Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries:
Two weeks surfing solid swells in the Mentawai Islands sets you up for just about anything. The daily ritual of back-to-back surfs and exploring the different reef breaks adds layer upon layer of experience to the point where you get quite comfortable in a bit of size.
That script couldn't have played out any better for the last day of our Mentawai trip earlier this year. We awoke to a thumping pulse in the swell and favourable winds at a usually popular left. Most surfers opted for the cleaner rights a bit further around this one island, leaving us to the more exposed lefts. The sets were stepping around the reef – much like Cloudbreak does in a building swell. That meant you couldn't easily avoid the odd set on the head. Despite the two-four times overhead waves, our crew was ready to make the most of the last day in paradise. Ideas of board preservation, that had haunted us on Day 2 when we snapped eight boards, were shelved and the gloves were off. We had the break to ourselves all morning and, apart from a close call when Noel Saxon had to swim through the treacherous inside (and nearly paid dearly for it), everyone got incredible rides and climbed back on our boat, the Hog, grinning.
By the afternoon we were in a daze as we reflected on the 13-day surf adventure. But the Mentawais was not done with us yet. After a playful after lunch surf on an empty right hander we motored into one of the most popular right handers in the island chain. Most of us were spent – happily content with what we had experienced already.
But the young groms wanted more still. George and Frank Roberts, Reuben Lyons, and my boy Keo, led the charge and were soon joined by the biggest grom of them all: Dave Lyons. The rights that we had first surfed on day one, and where we broke so many boards in that first swell, were even more intense this afternoon. But all the surfers on our Sumatran Surfariis boat were different people to the ones that had first paddled out here two weeks earlier. They had an air of confidence that a wave of consequence like this demands.
Frank and George traded some of the best barrels of the trip. By dusk, the right was breaking from the outside and doubling up through the inside with some incredibly scary-looking roll-ins on offer. Despite the crowded lineup only a few surfers were up to the task. They scored some of the most beautiful waves we'd seen all trip.
It was a fitting end to a truly action-packed two weeks exploring the Indian Ocean. We are already dreaming of the next one.
See you at the beach, Derek
PS We've just launched an exciting new venture: Insider Travel Co. This has been operating in some form or another since 2010, although it has mostly been on the backburner until now. It's a fusion of bespoke adventure travel – taking inbound guests on tailored tours around Aotearoa New Zealand, and photography specific photo workshops and photo expeditions. Our very first photo expedition is an epic 28-day slow-travel journey through Sumatra, Indonesia. It's all about orangutans, elephants, primates and jungle focused in the beginning before stepping out to explore volcano country and the varied cultures of this stunning island. It concludes with a 12-day adventure exploring the Mentawai Islands (where today's images were made). Check it out, share with friends, or better still, join us for the adventure of a lifetime.
Box of Light is made possible thanks to these visionaries: