Padang is a quiet city on the western shore of Sumatra, one of the largest islands in Indonesia. It is the capital city of the province West Sumatra and is mostly used as an access point to reach Pantai Bungus (Bungus Bay), the surfing sites of the Mentawai Islands. Bungus Bay is about 20 kms south of Padang.

The Mentawai islands lie off the western coastline of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, southeast of the island of Nias, also a great place to surf. The islands are geographically dynamic, some sinking into the ocean, some rising and all of it happening much too quickly for the formation of South Pacific-style coral-limestone atolls. As a result, most good Mentawai waves break close into the islands along shoreline-based, coral-encrusted limestone/ sedimentary reefs.

Hundreds of ridable waves dot the islands. Many of them have magic days; many are known to only a handfull of boat captains. Several are way up in the world-class zone. The general tone is typical Indonesia — powerful but not bone-snapping. Good swells can hit at almost any time of year and the low swell season can turn on spectacular days for the unhurried visitor. The best and most in-demand season is April/May till August/September, which seem to be most consistent for high quality groundswells.

The surfing sites in the Mentawai Islands has been explored by 7 UK’s top surfers and here is the video:

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