Hideaways (Mentawi Islands) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming up for the Mentawi Islands. This one’s a solid run of classic Indian Ocean groundswell, and it’s all pointing at one spot: Hideaways. This is a reef break that likes a solid SW direction, and we’ve got that in spades. The water is sitting at 86°, which is about normal for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off on Tuesday, July 7th. The morning starts with a risk of thunderstorms, but the wind is dead calm – glassy as it gets. Swell is a clean 4ft from the SSW with a long 16-second period, giving that deep, powerful feel. Combined energy is moderate at 674. Not the biggest, but clean and enticing. By the afternoon, the wind swings to a light cross-off at 3 mph, the swell bumps up to 5ft, and the period holds at 15 seconds. The energy jumps to 975. This is good, clean surf.

Wednesday, July 8th, is where it starts to get serious. Morning comes in clear with offshore wind at 6 mph. Swell is 6ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1337 – a solid, powerful pulse. The afternoon holds the same size and energy, pushing to 1452, with a light cross-off breeze. This is excellent surf, but at 6ft, it’s pushing into intermediate territory and a bit much for beginners.

Thursday, July 9th, the swell eases slightly to 6ft in the morning, still with offshore wind at 9 mph and a 14-second period. Energy is 1114. The afternoon stays clean with a light offshore breeze at 6 mph and 5ft swell. Very good conditions.

Friday, July 10th, is another standout. Morning is clear, offshore wind at 9 mph, and the swell is back up to 6ft with a 16-second period. Energy is 1322. The afternoon is the big one: 6ft from the SW, period 15 seconds, and the highest energy of the whole run at 1453, with a light cross-off breeze. This is the pick of the week for experienced surfers.

Saturday, July 11th, the swell drops to 5ft but stays clean with offshore winds. Energy is moderate at 651. Sunday, July 12th, is a bit smaller at 4ft, but glassy calm in the morning and clean in the afternoon. Still good, fun waves.

Monday, July 13th, picks up again to 5ft with offshore winds all day. Energy climbs to 1102 in the afternoon. Then Tuesday, July 14th, brings a very long-period groundswell – 18 seconds in the morning, 4ft, but the energy is huge at 1702. That’s a lot of power for a moderate size. This kind of long period can be a bit straight at beach breaks, but on a reef like Hideaways, it’s going to reel off beautifully. Morning is offshore, afternoon is clean. Excellent for experienced surfers.

From Wednesday, July 15th, through to the end of the run, the swell stays in the 4ft to 5ft range, with periods dropping from 16 seconds down to 12 seconds. Winds remain light and mostly offshore or glassy. The energy stays moderate to strong, with a few days like July 18th hitting 1066. The last few days, July 21st and 22nd, the swell drops to 2ft–3ft, with glassy conditions but very ordinary surf. The run fades out.

Crowds at Hideaways are often an issue, so expect company. The best window is definitely Wednesday, July 8th, through to Tuesday, July 14th, with the absolute standout being the Friday the 10th afternoon and the Tuesday the 14th morning for that ultra-long period groundswell. This is a quality run – don’t sleep on it.

Rusty.

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