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All types of waves
All abilities
All boards
All year
All budgets
All types of waves
All abilities
All boards
All year
All budgets
Main Breaks:
Nias, Way Jambu, Lance’s Right
Season: All year
Breaks:
Coral Reef
Crowd Factor: Varies
Ability: All levels
Sumatra hosts some of the best waves on the planet, and not only is the quality of the wave incredible, it is possibly the most consistent surf zone in the world.
Situated right on the equator, Sumatra consists of the largest island in Indonesia, and is surrounded by various islands surrounded by coral reef. The east side of the island is protected and receives no surf, so all the action is for surfers in on the west Coast. The mainland has 2 main surf regions, South Sumatra and Aceh, while the offshore islands consist of the Mentawai Islands, Telo Islands, Banyak Islands, Nias, Hinako, Asu, and Simeulue all of which host world class surf. Some parts of Sumatra are very remote and take a lot of time and effort to get to, but once there you will be rewarded with world class waves.
Some of the waves in Sumatra are the most perfect waves you will ever surf, the big name waves such as Nias, Lances Right (HT’s), Macaronis and Rifles just to name a few have the ability to leave with a wave you will never forget. As much as Sumatra is seen to be an advanced surfers destination, the various nooks and crannies around the islands allow for more user friendly waves in a lot of different conditions.
Almost all of the waves in Sumatra break over coral reef, some of which can be vary sharp and shallow, so a good first aid kit is advised as a lot of remote locations have poor quality health care. There are a variety of lefts and rights, fright trains, slabs, playful point breaks and big wave bombies. Sumatra has it all.
Most surfers find them selves heading out to the Mentawai Islands, which hosts a variety of waves, but don’t let the publicity fool you into not visiting other areas.
Sumatra can cater to all abilities in most regions, a complete beginner may have a hard in time in most areas as the coral reef can be intimidating, but there is really something for everyone. If you have a good surf guide at the camp or resort you are visiting they will be able to point you in the right direction.
For the intermediate to advanced surfers, this will be your paradise. For 10 second long barrels to whack-able point breaks there is everything here.
Typically you wont travel to Sumatra without less than 3 boards. You are very far away from anything and if one was to snap you would have a hard time getting your hands on anther one. There are a few shops now in Padang, such as Chilli that can get a board out to you in a worst case scenario but best to bring your back ups.
Ideally you would take your normal short board, a slight step-up for when its pumping and to act as a back up to your short board, and a longer step-up for when things get serious and you need a bit more time to get in before the waves starts barrelling.
Sumatra is a big area and the seasons can vary. On a whole, you can surf here any time of year with the larger, more consistent swells in the dry season from March to September. The dry season can sometime get the Tradewinds right up to the bottom of the Mentawai islands, but typically the doldrums are up here and wind is light and variable and a small isolated storm can turn the wind 180 degrees in less than 10 minutes, then back to glass after it passes so stay on your toes.
Aceh is in the Northern hemisphere and is affected by the monsoon winds which will blow offshore in Indonesia’s typical wet season, October to February making the best time of year to visit here different to other areas of Indonesia, although smaller swells are the norm.
South Sumatra can be affected by the tradewinds blowing S – SE during the dry season, which can blow perfectly offshore at some of the best waves in the Krui region, such as Ujung Bocor and Sumatran Pipe but there are plenty of options in this area year round.
The islands off the Mainland are surfable year round, and the wind is mostly light and variable and the swell is plenty. The dry season is best to visit as it offers the most consistent swell, but also brings the crowds.
Again, Sumatra is a large island so there are various routes to get to the different regions. The main airports to be aware of are Medan, Padang, and Bandar Lampung. Medan will typically be your entry to the Aceh region, Bandar Lampung and a long drive to the South Sumatra region and Padang will connect you with a charter boat of ferry to get you out to the islands.
Let our well informed guides direct you in the right direction! just select what you are looking for below.
(These guide will be updated as we release more regions, subscribe to keep updated)
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