10 per board i think it was!! So make sure you lie if you've got more hahah ;)
Was it me dropping out that got you there?
Yo Greg!! I think it was actually Mihaka in the end!!
Enjoyed the advice tutorial just as much as the surf footage. Just great video great advice as well. Loved your video
Thanks mate!! stoked you enjoyed this one :)
Next time don’t bring 17 of your best mates with you on a trip , that is an instacrowd!
Exactly….talk about pissing everyone off
This internet age is destroying so much magic
Hey mate!! Yeah, obviously turning up anywhere with a group of 17 people is pretty shit in most places. However, it's kinda what happens in the Ments, as it's the only way you can afford to share a boat or get a good price on a camp with friends. (It's what almost everyone does) Additionally, not everyone was surfing at the same time, so it's not like 17 people are all paddling out at once from every boat and camp..
Hi mate! I find most people are in the same boat (traveling in groups) in the Ments, as I mentioned above, because of the costs!! It's not like there's a local beachie and 15 guys from the same group paddling out on the same bank. Most charters also need a minimum of 12 people to even sail! These are the most famous waves in the world and everyone wants a piece of them I guess 🤔
Yeah I guess so to some extent, although I think some of these world famous waves are just crowded anyway! Maybe we just need to look further afield now...
OMG! I'd rather gargle glass shards, then have to spend 3 days of hell to get to a 2-4 foot perfect wave?? that's crowded Try Mainland Mexico or Baja California Mexico, yeah you need a wetsuit in Baja but not mainland and it's been pumping all season this year! Nice story but that part of the world is a hard pass for me.
Hahah, yeah I agree with you to be honest Michael! I've never been to Baja, but spent some time in mainland Mex! Sick waves, but again, the crowds are pretty thick at the main spots there!! But will be back in Mex before i go to the Ments I reckon!
Insta crowd is a problem - Especially these days. I stayed around the corner at another land resort - A left. Apart from the constant boat arrivals it only took 2 brothers staying at the resort to make the trip suck. Once people leave their own little worlds they seem to think that etiquette doesn't matter anymore and every wave is theirs. I won't be going to the ments anymore. Not worth the hassle and expenditure to watch the same guys paddle past you and take the best waves. And if you say something - you're the arsehole???
I had a friend visit one of these destinations a while back, and ended up not even surfing the last half of their stay, there were so much hassling in the water.
Hey Michael! Yeah, there's people like that at every surf spot i go hahah!! I think it's just how it is there now and i agree-definitely more places to go and get more waves for a fraction of the cost!!
Is the crowd worst than snapper rocks with an active cyclone ?? ifs not i'm okay with that
There's better quality waves with zero crowds all over Indo, Mentawais are for lazy people. For every person you see in the water there's 4x that many sitting on the boats waiting for the crowd to die down.
For sure!! I mean yeah if you're willing to go off grid, I'm sure there are so many epic waves throughout the islands!! But yes, that's so true as well!
Surf discovery is dead ey. RIP
Hey Nico! No it’s not dead, it’s very alive. There’s heaps of undiscovered waves and uncrowned ones, waves I’d never post on here though! Just gotta look further than your KZhead home page haha ;)
@@DanHarmon123well you know you could make these movies without naming all the spots…. There’s an etiquette you know.
@@nicokypreos Hey Nico! Yep, you're totally right! It's why I don't name any lesser know/secret spots wherever I travel, just the already well-established ones :)
whatever happened of keeling your mouth shut
Hey mate! Don't worry, my mouth is firmly shut about plenty of places... Places i'd never tell anyone about, let alone post them on KZhead. But seeing as Lances is already one of the most famous and well known waves on earth, figured I'd help some people get waves :)
cet accent est affreux
Great video. We went in 2011 left from Bali like you did. Exactly the same trip to get their except we got on board a boat. Spent 3 weeks powering around different locations. Scored everywhere we went. I lucked it like you. I wasnt going because of the price but a buddy pulled out and gave me his spot which he had already paid for. I only had to pay for my flight. We kinda lucked it with the surf. Only saw 1 other boat the whole trip and they were leaving Macaronis as we turned up. Surfed Macaronis for over a week perfect head to almost double overhead every day. Nobody around. Surfed HTs about the same size as you guys scored but nobody else in the water. Rifles was firing. Rags rights firing. Such an amazing place. Boats are the best way to get around and surf as many spots as you can. Not sure id want to be stuck in one camp. But if i was it would be Macaronis camo. One of the best lefts ive surfed. Place looks packed these days.
I went in 2009 , hardly any boats around ,, now in season its turned into a circus
Yeah sick!! That's the best way to score everywhere for sure!! That Macaronis scenario sounds like a frickin dream, can't imagine anywhere having no people!!
Just another youtuber making the crowds worse for the years to come. Good on ya
Hey Jonathan! Not sure I'm making the crowds worse anymore than anything else already on Google and as one of the most famous/well known waves on earth it's always going to be crowded! Plenty of uncrowded spots in the area, if you know where to look though hahah...
HTs has already become an over-crowded shit sho - 60 people in the lineup during season- its not like this video makes it any worse ... It's worth mentioning that you've basically missed 80% of the rest of the ments by staying down that side at HTs - there's much much much more to the ments than that
Follow @KanduiResort, they post amazing content. Did you stay there all the time and surf Lance's right or did you also surf rifles, burgerworld and all those spots next to MSR? Thanks for the info
Hey mate!! Yeah I've seen!! I just stayed at HTs this time for the whole 12 days. Next time I'd love to go to those other places further North though!
Good video so much advice
Lucky bastard