🇮🇩 WEST SUMATRA, INDONESIA

Mentawai Islands

The greatest concentration of perfect waves on the planet

GOOD

Live Conditions

Conditions Summary

3ft waves — with solid 16s groundswell — hitting at the ideal angle — Clean 5mph offshore winds grooming the surface

LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Why it's GOOD

Swell Direction

Primary swell is 210° — matches the ideal 225° window for this spot

Swell Period

16s — strong, long-period groundswell. Maximum wave power and quality.

Wind

5mph offshore — clean, grooming the wave face

Season

September is peak season for this spot

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

3.4ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

16s

✓ Groundswell

Wind

5mph

OFFSHORE

Water

85°F

Boardshorts

Swell Direction

100%

Wind Direction

85%

Primary Swell

5.9ft @ 13.7s

SSW 210°

Secondary Swell

1.4ft @ 5.0s

SW 225°

10 Day Outlook

2.6ft

TODAY

Sep 12

(20s)

3.0ft

TMRW

Sep 13

(19s)

2.8ft

MON

Sep 14

(16s)

2.0ft

TUE

Sep 15

(15s)

2.6ft

WED

Sep 16

(14s)

2.6ft

THU

Sep 17

(16s)

2.6ft

FRI

Sep 18

(16s)

2.7ft

SAT

Sep 19

(18s)

2.8ft

SUN

Sep 20

(16s)

2.2ft

MON

Sep 21

(15s)

Best this week: tmrw — 3.0ft

Best next week: SUN Sep 20 — 2.8ft

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)1.6ft

ICON (35%)6.2ft

GFS (20%)2.5ft

Model confidence25%

Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS

About

The Mentawai Islands off the coast of Sumatra contain more world-class waves per square kilometre than anywhere else on earth. Hollow rights, perfect lefts, warm water, and virtually no crowds if you find the right spot.

The Break

HT's for perfect rights, Macaronis for playful lefts, Kandui for hollow barrels.

Ideal Conditions

SW swell 4-8ft, light E trades, all tides depending on the spot

Best Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Best months highlighted · Current: Sep

Trip Planner

Mentawai Boat Charter

Weekend · 3 Days

Friday

Fly into Padang (PDG), board your surf charter boat. Overnight sail to the islands.

Saturday

Full day surfing — your captain will chase the best conditions. Multiple sessions.

Sunday

Morning session, sail back to Padang, fly home.

Mentawai Week Charter

Full Week · 7 Days

Day 1

Arrive Padang, board the charter boat, sail overnight.

Day 2

HT's or Macaronis depending on swell. 3-4 sessions.

Day 3

Chase swell — your captain tracks the best waves daily.

Day 4

Kandui or Rifles if the swell is solid.

Day 5

Village visit — Mentawai culture is fascinating. Afternoon surf.

Day 6

Final full day — hit your favourite spot one more time.

Day 7

Sail back to Padang, fly home.

Local Knowledge

A surf charter is the best and really the only way to do the Mentawais properly.

Budget $200-400/day for a good charter split between 8-12 people — worth every cent.

Bring a fish — the waves are so good you will want boards for different conditions.

The water is warm (28-30°C) — boardshorts only, no wetsuit needed.

Bring reef boots for the shallower spots — some reefs are very sharp.

The Mentawais are remote — bring all medications, sunscreen, and any specialty items you need.