The winds have gone light, and swell magnets are starting to fire. (In Mentawai Islands that is). Mentawais are an archipelago of surf rich islands that hug the south coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The area is famous for its barrels, as nearly all waves are on shallow coral reefs. People come from all over the globe to surf here. It’s kinda like what Niseko is to snow skiers. Epic.
We’re on a large vessel called Ratu Motu which I find is the easiest way to get around here…and surf 30 different breaks in 12 days. Boats can motor off into the horizon and find empty lines up quite frequently. This boat has been out here for over a decade and is built for a mega surf adventure.
During the 2010 Tsunami in this area Ratu Motu (with SurfAid) delivered 1,619 tarps and 21,800 metres of rope and axes to communities who got smashed, so they could keep themselves safe and dry. SurfAid is the only charity that helps the poor people of this area. Local governments struggle to provide the basics of life’s necessities – mainly due to the remoteness of the villages. It really is in the middle of nowhere.
Enough rambles.
:: uge
Commendable effort by Dr. Dave Jenkins and Surf Aid, what they have done over the years in Indo has changed a lot of peoples lives, keep up the great work. Munga Barry