The following surfbreaks list details of only the better known Mentawai surfbreaks.
Besides skippering the Huey 1, the Pelagic, and the Indies Trader boats throughout Sumatra and the Mentawais for the past 7 years, Midas's skipper, Jody Perry, is one of the few surfer-skippers with an innate understanding of the ocean derived from decades of ocean-related work and play, scouring the entire Sumatran coastline, relentlessly searching for new breaks and working out the optimum conditions under which they work. He knows of well over a hundred lesser known and unknown surfbreaks in the Mentawais alone, plus many more in the more northern and southern Sumatran latitudes. The details of those Mentawais surfbreaks are excluded from the list for the obvious reason of keeping the breaks unknown to the general public and other operators, and for the benefit of his passengers.
4 Bobs: A short, fun, right-hander, well protected from most winds. Mild and easy to surf on a higher tide, but can get shallow on a lower tide.
Board: Any type of board works great here, especially funboards.
Bankvaults: Somewhat shifty and frustrating on a smaller swell or with the 'wrong' swell direction, but a heavy 'backdoor pipe' type barreling right-hander under the right swell direction, tide, and wind. A very heavy wave at size, especially as the tide drains. Not for everybody.
Board: Extra inches will help you on the bigger days. Unless you are Bonga Perkins or your surfing bears a close resemblance to him, no longboards please, especially on the draining tides.
Bintangs: A short but fun, perfect, dredging little right-hander on the right conditions.
Board: Standard shortboards. The steep dredging take-off into a fast hollow section doesn't generally suit longboards.
Burgerworld: A nice alternative when everywhere else is flat. On a 'bad hair day' it can be mushy, fat and gutless, but in the right conditions it becomes a good quality, long wave and can be lots of fun and is an easy place to surf. A scenic backdrop makes for a pleasant surfing ambience.
Board: Any funboard or standard shortboard. OK for longboards, though take-offs can still be steep and some sections a commitment
Diablo’s: A long, fun, wrapping lefthander under the right conditions. Best with a slightly larger swell.
Board: Anything, though a little more size on the bigger days doesn't hurt.
E-Bay: Quite a perfect, barreling left that gets good on the right swell direction. Very scenic.
Board: Standard shortboards when it's small to medium. With size, a slightly bigger board will get you in earlier and thus allow you to better set up the wave.
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Hole: A beautiful, heavy, perfect peak leading into a short but perfect tube before exiting close to almost dry reef. Not suited to the less attuned or less experienced. DO NOT leave your exit till the last second.
Board: Shortboards for the smaller days, but go a bit longer and/or gunnier once the swell jumps.
Kingy’s Left: Short but fun, A-frame left-hand peaks with a variety of take-off spots. Best with size.
Board: Anything, though not a great longboard option.
Lance's Left: A high quality, fun, long, consistent lefthander. Occasional grinding tubes for which you often need a higher tube-line to make cleanly. Avoid the end section grinding over shallow reef.
Board: Standard boards for normal days. Larger boards for larger days for the take-off, and also to get past the first fast section. Not overly suited to longboards except for the smaller days.
Lance's Right: With the correct swell direction, a beautiful, fast, perfect, right-hand barrel. Several take-off areas. One of the most photographed, and thus crowded waves in the Mentawais.
Board: On smaller days, your standard shortboard or funboard - on bigger days go a few extra inches. Be wary of taking off too far 'inside' on the first wave of the set if and getting caught inside if you're surfing isn't up to it - especially on the lower tides. And be careful of 'the surgeons table'; the shallow reef area on the inside that dries on a low tide.
 Macaroni's: One of the most fun lefts you could ever surf. A straight into the barrel take-off, followed by a long workable wall that just grinds away down the line. Hold a low tube line, for the entry, though a higher line is sometimes needed for a cleaner exit. As with any wave anywhere, STUDY movies pro's surfing the place before you surf it yourself, to get an extra feel for the wave, and note their positioning and wave judgment. Unfortunately it's also the most popular surfspot in the Mentawais, and often crowded. For the sake of everyone, please take your turn in the line-up.
Board: The favorite shortboard or any funboards, though a slightly longer board is sometimes a good idea on the bigger and thicker swells for the take off. The steep take-off into the barrel on a thicker, sizable swell which then doubles up on the take-off, especially on the low tide doesn't suit longboards at all. Don't hesitate on the take-offs and DON"T try to draw out your bottom turn on those days!
Nipussi: A short, fun, easy to surf right-hander that is something of a swell magnet when the swell is too small for most other breaks, though the lack of power can get a little frustrating.
Board: Flatter boards, shortboards (even when it's big) or any funboards work well. Not a great longboard wave.
People-eaters (No-Kandui): A long freight-train, down the line, left-hand barrel under the right conditions and size. Take off, set your line and hold it. An awe-inspiring ride if you get a good one. No drawing out you're bottom turns and pretending you are surfing a beachbreak. Holding a lower tube line is generally the best approach. Beware the triple sucking end section over extremely shallow reef, and you can generally forget about it on a low tide.
Board: Debatable - either a slightly larger and/or gunnier planshape to get in early, hold your line easier, and give you more down the line speed, or a smaller board for manoeuvring around and through the tube sections ONLY IF you have the ability to surf it that way. A low tube line often works.
Pitstops: A fun, rip-able right-hand peak with a short workable wall that breaks close to the beach in a very scenic little bay.
Board: Shortboard or funboard. Longboards OK.
 Rifles: A classic, long, freight-train fast, perfect, awe-inspiring wave when conditions are right. Numerous tube sections. A heavy wave at size, especially on a low tide. Not entirely suited to less than good surfers. You have to set up for several sections down the line, and once in the tube, you need to hold you're line, so no mucking around and surfing it like a beachbreak.
Board: Shortboards and funboards are OK if the swell is anything under a couple of feet overhead, and you have the ability to drive them down the line. Otherwise, the fastest in your quiver for straight line speed. Extra length on the bigger days is a better option for getting in early and setting your line. Not suited to longboards as you have to set up for 3, 4 or 5 sections down the line and end up getting too committed and too 'locked in' over a shallow reef.
Telescopes: A beautiful long left with a variety of fast, workable, tubing and manoeuvring sections. A premiere break.
Board: Shortboards/funboards for the smaller days and for the manoeuvres; standard boards to semi-guns for the big days, to get in early and set your line early, and for holding your line through the long sections and barrels.
Thunders: Another swell magnet when the swell is too small for most of the other breaks. Something of a variety of take-off areas, dependent upon swell size, direction, thickness, and tide. On smaller days it can be a fun, long-walled quality wave with a variety of sections and tubes. On a larger swell it is more of a solid 'sunset' peak that can sometimes 'mush out' into a flat inconsequential shoulder. The outside peak breaks in deep water, but be a little wary of a couple of shallow inside sections on the lower tide.
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