Simeulue and Banyak Islands, Indonesia, EAST ASIA

, John Callahan

The Surf

The offshore islands of Sumatra are no secret to surfers: The Mentawai are the new craze among pros and photographers looking for picture perfect tropical barrels, Nias has drawn surf adventurers to its shore for over 25 years, but head further north and you step into the unknown. The remote island of Simeulue is located 120km from the Sumatran west coast, where the surprisingly busy town of Sinabang thrives on trading cloves. To the east, the Banyak Island group is in the South Aceh Regency, supporting small populations on seven of the bigger islands, while the majority of the others remain uninhabited. A centum of islands was reduced to 99 after a large storm swept one clean off the face of the earth. Besides clove, local resources come from copra and lolak, a kind of seashell. Many spots remain nameless, but there’s a wide choice of lefts and rights, ranging from shallow barrelling waves to deeper, long, cruisey waves as well as some good off-season beachbreaks.

When to Go

Equatorial shores generally suffer from a lack of exposure to swells, but the Southern Indian Ocean is the most efficient swell machine on the planet. Expect numerous 6-10ft (2-3m) SW swells per month between April and October, as well as occasional 3-6ft (1-2m) swells during off-season, with various 2-6ft (0.6-2m) cyclonic swells and some 1-2ft (0.3-0.6m) underlying wind swell. This area receives the same swells as the Mentawai between April and October, the optimal season being June-August. It still receives less swell than Nias which can be used as a back-up option if it’s really too small. Due to the doldrums latitude, wind patterns are pretty calm, allegedly producing glassy conditions 15% of the time. There are no real dominant winds. January to May tends to be NW, June to Sept is rather SE, and October to Dec is rather NE. Tide ranges are only 2-3ft (0.6-1m) but matter plenty at shallow spots, where sharp reefs pose a real threat.

Population
4.3M

Coastline
382km (239mi) Simeulue

Timezone
GMT +8hr

Travel Information

Weather The climate in these islands is typically equatorial with very high temperatures interspersed by a few months of rain. Temperatures vary little across the year. Western Indonesia’s dry season is May-Sept but 1-2h late afternoon showers can still be expected. During the October to April rainy season, it’s rare to see more than half a day pass without any precipitation. Water is as warm as it gets, neoprene would only serve as reef protection. Lack of winds is good for glassy surf but does not help to dry clothes or feel cool -– it takes a few days to adapt.

Nature This is one of the remotest areas on earth, forget about raging nightlife and think eco-activities: trek and dive on Pulau Palambak or Pulau Balai. Green turtles and occasionally leatherback turtles can be seen laying eggs on Pulau Bangkaru. The untouched jungles offer unique flora and fauna and are best explored by boat.

Hazards With few surf-related charters and one camp, crowds should not be a problem, even when other boats from the Mentawai area cruise over. Chloroquine-resistant malaria cases have been reported- take the appropriate medication. These shallow and treacherous reefs are several days away from medical attention; take a helmet and serious medical equipment.

Hints Take everything, there are no exchange facilities and surfing equipment is unheard of. Pulau Balai (Banyak) is one of the only places with electricity in the evening. The Banyak Islands are getting increasingly popular with travelers and may not remain off the beaten path for long.

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