Ray Wilcoxen's Surf Report from Kandui Resort (Click here to view surf report pics):The swell was still hanging in there this morning. It was a bit smaller, but not by much. Conditions were glassy with just a light northeast wind blowing. We figured Nipusi would have a wave, but probably boats too, so we decided to stay close with all the options we have. We surfed 4 Bobs, John Candy’s, and Rifles. All were head high with an occasional plus, and the crowd factor was minimal with only 6 surfing guests on the island right now and only a couple of boats in the area. In the afternoon, the wind came up southwest, which is a great wind for 4 Bobs, so we surfed there all afternoon. It was consistent and sets were a little overhead. We pretty much had it to ourselves all afternoon with only a couple of other guys paddling out late. We are expecting the swell to drop a little further tomorrow.
This report has been brought to you by Ray Wilcoxen from Kandui Resort: October 9, 2008
----------------------------------------------------
Nice and glassy this morning. The swell really had not dropped much overnight. There were still fun waves at 4 Bobs. The wind was blowing lightly out of the north so we went to Last Resort’s to see if we could get some waves to ourselves while our bartender, Margi, soloed head high plus 4 Bobs. There was some good waves coming through at Last Resorts and no one else was around, but there was just a little too much water moving to be worth the effort. Getting caught inside there is a bummer! So we headed to Nipusi. It was more manageable there, but still sizeable with waves going 4 feet overhead or so. There were a couple of boats on it, but everyone was getting waves. We surfed until afternoon when the winds started picking up onshore from the southwest, so we headed back for some lunch and some rest. It wasn’t until late afternoon before we mustered up enough strength for another session. Some surfed clean 4 Bobs while others surfed simi clean Rifles. Both were shoulder to head high plus and fun with no one else out. Looking for smaller surf tomorrow.
This report has been brought to you by Ray Wilcoxen from Kandui Resort: October 8, 2008
There was still some swell in the water this morning. The winds were blowing out of the northwest so Rifles was nice and clean. We got up there just after dawn and got some good waves before any boats were on it. There were still some overhead sets and a few fun sized barrels. The wind began to shift and it got a little sideshore, a couple of boats showed up, and the swell was decreasing, so we packed it up. Later we went to Bankvaults. It was super clean and no one was out. There were a few overhead sets. It wasn’t big enough to be good Bankvaults, but it was plenty fun and we had it to ourselves. Probably looking at smaller surf tomorrow. The surf was still hanging in there this morning. There was a little northeast wind blowing. We could have surfed 4 Bobs or John Candy’s, and were close to doing so, but we took off looking for something better. Every place had waves, but nothing epic. We ended up surfing Beng Beng again. Fun and clean and uncrowded again as well. We surfed until lunchtime and headed back. In the afternoon, the wind went more northwest and our area really lit up! It was a little overhead at 4 Bobs and Rifles and both spots were looking good. There were barrels at 4 Bobs so you can imagine what Rifles was doing. The guys surfed until dark. Probably looking at smaller surf tomorrow. 4 Bobs was definitely showing more swell this morning. It was looking pretty glassy too with only light north winds blowing. We almost stuck around and surfed there, thinking it may just be the best wave in the area at that time, but we rolled the dice to see if there was anything better. Nipusi and Bankvaults had a funky bump on it, which we could see rolling across the ocean even from the resort. We moved on to Beng Beng, hoping there was enough west in the swell to get in there. I looked pretty grim when we pulled up, but the guys paddled out and gave it a shot. There was no one out and conditions were good, so why not! It paid off because sets were rolling through once in a while and there were enough waves for our crew of six. Even better sets came in later and some were head high plus. We surfed until the early afternoon when the winds went southwest. We headed home and after lunch we surfed some fun 4 Bobs and even some Rifles, which had a few decent waves rolling through once in a while. We are hoping the swell will get a little bigger overnight. I’ve been off the island for a few days. First time (except for the Cones incident) that I’ve been away since February! Yikes! Anyway, it looks like I didn’t miss too much. The swell was only good for waves around the head high plus range. Our guys surfed a lot of Nipusi and Bankvaults. Looking at the pictures, Burgerworld was fun yesterday. It wasn’t an epic few days, but the guys all had a good time. Our last full group left today and we are only half full or less the rest of the month. So if you see a good swell coming, get on a plane! We have room for you for the first time in 6 plus months! Speaking of which, it looks like a fair swell will be building tomorrow.
Archived Surf Reports
Helpful Hints
Surf Etiquette
Your trip to the Mentawai's should be the best experience possible. The very nature of the way in which waves break in the Mentawai's lends itself to an even higher degree of order and cooperation. Follow these rules and everyone will have a better session, especially you. Remember, you're on vacation!
1. Don't think you own the place.
When you arrive at a new spot and there is already a group surfing the worst thing you can do is to send out every surfer on your boat in an all out assault. It's just not cool. A good surf guide will show you how to strike a perfect balance by sending out a few surfers at a time and making the transition as subtle as possible.
2. Take your turn.
The majority of waves in the Mentawai's break like a classic point break. The most discouraging thing in the world is to have some clown paddling past you after every wave. For this rule, think assembly line, take your turn, go in order, and everyone will get their fair share of waves.
3. Hands up if you don't want it.
When it's your turn and you're waiting for the set of the day it always helps to let other people know your intentions. Most people will expect that you're going to be going on the next decent wave that comes through but by no means does that mean you have to go. When a wave is approaching that you are not interested in all you have to do is hold both of your hands up and out of the water to send a clear message to everyone that you're not going. This will eliminate any ambiguity and there will definitely be more waves to go around and a clear line of communication in the water.
4. Let it go.
It sucks to get burned on a small, weak day so you can imagine how much worse it is on a big, scary day. If you see someone paddling for a wave, even if they look like they aren't going to catch it, let it go. Getting stuffed on a double overhead grinder with the reef lurking a few feet below the surface and the possibility of getting stuck inside isnt worth the potential conflict.
5. Pick me up.
When you're ready to get picked up all you have to do is wave your board in the air from the channel. If there is someone injured, everyone in the line-up should wave their boards at the same time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The most important thing to remember on any surf vacation is to simply share waves!
Satellite View: Kandui Resort's Location and Waves
Invite your friends on a trip to Kandui! Subscribe to our mailing list (Please Note: You will be redirected back to our "home page" after you hit the "submit" button)
Surfline is the most comprehensive surf forecasting and reporting website on the internet. They have a great tool called LOLA which is remarkably accurate in it's wave height, period, and wind direction models. This link will take you to their comprehensive "forecast" page. Surfline is the most comprehensive surf forecasting and reporting website on the internet. They have a great tool called LOLA which is remarkably accurate in it's wave height, period, and wind direction models. This link will take you to their comprehensive "LOLA" page. Brand new website with a tremendous wind, wave, and period forecast for Sumatra. Very high tech, easy to use, provides a fantastic visual display for many areas including Sumatra. This site is not over technical - Wavewatch is very easy to navigate, understand and has some great features! Magic Seaweed maintains a remarkably detailed surf report for the Mentawai Islands region. Out of all the sites at our disposal we'd have to recommend Magic Seaweed as a close second behind Surfline in terms of features and overall accuracy for their swell forecasts and more importantly wind predictions!
This is a very accurate and easy to read 4 day forecast measured by the most relevant Mentawai buoy. An extended 7 day forecast is available on a subscription basis. This site also boasts great local wind information. 168 hour forecast covering the entire Indian Ocean in a spherical format. This is what all of the other websites use for their data, just not as fancy. If you want a quick, easy to understand link, this is it. 168 hour forecast covering the entire Indian Ocean. This link provides a simple to understand wave period animation. The longer the wave period the more spots waves can sneak into, especially in the Mentawais. This is one of the most impressive, free Indonesian surf reports on the internet. It's got accurate wave height, period, wind, and tide information in an easy to read format.
A remarkably detailed satellite animation of the Indian Ocean region. Make sure you check out the "zoom" feature. This will show you basic storm patterns and wind shifts along the Equator. Practically the same animation as # 1 but in an easier to read enhanced color format. This satellite enables you to see clouds and precipitation a lot easier than the original. Mark Sponsler at Stormsurf has put together an extremely comprehensive list of swell and weather links for the Indian Ocean region here. The link above offers a graphic format for wave heights. Stormsurf has created a number of great wave height models for the Indian Ocean. The link above is a fantastic overview for the entire Indian Ocean - check out Stormsurf for all of your forecasting resources!