I am well aware that reading these photo updates for the past 2 weeks may have been frustrating whilst you’re sitting in a cubicle, trawling Facebook (especially when Sydney has rain). Well, you’ll be glad to know our Mentawaian junket is now over and the Bondi updates will resume. Yep, charter boat Tengirri returns to port and we make the long journey back home.
Our final day was classic Mentawai (pronounced men-tay-why). I’m talking sunny skies, glassy conditions and 3-4 foot H-tees. H-Tees (aka Lance’s Right) is one of the most perfect right handers in the world and features in nearly all surfing movies and mags. Swell wraps 180 degrees around a headland, gaining speed as it bends, then crashes on super sharp coral reef in perfect, hollow, distinctive almond shaped tubes.
It’s a photographer’s dream this place. A) The sun sets and lights the wave from the front (rare, lighting up the barrels). B) It’s a machine like barrel so you can expect something spectacular to happen here often. C) A deep side channel allows you a safe escape if shooting in the water, or you can just shoot from the dinghy – easy! Watch the wide sets though… It’s the most cruel of all Mentawai breaks and takes the most victims, even when small.
The sandy idyllic beach (Pantai) at H-Tees is up there with Maya Beach in Thailand (in my mind). Perhaps even more attractive seeing you’re not sharing it with 3,000 other tourists.
See you soon. Special thanks to the crew on Tengirri for putting up with 7 frothers from Down Under. By the way, if you want a trip like this, you need to get organised as bookings are done a year in a advance – oh, but there is one full booking available in July after a cancellation.
Stiffie. I love that first shot. I’m going to miss the indo photos. Doh. Hamos mum says hi
that first shot is a killa uge
gotta love it!