Surfing Low & Shoulder Season at Macaronis
The Southern Mentawai’s Best Kept Secret…
While most Southern hemisphere surfers stay closer to home in the summer months, especially those located on the other side of the globe, this opens up an opportunity for surfers in the Northern hemisphere and those located closer by to take advantage of uncrowded perfect waves!
In fact, it can be so uncrowded, that our guests usually have the entire Southern Mentawai chain of breaks all to themselves, from mid-late November through until early January, while most charter boats do their dry docking in December and close down for Christmas and New Years holidays.
The secret is to travel when others are less likely to because there are perfect waves all year round. During December we’ve seldom seen a charter boat, especially over Christmas and New Year, and if we get a few surfers booked, then we’re able to visit the surrounding breaks a bit more often which are also empty!
Low season regularly delivers the type of conditions the majority of surfers only dream of; empty, head-high, glassy, perfect waves. Yet, unfortunately, many surfers often overlook visiting in these months, which makes the rewards even greater for those who do with very few surfers in the lineup.
The Southern Mentawais is wide open to long-period South swells which are common in these months. Low-pressure systems pass by the Indian Ocean at a lower longitude, causing SW groundswells to hit Western Australia and refract in a North direction aimed at Bali, Java, and South Mentawai.
Our returning guests that visit during these months rarely go back to visiting during the peak season because they claim to catch 15 waves for every 1 wave they would usually catch in the peak season, and who doesn’t love more waves?
How do I know if visiting in these months is right for me?
“Another great trip surfing Macaronis with awesome people and no crowds! I will be back as soon as I can! Cheers to all the Macaronis team and see you very soon.”
“I have no words to describe the feeling of this empty perfection! Simply Epic! Thanks, Macaronis, you touched my heart.”
“Empty Macaronis, a dream come true! We couldn’t have asked for better conditions or a more friendly staff. Thank you Macaronis, we met 4 years ago at the resort and forever changed our lives! Much Love.”
Any time of the year can produce flawless perfect surf, you just have to visit when fewer people do, to score empty perfection!
The video clip above shows Guy Morgan getting seriously shacked at Greenbush just 2 days before Christmas! This was an exceptional festive season when we enjoyed 3 back-to-back South swells lasting two weeks with 3 – 6 feet surf every day and less than 10 surfers staying with us!
More powerful surf is common in winter months, but if you’d like to visit knowing you’ll probably be surfing rippable fun waves in the 3-4 feet range, but with a chance to surf larger empty sessions like this (also see the November clip below), then November and December are ideal times to visit! January and February typically get a little busier, but only with guests staying at the resort taking part in our annual intermediate surf coaching clinics.
The clip above by Junior Garcia shows two of our guests surfing all-time Greenbush, all to themselves, in late November. On returning to Macaronis, they were faced with jaw-dropping perfection. You can view dozens more movies of shoulder season or summer months by visiting our Video Page.
What to expect if you visit during December – February?
The secret to scoring perfect uncrowded waves is about when and where you visit. From December – February, South swells are common which is the optimal direction for world-class spots such as Macaronis, Greenbush, and other nearby breaks. In addition, during these months, most charter boats are doing their annual dry docking maintenance and taking Christmas holidays, which means empty lineups and more perfect waves just for you!
Macaronis Resort sits at the southernmost end of the island chain. This optimal location means our nearby breaks catch all the approaching south swells which are common during these months, providing you with consistent perfect waves.
Fewer surfers in the lineup means more waves for you! Our returning guests claim that they catch 15 waves for every 1 wave they would usually catch during the peak season.
When surfing perfect waves, trust us, you’ll always want more!
A significant misconception and concern for some visitors is the wind during these months and that it is the wet season, which it is not.
While it’s true that between November and March we sometimes get more tropical storm activity, as we are outside of the typical monsoonal wind flow between Southeast Asia and Australia, this means it can often be glassy all day long with no wind.
When we do get a tropical storm, usually the wind will be from the North or Northwest, and the good news is that is offshore wind for Greenbush and is mostly side shore at Macaronis blowing into the barrel, which can fluctuate N-NE and go offshore at times as well.
During these months, you can expect primarily north winds or no wind at all.
The low season months have produced some of our most epic shots, see some of them below!
Early Bird Specials – Up to 20% Off the Surfer Package!
Visiting December thru to March means low crowds and perfect medium-sized surf. Bring along your family and enjoy the perfect surfing holiday in paradise when others are more likely to stay at home!
Any Questions?
We know planning a trip can be challenging, and knowing the right time to visit is even more difficult. If you have any questions or anything we can help with, enquire below!
Our reservation team is standing by, ready to help. Picking the right time to visit the Mentawaii Islands can make all the difference, and our experts are ready to help you determine the best time to visit for you!
The wave of your life and the surf trip of your dreams is waiting! Start planning today.
