Hideaways (Mentawi Islands) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up over the next couple of weeks, but the opening window is looking seriously good. The water is sitting at a warm 85°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The main event is Hideaways (Mentawi Islands). This reef break is a consistent performer, and it’s about to fire. We kick off on Saturday, 1 August with a solid 5ft SSW groundswell. The period is a long 17 seconds, packing a strong wave energy (1543). Morning winds are light offshore from the SE, keeping things clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, not for the faint of heart. The afternoon drops a touch to 5ft, but still very good.

Sunday morning, 2 August, is a standout. It’s glassy, dead calm, with a 4ft SSW swell at 15 seconds. The wave energy is still solid (770). The afternoon is even better – glassy, 4ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds, and the energy spikes (1272). This is a day for the connoisseur.

Monday, 3 August, keeps the magic going. Glassy conditions all day. The morning has 6ft at 15 seconds (1145 energy), and the afternoon holds 5ft at 14 seconds (996 energy). It’s just wave after wave.

Tuesday, 4 August, is the best of the first week. The morning is glassy with a 4ft, 16-second swell (1342 energy), but the afternoon is where it’s at: 6ft, 16 seconds, and a massive 1586 energy reading. This is excellent, top-tier surfing for experienced crew. The light offshore wind from the SW will have the waves standing up.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Wednesday, 5 August, through to Monday, 10 August, the wind turns onshore and strong, with a fresh breeze from the north-northwest. The swell gets messy and too big – up to 7ft on the 7th and 8th – and the wave energy is through the roof (over 3600 in places), but the quality is junk. This is a kite surfer’s window, not a paddle surfer’s. The break is a reef, so it will be a washing machine. A real shame.

We have a gap of no surfable waves from the 9th to the 10th, then a pulse of smaller, cleaner energy returns on Tuesday, 11 August. The swell drops to 2ft, but it’s a very long 20-second South-West groundswell, with a light offshore SE wind. The energy is low (206), but it’s clean. This is a sign of better things to come.

Wednesday, 12 August, is the start of the second stand-out run. The dawn session has 2ft at 18 seconds, with a light offshore breeze (323 energy). It’s clean, glassy, and expect good surf. The 13th improves to 4ft at 18 seconds (976 energy), and the 14th caps off with a brilliant afternoon: 4ft, 20-second groundswell, glassy, and a massive 1791 energy reading. That’s excellent for experienced surfers.

The final weekend, 15 and 16 August, looks promising. Saturday morning has 6ft at 18 seconds (2555 energy) with a gentle offshore. Sunday steps it up to 7ft at 16 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind. The energy is high (2389), and the conditions are clean. This is big, powerful reef-swell – experts only. The long period will make the sets pulse, but the offshore wind will keep the walls tight.

So, to sum it up: the first four days are absolute gold, especially the afternoon of Tuesday the 4th. The middle of the window is a write-off. Then the second week builds toward another strong finish, with Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th being the long-range standouts – promising, but less certain.

Rusty.

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