Our top pick
Yantos Place
The best place to stay for surfers who want to be beside the wave. Walk to Pit Stops, surf early and come back for a rest between sessions.
More details on rooms, food, prices and booking coming soon.
surfers ofMentawais
Planning a surf trip to the Mentawai Islands? Find the waves that match your level, the places to stay, and the local surfers, teachers and photographers who know these reefs best.
The waves
The Mentawais are known for warm, clean reef breaks. The main season runs roughly April to October, when Indian Ocean swells arrive most often. Most breaks are reef, so tide, crowd and your own level matter.
Check current conditions and reef access with your local guide before you paddle out.
Where to stay
Our number one place to stay, and a shortlist of nine more.
Your local team
Surfing with someone from the islands means better wave choices, safer reef entries and a trip that supports the community. Message them on Instagram or ask us to set it up.
Surf lessons
From your very first stand-up to heavy reef barrels. Pick your level to see what you will work on, what a session looks like and which waves suit you.
How lessons work
- Tell us your level and dates
Use the buttons above or the contact form. If you are between two levels, pick the lower one.
- We match you with a coach
Lessons run with our local guides, starting with Fauzi.
- Pick the wave on the day
We choose the spot from the tide, swell and wind, so start times move with the ocean.
Good to know
- Most Mentawai waves break over reef. Reef booties, a rash vest and reef-safe sunscreen help at every level.
- A good session at the right level teaches more than a scary session at the wrong one. When in doubt, start one level lower.
- Private and small-group lessons are both possible. Prices depend on your level and group size, so ask when you enquire.
- Want it filmed? Add a photo package and see your progress on screen. See surf photography.
Surf photography
Get your session shot from the water, the channel or the beach. Find out who is shooting where, then buy your photos or hire a photographer for the day or the whole trip.
Photos by Fauzi (@spooky_cutee), shot on his own camera. Like one of these? Message him to ask about buying it.
What you can book
- Single-session water or land photography
- Full-trip photo packages
- Progress videos for lessons
- Edited gallery delivered online
Photo days
Search your surf spot to see which local photographers are shooting there over the next two weeks.
Demo schedule. Real days and spots will replace it.
Photographers move with the tides and the swell, so message them to confirm before you count on a shoot.
Buy your photos
- Check the roster
Find the day and wave you surfed.
- Message the photographer
Send the day, spot, time and your board colour or what you wore.
- Agree price and delivery
You deal directly with the photographer, who keeps what you pay.
Hire a photographer
- For a session
- A photographer shoots your surf at one spot.
- For the day
- They follow you or your group all day, by boat or from the beach.
- For the whole trip
- One photographer covers your whole stay, so you get the full story of the trip.
Prices are set by each photographer. Ask when you enquire.
Local photographer? Ask to be listed with your name, Instagram and the days and spots you shoot.
Getting there
Most trips start in Padang, on the west coast of Sumatra. Schedules change often, so confirm before you book.
- Fly to Padang (PDG)
Padang has domestic connections from Jakarta and other Indonesian hubs. Bali connects via Jakarta.
- Cross to the islands
Ferries and boats run from Padang to different islands, such as Sipora, Siberut and North Pagai. Which one you use depends on where you are staying, so ask your host. Many resorts and charters arrange pickup from Padang. See the ferry days below.
- Transfer to your camp or boat
Your host or guide will meet you and take you by road or boat to your stay.
- Pay the surfer tax
Surfers pay a Mentawai regional government tax, normally in cash rupiah, and receive a wristband for the dates of the stay. Ask your host for the current amount.
- Pack for the reef
Bring reef booties, a first aid kit, reef-safe sunscreen and spare leashes. Travel insurance that covers surfing and medical evacuation is strongly advised.
Ferry days from Padang
Most trips start with a morning ferry from Muaro Padang harbour, so plan your flights and your first night around the days below.
Timetables change often. Always confirm with the ferry operator before you book.
Next sailings
The week at a glance
Plan around the ferry
- Ferries leave early in the morning, so arrive in Padang the day before.
- Return sailings get back to Padang around 18:00 to 19:00. Book your onward flight for the next day.
- Sailings can be cancelled in bad weather. Check with the operator the day before.
- Surfboards travel in the hold for an extra fee, paid in cash at the port. Foreign visitors were quoted about IDR 350,000 to 400,000 per ticket in 2025, so confirm current prices.
- Slow overnight ferries, such as the Ambu-Ambu and Gambolo, take 10 to 12 hours. Their days vary, so ask before you rely on them.
- Not sure which route? Ask your host, or ask us.
Book with the operator
Mentawai Fast runs the main passenger ferry. Tickets are sold at the harbour and by message.
Their official 2026 timetable is published as an image on their website and Instagram. The days here come from recent guides by resorts and tour operators, such as Villa Onu, Pulau Asli Tour and Southern Mentawai Outpost. Where they disagreed, I have kept to the days most recent guides gave.
Private boats and charters
Skip the ferry with a private speedboat from Padang, hire a boat for a day at the waves, or spend your whole trip on a surf charter chasing the swell.
Want a captain you can trust right now? Ask about a trip with Chan, our boat captain.
Plan your trip
Tell us when you're coming and what you want to do. We'll point you to the right stay and the right local.