Hi Breezer's

I am co-ordinating a SUP Mentawai's Boat Trip with www.pulsesurfcharters.com/ leaving Padang harbour Sumatra on March 18th and returning to Padang on the 28th of March. The charter is 10 nights with 9 surfing days.

The Skipper and vessel owner Marcus is one of my best mates and we have been planning a SUP rider majority trip for several years now.

Marcus has been operating and hosting Surf Charters in Indonesia since 1999. Pulse is one of the best Charter vessels in the region and is only 2 years old, when passengers from other vessels come on board for a friendly beer they find it hard to leave and return to the standard Indonesian converted charter boat.

The accommodation, food and vibe on board with Marcus and the crew is second to none.

We will can literally go anywhere in The Mentawai's region for 9 surfing days.

Wave calls can be made as a group, the Charter departs from Padang after mid day and is co-ordinated around the flights into Padang that day, we will all be picked up from the airport by a Pulse representative.

This is a great opportunity for like minded SUP surfers to get amongst one of the best surfing locations on the planet and obviously surfing SUP friendly spots will be our main objective.

$3500 will secure your place on what we are planning on making the SUP Surfing trip of the year and covers all food and beer. Marcus loves to crack a few bottles of good Aussie red to compliment dinner.

hi can you travel there with 9tf 6 sup or you talking about boards that are on the boat [hire etc ]

Padang should change their name to Padlang!

I'd be keen as well but I just booked my trip.
I won't be far from you guys (just a little south) but a 2 months later!

RodKnight said..
Sounds like a great trip Jack but also too short notice and I'm going to Maldives in April. I gather the trip is before the busy start to the season as I don't think a boat of SUPs would be too welcome at many of the major breaks especially around the Playgrounds. The last trip I did to Mentawais on the Barrenjoey we went way down south and only saw one other boat and most of the time surfed by ourselves in some great waves.
I did take a 9'5 SUP and 2 surfboards and had no problem with any of the airlines from Melbourne. Never got on the SUP as the surf was near perfect for the short boards and the major breaks when we were on our way back like Thunders, Macaronis, Lances Left and Right were busy and I'm sure I wouldn't have been popular taking my SUP out there.
I did see the Pulse at the Banyak Islands last year and all the crew in the water said it is a good boat. So along with early in the season and finding some of the uncrowded locations it will be a great trip. I would certainly look at it in 2017 but with at least 6-9 mths notice. Mentawais is the best and there are more videos of SUPs surfing there and I look forward to seeing some videos of your trip.

Seriously, sups not welcome bah ah, surf was perfect for short boards um that means perfect for sup or whatever craft you wish to paddle out, and sups not welcome at the major breaks, jees scary, umm ya just gotta have half a brain when surfing a sup on these populated breaks . sounds like a great trip wish I could get there.

Hi LateStarter

I look forward to potentially weaving through your take off area or even using you as a turning buoy as you take photos.

If you are a guide and we may see your vessel and charter customers at the same break we should have a beer and a laugh.

Regards

Jack

LateStarter said..
I spent a couple of months working in the ments this year. It's more crowded than it's ever been and thanks to small swells and prolonged trade winds there were some spots that regularly had 60+ dudes in the water.

I could think of nothing worse than a charter boat rocking up with 10 frothing gondoliers on board!

Yes Jack , I should be there yesterday if I would already be retired

LateStarter and Tractorguy, I don't mind sharing waves with "gondoliers" whom are for the most of them just skilled elder prone surfers...humble said.

One thing I cant stand myself is the way that one pro of the surfing business can complain about crowd on any surfing spot.

Hi Kami

Would be stoked to see you on the boat regardless, the 8'4 we made of your design is still the pride of my show room.

Charter Price is in Aud.

Thanks for your comments Tang, and for your interest in my supposed tough stickers.

That's a good point you make about staggering the entry to the lineup. Whenever we rocked up to a wave with a lineup we'd make our guests wait 20mins, then send two out. 20 minutes later, and we'd send two more.

Some of the other boats and camps appreciate this and respectfully do the same in return, however some don't and it's not uncommon to have 10 frothers paddling over before the anchor even hits the bottom.

In regards to SUPers, I'd say competency is key to having a good trip. Most boats and camps have a sup or two available for guests and on more than a few occasions I saw people get hurt due to the rider wiping out and his board hitting someone, or the rider himself being dragged over the reef by the whitewash. There aren't many waves over there that break into a sandy lagoon!

Have a great trip guys, but as always I'd say the two most important rules when visiting the ments are to be courteous and to know your limits.

Tang said..
Have fun, Jack. I've got too many other commitments myself, and have to do a trip with the better half before I do another boys trip.

Now on the subject raised by Latestarter.....and noting he looks like a bit of a sup-hater judging buy the half-arsed photos showing a couple of sups being dealt with by some toughnut. Shame there's no photos of his tough stickers. Anyway, I was in the ments last year and had absolutely no trouble from anyone on a sup - sure, there was a bit of apprehension from a few, but i must say the standard of shortboard surfing was a lot lower than I thought it would have been, and even the few good guys were cool with a sup in the water. If you mind your manners, surf with conviction and abide the rules you'll all be sweet. If you stagger the paddling out at the crowded spots and surf well/nicely you'd have no major trouble I reckon. Of course if you wanna have 10 blokes on sups paddle out at once it would be ideal to have a wave to yourself......But, I could think of nothing worse than surfing with a bunch of old late-starting bogan shortboarders who think they're somehow entitled just because they're old ****s and they ride shortboards. Yo, dudes.

here's hoping the deep south cooperates.