Mentawais Girl’s Boat Surf Trip

What happens when you let loose 11 girls on a boat in the Mentawais for 10 days? You get a clothesline full of bikinis, party waves, full moon dance parties, and friendships that will last forever- in other words, you get the experience of a lifetime.

Meet the girls on the trip:

Kiana Fores @kiana4s

Mahina Garcia @mahinagarcia

Pris Rosmolen @welikebali

Andy Kovsun @noshoes_noworries

Julia Muniz @juliamuniz

Bree Kleintop @breekleintop

Shannon Cavarocchi @shannnoncav

Kalia Dowsett @kaliadowsett

Margarita Salyak @margarita_salyak

Lia Turiano @lturiano

(and me, of course)

11 of us girls plus 6 crew members boarded Sibon Baru on a warm evening in Padang, eager to be on the final leg of a long journey to the Mentawais. It took a couple days to get used to the boat rocking, but once I found my “sea legs”, it felt weird to be on land. It’s easy, looking back on the experience, to dismiss those first two nights as mere “sea sickness”, but the truth is, I had a few moments when I was actually scared for myself and almost regretted coming on the trip. I had a really upset stomach on the second night (diarrhea AND vomiting), and sat most of the night on the floor of a tiny bathroom, feeling alone and miserable, while the rest of the girls slept peacefully below deck. Thanks to the natural healing powers of the ocean, as well as some pills and vitamins that I collected from the other girls, I eventually felt like myself again. I’m just sharing this experience to let you know that most of the time, travel isn’t as glamorous as it seems, and  getting super sick while abroad is a possibility, so it definitely helps to come prepared with a personal first aid kit. 

If I were to tell you my typical “routine” of what daily life was like on the boat, it would be something like this: Wake up at sunrise, check the waves with a cup of tea, put on a bikini, apply sunscreen, wax up board, hop in the water, surf for a couple hours, paddle back to the boat, rinse in the outdoor shower, hang bikini on the line, eat banana pancakes and fruit for breakfast, surf, and repeat… honestly, it was absolute bliss. Every morning, we’d wake up to a new surf spot, so there was constantly a new adventure awaiting us.

Batcaves, as its name may suggest, is most famous for its beautiful caves along the coastline that are full of swallows- so many, that they just look like they’re part of the rock. If you scream or make any loud noises near them, all of the birds will fly out of the cave and creates quite a spectacle.

In the right conditions, there is a long, peeling right-hander that begins behind a tiny island and goes over a beautiful (but sharp and very shallow) reef. During low tide, you can swim or paddle to the island and enjoy an untouched paradise, but as the tide starts to rise, it transforms into something else entirely. The current wraps around the island and pulls hard, making swimming to/from the island incredibly difficult and even dangerous. At full tide, the island completely disappears into the ocean, except for a few palm trees sticking out. It truly is a mysterious spot.

Eating healthy (mainly fish, vegetables, and fruit), drinking lots of coconuts, and surfing for hours of day for 10 days straight really pushed the reset button on my overall health. To keep up with my active lifestyle, my go-to on this trip was TYR. From comfortable activewear for sunset yoga sessions on the deck, brightly-colored bikinis to stand out in the lineup, and feminine one pieces to feel graceful on the waves, I had something to wear for every occasion, and not once did I have to worry about a swimsuit malfunction!

wearing: TYR Jojo Top in Maui print and TYR 3/4 Abby tight in Maui print

When surfing (especially in larger waves), I usually go for a bikini top with a fixed sporty back or cross-tie for support and bikini bottoms that are a bit on the fuller side (coverage-wise) with a drawstring tie. When you’re duck-diving or paddling for the wave, the last thing you want to worry about is your swimsuit not doing its job! I love to wear bright colors because it complements a tan really well and makes you stand out in the line-up.

wearing: TYR Women’s Sandblasted Mojave Tieback Top and TYR Women’s Sandblasted Cove Mini Bikini Bottom

wearing:  TYR Eva One Piece in Canopy Print

The best part about surfing with 10 other girls? You take over the line-up and party waves are a given.

My personal favorite spots were Playgrounds, Burger World, and Roxies ( all right-handers), though I did score a pretty fun session at Macaronis one of the days.

What we looked for when scouting a spot to hop in were playful waves with a beautiful backdrop and not-so-intimidating reef. Believe it or not, the Mentawais definitely delivered! Not all the spots are massive overhead barrels with only 2 feet of water between you and a sharp reef…thank goodness.

In my opinion, surfing with a bunch of girls in the water really changes the vibe of a line-up. Suddenly it isn’t so serious and competitive. There’s plenty of laughter and lots of hooting and hollering each other onto waves. It’s feeling supported while challenging yourself and others at the same time.

Besides enjoying the surf, there is a lot to do in the Mentawais such as snorkeling, exploring nearby islands and villages, and one of my personal favorite past times- beach combing and adding to my shell collection. My personal favorite beach to explore is the stretch of beach in front of Hollow Tree’s Resort, which I stayed at last October. This time around, I got to see and experience many other spots in the Mentawais, but I still think HT’s is the most beautiful… (Burgerworld is a close second).

Inspired to go on a surf trip yourself? GOOD, now get out there and I’ll probably see you in the line-up. Comment below your dream surf destination!