Hideaways (Mentawi Islands) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a tasty little run shaping up at Hideaways (Mentawi Islands). The water is sitting at 86°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The weekend starts off a bit average. Sunday morning is looking a bit average with a light cross-on breeze and a modest 4ft SSW swell, but the energy is still weak at 458. The surf is pretty marginal. But Sunday arvo, the wind drops to glassy, and that same 4ft SSW swell suddenly feels a lot better – it’s clean, and the energy jumps to 784. That’s a solid window to get a session.

The standout is Monday morning. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSW with a very long 17-second period, and the energy is pumping at 2164. The wind is glassy from the NE. This is excellent surf, but at 6ft, it’s getting up there – experienced surfers will be in their element. This is the best on offer, no question.

Monday arvo sees the wind swing cross-shore, and the swell drops a touch to 6ft with a 16-second period. It’s a bit more mixed, but still a solid wave.

Tuesday keeps the quality going. Both morning and afternoon have clean offshore winds from the SE, with the swell easing from 5ft to 5ft. The energy is still strong (1061 and 967). This is classic, clean Mentawai surf.

Wednesday is a step down in size – 4ft and then 3ft – but still with gentle offshore winds. It’s a fun, clean option for a smaller board.

By Thursday and Friday, the swell drops right off – under 2ft. The energy is low (under 200). The wind is offshore, so it’s clean, but the waves are tiny. Not worth the paddle.

Then we get a bit of a lull through the weekend and into the start of the following week. The swell stays small, mostly under 3ft, with clean conditions. You’ll get a few rideable waves, but nothing to write home about.

Now, looking ahead to the first week of August, things get interesting again. Saturday the 1st of August looks like a ripper. The swell picks up to 6ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the wind is totally glassy, calm. The energy is 1443. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s a bit of a wait, but it’s a promising one.

Sunday the 2nd of August still has the size, but the wind swings cross-on and then onshore, introducing some chop. The swell is still solid at 5-6ft, but the quality drops.

Then Monday the 3rd of August things go south. The wind is onshore and strong, the swell is 7ft, but it’s a messy, blown-out mess. The energy is very high (over 2500), but it’s not for paddling. With that wind and size, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to wrap it up: the obvious standout is Monday the 20th of July morning. That’s the one to circle. The second best is Saturday the 1st of August, but that’s a long way off, so keep an eye on it. Get on it while it’s good.

Rusty.

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