The Mentawai Islands (also known as Mentawais or Ments) are known as the holy grail of endless surf breaks. Warm water, consistent Indian Ocean swell and generally glassy conditions line up to make it one of the most sought after surf trips on Earth.

The Mentawais, which lie off the coast of Sumatra, in Indonesia were first pioneered by surfers in the late 1980s and ’90s. Previous discoveries of waves in other areas of Indonesia had surfers wondering what else was out there. The first photos of the surf breaks in the Mentawais area were leaked after a surf trip in 1992 aboard the Indies Trader, with professional surfers Ross Clarke-Jones, Tom Carroll and Martin Potter. Ever since then, the Mentawai Islands have been well on the radar of surf travellers around the world.

The Mentawai Islands surf spots are broken down into three areas – Playgrounds in the north, Sipura in the middle and Pagai in the south. These are serviced by the four main islands in the Mentawai Islands Regency – Siberut Island in the north, Sipura Island in the centre and North Pagai (Pagai-Utara Island) and South Pagai (Pagi-Selatan Island) in the south.

There are hundreds of surf breaks in the Mentawais – from world famous right-handers like Rifles and Lance’s Right to hollow lefts like Green Bush and Macaronis. The different breaks have been featured in countless surf movies over the years, with professionals and camera crews being a normal sight in the Mentawai Islands. Waves break over shallow reef, and beginner surfers should take caution. Many people like to wear reef booties or wetsuit tops to protect themselves from the sharp reef.