Mentawai Spot Observations - HT's (Lance's Right)

HT's is less mechanical and more moody than I thought it would be. It's consistently rideable but to get quality HT's you just have to sit there until the tide height, tide direction, and wind direction come together, and then pick the right waves.

Tide Direction.

With an outgoing tide, all the water in the Mentawai channel behind Sipora and North Pagai is gushing out the straits between Sipora and North Pagai. Swell on it's way to HT's has to push in through there, and when the swell slows down relative to the bottom it has more time to feel the bottom and lose energy. I should have figured this would be the case a la Desert Point but it just never occurred to me. When the tide starts coming in hard, on one session we observed a lot of chop coming through the lineup. It was like a continuous boat wake for 15 or 20 minutes, unexplainable considering it was glassy and no boats were going anywhere.

Our last day there we saw consistent overhead sets predawn, and very very few overhead waves for 9 or 10 hours until the tide started pushing in and then suddenly the sets were double overhead with overhead waves just pouring through. Considering the 180 degree swell wrap at HT's, tide push is the only possible explanation for regular overhead waves there.

Tide Height

High tide seemed much softer. A lot of barrels would pinch shut. Some waves didn't really barrel. There was water on the reef but with a little less danger but a lot less wave quality I'm not sure it was worth it. I steered clear of this condition.

At the lowest tide incoming we saw the set waves barreling on the outside, pinching off, doubling up and barreling really hard again through the middle. This lasted about an hour or so and by the time more water had filled in the sets weren't really doubling up any more.

Wave selection

Wave selection is absolutely crucial at HT's. We'd be sitting for the wide ones and then really wide ones would come, throw a closeout barrel all the way to the channel, then mush on the shoulder. Those waves just aren't rideable. Saying you are sitting for the wide ones was also kind of a misnomer, waves would peak or wall up all up and down the line. It's not just one boil of peak on the wide ones.

Up at the Office we saw total closeouts, smoking down the line barrels makeable only by the fastest guys, and slower bowling barrels with drawn out bottom turns, stalls into the hook, and lots of arm dragging. All in the same session at the same spot. The best guys would sit out there for 30-45 minutes with a couple other guys on the peak just waiting for the right wave. It was not a crowd factor, just waiting for the right one.

Crowds

People often quantify Mentawais crowds in increments of "boats", as in "We had south wind and small waves and there were seven boats at Thunders. It sucked." However HT's breaks not too far off the beach in front of Katiet Village on the well-connected island of Sipora. The opportunities for budget-minded surfers to stay with an enterprising hut owner in Katiet for $2 a day are nearly unlimited. In past years up to 60 guys might be staying on land in peak season. The high end resort at Katiet Villas was totally empty when we were there, but the manager and a handyman working there were both out surfing, along with 15-20 guys in Katiet.

The bottom line here is that even if the swell is pumping and the winds are perfect all day, the tide conditions are going to cause big intraday quality fluctuations at HT's. It's definitely a place to sit and watch for a while before having a go, and if you've got your eye on it you can be first out when it turns on.

The second wave in this video is one of the best waves we saw at HT's, rider unknown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnsiYs_sgoo

Did the recent 8.4 Sumatra quake affect surf spots in the Mentawais?

First of all I don't have any information now, but will post any I receive as I hear back from friends or contacts with first or second hand experience. The only people who know the real scoop are out on boats now or will be going out over the next month or so.

I realize it is a bit crass to be discussing surf spot changes when there has been loss of life and much loss of property in the area, but if you can take a longer term view the world class spots offshore from Sumatra are some of the most consistent in the world and are one of the best chances to bringing low-impact, high-dollar tourism and development to this area. Ask yourself, would Dr. Dave Jenkins have started Surf Aid to prevent malaria in a group of rural, undeveloped islands on the _eastern_ side of Sumatra? Surf spot changes (which are bound to be mostly negative) will impact the long-term growth prospects of this region. I hope there were no negative effects on spots and that the word gets out that Macca's is still working while people are still thinking about where to go for next season.

Generally speaking it usually takes an 8+ earthquake to materially deform the earth's surface, and the 8.6 that hit North of Nias in March of 2005 has had a big effect on spots in Nias, the Hinakos, Simeulue, and the Banyaks. I did some imprecise Google Earth measurements and Lagundri Bay on Nias is about the same distance from the 8.6 Northern Sumatra quake as the southern end of South Pagai in the Mentawais is from the recent 8.4 quake. I realize the most recent quake may or may not have created much uplift but just on distance alone it still could affect Thunders, The Hole, and other secret spots in the southern Ments. Waves on Enggano or mainland Sumatra could be more significantly affected. Finally, Northern Sipora (the telescopes area) suffered a direct hit from a 7.2 aftershock. That's almost as big as the Loma Prieta earthquake that hit the Bay Area in 1989. Even if there was no effect on local surf spots it might be a bit harder to find a family to stay with if you want to go feral in Tua Pajet.