By Rob Barber
Our first Mentawai Bodyboard Camp was a huge success with all 10 guest (and two instructors!) agreeing that they they’d scored the best waves of their whole lives. I’m sure that you can see from the shots that the quality is second to none. Here are few interesting facts about the trip…
Mentawai Bodyboard Spots
Everybody has heard of EBay, Macaroni’s, Lance’s Left, Hollow Trees and the other internationally renowned Mentawai waves. But it was the off the radar spots (which will remain nameless) that blew our crew away. Day after day we’d find waves with either no one on them or just a handful of people. It was just like being in a Rip Curl ‘The Search’ advert.
Playgrounds Mentawai – bodyboarding nirvana
Indo has long been known as the land of the perfect left. But we actually spent more time surfing perfect rights than lefts. There were hollow waves, wedgey waves, point break style waves and short, punchy slabs. The variety is huge and the area known as Playgrounds certainly lives up to its name. It’s a complete bodyboarding fun park.
Indonesian Surf Culture
A short walk from the bodyboard camp and you can immerse yourself in to the culture of the Mentawai people. We even had a visit from the village Shaman who delivered an awesome ceremony for us. Most of us left with an ornately created bodyboard wood carving hand crafted by the villagers. Our surf guides are born and bred in the area and have amazing stories to tell.
Mentawai Island Environment
The wildlife and environment are breathtakingly beautiful. Rolling hills of palm trees look like Jurassic Park, each surrounded by turquoise ocean. We saw turtles, monkeys and tropical fish of every colour.
Indonesian Bodyboarding Barrels
Bodyboarding in the Mentawai islands is a guaranteed way of scoring the best barrel of your life. Of the 10 guys on the course, everybody agreed that they got their best barrel ever. Which, whilst it probably isn’t too much a of a surprise, to have 10 out of 10 people say it, you know that the waves must be of an incredible standard.
Our Mentawai bodyboarding camp is pure escapism. The best way to fall off the radar and detach from the outside world. Un-plug from every day life and experience the world’s best waves with a bunch of like-minded bodyboarders.