Step Up Mentawai

[santacruzin]

I actually tried to keep a detailed trip report like I saw someone else here do but between 2-3 sessions a day for 10 days, I was exhausted.

Trip was amazing. Mentawais are amazing. Waves in every direction so somewhere is always offshore no matter wind direction. Highly recommend Shadow Mentawais camp.

Nice shadow rules! Ade and Zedri and the whole team are classic. Did you get to surf the waves close to the camp? two real fun ones nearby

 

[santacruzin]

There were a few days at camp where the nearby right hand barrel was kind of working but nothing more than head dips. Some ballsy Aussies got really good ones by sitting way on top of the reef but took good licks in return. Lots of scrapes and one shoulder dislocation. Did get a pretty good, deep one at Pitstops as a highlight to the trip. But I’m admittedly a puss when it comess to shallow reef barrels since I’ve mostly surfed beach breaks and points all my life.

Shadow right? So picturesque and sooo shallow

 

[KPindaOC]

Shadow right? So picturesque and sooo shallow

That’s the one. We surfed the left, right, and A frame quite a bit since most people opted for other spots. Never surfed with more than 5 other people except when the wind was from the North and blew most other waves out. But then it goes offshore there so it’s a tradeoff. You can definitely avoid the crowds but they’re always lurking. I’ve never been to a more diverse wave rich region in my life.

The whole Shadow crew rocks. We’ll be back during off season next year.

 

[santacruzin]

Glad you had a good time! The aframe gets good sometimes

 

[JeffRSpicoli]

So you’re clearly a planner and clearly a surfboard addict….both of which I dig!!!! So you’re not going to like this, but know this comes from a place of love.

Only plan your step up and your favorite everyday board in advance. Everything else should be decided when the forecast comes into view. If the forecast looks legit legit you’ll want two step ups, because a week of macking rifles, kandui left or bank vaults eats boards. But if you get a forecast that’s all those waves at friendly size, it will eat your everyday board.

I was talking to a guy the week behind us at cross over day. He was Bali based, so two weeks in kandui was a weekend trip for him; and he’d been there 10 times. He takes two of the same “everyday” board but one slightly bigger. Which is kind of genius. If you snap your everyday board you don’t have to jump to a full step up or push a grovel board past its limits, and it’s still you favorite board. But it has the extra benefit that some of the waves have a decent current even when small(kandui left, hideaways). So when you’re tired on day 5, and you know the boat is going to one of those waves. and you’ll be on the current treadmill, you still have your favorite board, just with a bit more volume.

as far as performance grovellers go, only if you like to ride those. The actual waves don’t need a grovel board. I don’t ride short boards anymore. So at home I ride my ci og pod and a sharp eye disco cheater. on the trip I rode those two 90% of the time. But even on the small days, guys who ride short boards ride short boards with no issues

Good thoughts! Spot on regarding planning and board freak. I like that idea of bringing a bigger 'replica'.

The trip is a ways off, so will be waiting on forecast, but expect we will have the opportunity for serious waves since we'll be there for good amount of time. I've been thinking of bringing a second step up, but you know bag space and I have a solid substitute for my everyday board, which is the Rusty Rooster, if that happens to break, plus the Rooster is Torsion Spring build so I think it has a better chance of surviving the trip...

 

[JeffRSpicoli]

I actually tried to keep a detailed trip report like I saw someone else here do but between 2-3 sessions a day for 10 days, I was exhausted.

Trip was amazing. Mentawais are amazing. Waves in every direction so somewhere is always offshore no matter wind direction. Highly recommend Shadow Mentawais camp. 4-8ft the whole time. Surfed the Blindspot mostly but was very happy to have the Happy Traveler for those 6-8ft days. The length and rocker with heavier glass job inspired much more confidence and a slightly earlier takeoff that was nice. A couple of the Aussies at camp brought 6’6”s and did really well on those. I’m a believer in surfing more board than you think you’ll need in bigger waves because most of the time you’re just going to point and shoot through the barrel rather than stall and pump in the tube. Unless you’re a super ripper, you won’t need the dexterity of a smaller curvier board a la John John, etc.

Overall the waves were shorter and faster than I thought with super easy paddle arounds at most spots unless you get impatient and get caught inside like I did a couple times. Very friendly waves for all skill levels moreso than Salina Cruz the year before where you have to punch through long sets with tons of current. I was in better shape then and was dog tired and sore af after just five days. Maybe it has to do with the sun beating down on you in SC opposed to jumping on and off a boat.

I brought the 6’4” Sultwinn as my third board and kinda regretted it. Was fun to surf mellower waves with my gf in between punchier sessions but the waves were too short to draw proper lines on a board like that. I’ll save this board for frontside point breaks. Also since we were able to avoid crowds, you can get by with a smaller board sitting right over the sweet spot in the reef. I’ll opt for a third shortboard when I come back next year. Something like a bladey 5’10”-6’0” round pin with 5 fin boxes.

Happy to answer any specific questions you may have.

Anything you wish your brought or stuff you did not need?

Did you wear reef booties, a helmet?

Any good hold down stories, broken boards?

 

[nowayout]

I brought booties, wore them one session then tossed them. mAybe an extra leash or two but you can alway steal from your other boards.

 

[spjones123]

Anything you wish your brought or stuff you did not need?

Did you wear reef booties, a helmet?

Any good hold down stories, broken boards?

Superglue for reef cuts on the feet can be a life saver

 

[santacruzin]

Superglue, Chinese red sauce and biotine

 

[KPindaOC]

Anything you wish your brought or stuff you did not need?

Did you wear reef booties, a helmet?

Any good hold down stories, broken boards?

I wore neither but was definitely careful kicking out before waves closed out on the inside. After my first session on arrival day, I quickly learned not to go after the first wave in a set and get dragged over the reef.

Definitely took a few good ones on the head on some of the big days. One memorable wipeout got caught in the lip taking under a left, smacked my head on the face coming down to the point where I had to mentally check in underwater to make sure I didn’t blackout, then proceed to take 2-3 more on the head. Came up laughing albeit a bit shaken up because I haven’t taken a pounding like that in awhile.

Bring something to clean up minor cuts and scrapes, deet (the good stuff), a multitool to crack open coconuts, few bottles of booze from the duty free in the airport because you won’t find any in Padang, small tube of solarez. I really liked having breezy pants and a loose hooded sunshirt to protect from mosquitoes. Pro tip: crack open a coconut, put it in a jar to refrigerate until cold (tastes much better), add 4oz of rum and serve over ice (optional). Repeat this daily.

 

[nowayout]

Yeah make sure you stay hydrated. Too much drinking alcohol and you will get dehydrated easily

 

[freeride76]

Bintangs can rehydrate you- fact.

 

[santacruzin]

Bintangs can rehydrate you- fact.

100% truth

 

[KPindaOC]

If you guys think that’s insane you should see the bar tabs from the Aussies on our trip. 8 of them filled up the tally sheet with 40+ bintangs each by the time I left and they were only halfway through their 14 day stay. Not to mention the bottles of Johnnie Walker they dusted and packs of cigs they chain smoked before getting barreled at grey light. Those guys were animals.

 

[Drumsurf]

.

Bring something to clean up minor cuts and scrapes, deet (the good stuff), a multitool to crack open coconuts, few bottles of booze from the duty free in the airport because you won’t find any in Padang,

We found plenty of liquor in Padang. Boat owner got us a car and sent us to buy while we waited on the last of our group to arrive. They had everything.

I can only drink so many beers. Evening cocktails on the deck watching sunsets were epic.

 

[LarryTate]

Was there in July. Epic trip. Would definitely do again. Wore booties about half the time (depending on how I felt that day). Was worth bringing due to some of the spots we were at and during low tides.

Honestly...maybe I'm a dirt bag but I was on a boat 12 days and definitely overpacked. If/when I do it again I'm only bringing 2 pairs of trunks, 4 t-shirts, 2 towels (in my situation I could do quick washes with clean water and it would be dry within 1-2 hours due to sun/heat. Sun is like a fu*king lazer so bring plenty of sunscreen, a couple rash guards and even a hat to surf in mid-day. Great times.

Pic at Hollow Trees/Lance's Right

I met the surgeon's table on this day and lucky for me I managed to get out of it with only a few cuts/scratches.

 

[santacruzin]

I can only drink so many beers. Evening cocktails on the deck watching sunsets were epic.

So key. One year we had ginger beers and whiskey. Great way to end the day

 

[jkb]

Pic at Hollow Trees/Lance's Right

Can we just pick a name already?

I say we just go with whatever it was called first.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

it's called LT's Booty

 

[freeride76]

6-10 beers a night.