Video & Gallery: Mentawai Islands – April 2015
Article provided by The Perfect Wave Surf Experience
Swell Recap by Ben Horvath
All photos and video by Andy Potts
Week 1-2:
The beginning of April delivered consistent 2-3ft S/SW swells to most locations throughout the mid islands of the Mentawai. However, the relatively short period swells, and mid range onshore wind combo proved to be quite a tricky deal, as crew chased the more protected and isolated spots to score some clean faces.
A few flat days left the guides high and dry with minimal options on offer. Desperation led to a bunch of search parties sniffing around for uncrowded, and rarely surfed beach breaks in the Mentawai, including a very special and picturesque location called...
Week 3-4:
The West coast of Australia started firing up during The Margaret's contest window, so hype and talk of the premiere spots waking for the first time for the season was rampant.
The first solid swell to hit unfortunately came complete with a few unfavourable variables that kept it well short of epic, but definitely fun as. Some solid sessions were enjoyed, but it wasn’t enough to fulfil the hopes of many. Westerly winds limited options, as the swell forecast on most websites continued to pump up expectations.
The final week or so of April was another story though as a solid and reinforced 16 second 6-8ft SW ground swell found its way into just about every nook and cranny the archipelago has to offer. It was still a way short of all time though as heaps of isolated storms popped up here and there. It really was a matter of finding a window for an extended session. The windows seemed to disappear just as quickly as they arrived though.
You have to remember that surfers are dependent on up to a dozen variables coming together. Those who made the decision to head north to the Playgrounds area during the final week of April reaped the benefits.
The charts are looking more promising by the day now.
Until next time...
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