When to Go

Guests often ask us, “When is the best time to stay at Aloita?”  And the simple answer is there is no right or wrong time to go, and we can only give you the best possible information so that you can decide for yourself.  Here are a few key factors to consider:

Surf Season

The Mentawais will always been known first and foremost as a premier surf destination.  Therefore, often the key factor people consider when deciding when to go is when they can have the best possible surf experience.  However, the “best possible surf experience” differs a lot from person to person.  Traditionally, the peak swell months are regarded as roughly May – September.  This is when south/southwest swells are the largest and most prevalent, and statistically when the Mentawais sees its biggest and most consistent surf.  However, this is no secret to surfers any more, and thus, not so coincidentally, this happens to be the most crowded time in the islands.  Our guides always strive to get you the best possible waves with the least amount of people on them, but it’s inevitable during this time period that you’ll cross paths with another boat or two.  But, if you’re not particularly averse to crowds and/or you are the type of surf that likes to charge and really push yourself, then historically this is the safest time to hedge your bets.

Many surfers enjoy trips just on the cusp of this peak season, such as March/April or October/November.  This is the time where the Indian Ocean often tends to come to life before everyone arrives, or stays alive after everyone has gone.  We’ve had many, many, many epic sessions during this time at Telescopes with no one in the line-up but the guys in our speedboat.  The surf tends to be similar on both cusps of the peak season, but March/April tends to be dryer and sunnier, whereas October/November starts what many consider the “rainy season” (more on that shortly).  However, it should be stressed that this is the Mentawais and it’s as tropical as it gets, and Mother Nature often throws us a curveball.  But even if it rains constantly, it’s still warmer than anywhere else you’ve ever surfed – you just have to wear less sunscreen – haha.

One last time frame that our guests really seem to enjoy is what is generally considered to be the “off season”.  This is roughly late November – February, and there is a common misconception that there are no waves at this time.  This is clearly not the case, and we’ve enjoyed some of our best sessions during this time.  The waves at this time tend to be medium-sized, yet extremely well groomed.  Thus they are very well suited for both beginners and surfers who just want to get “fun” Mentawai waves with virtually no one around.  The reason for this is because this is summer in the southern hemi, and the lows get pushed further south by the warmer weather.  And the highs, meaning the lows that produce these swells are further away.  Hence the swells travel further, even out more along the way, arrive in a longer interval, and the waves come in beautiful and clean.  Of course, these highs sometimes block the swells a bit or deflect them away, but we definitely have our swell magnet secrets if this happens.  So, this is a great option to consider.  As you get more into January – March, the rain tends to subside and you get epic, still, sunny conditions as well.

Weather Patterns

As mentioned above, the Mentawais are just about as tropical as a place can get, and you often see more seasons in a day than some locations see in a year.  For example, you shouldn’t be surprised if you see plenty of rain squalls in the dry months or completely arid stretches during the rainy season.  However, there are some traditional weather patterns that one might want to consider when planning a trip to this area.

The months from roughly February – May tend to be the calmest months in terms of weather.  By “calmest”, we meant both sunniest and also mellow in terms of wind.  If you are a diver considering the times when you might want the ocean at it’s most still, then the earlier in this period the better.  There will also be less traffic from boats to disturb the elements of the ocean. 

From June – September, sunny days usually prevail as well, but there are often several other weather factors in play as well.  The swells tend to be the highest during these periods, which affects currents both near the shore/reef and deep under the sea.  Later in this period, it’s not uncommon to see longer stretches of fairly strong wind as well.

From roughly October – January is generally referred to as the “rainy season”.  This shouldn’t affect your surf plans too much, as the water is still ridiculously warm, and you’re going to get wet anyway.  However, it can sometimes affect visibility when diving, and you might want to consider this if planning to do a cultural trekking expedition to Siberut.

Many surfers and divers like to plan their trips around certain phases of the moon as it often affects the swells, tides, water visibility, and patterns of sea life.  So, for your convenience, we’ve posted the 2010 phases of the moon below: 

                                                                                      2010

 

         New Moon   First Quarter       Full Moon    Last Quarter   

         d  h  m         d  h  m         d  h  m         d  h  m

                                                    Jan  7 10 39

    Jan 15  7 11    Jan 23 10 53    Jan 30  6 18    Feb  5 23 48

    Feb 14  2 51    Feb 22  0 42    Feb 28 16 38    Mar  7 15 42

    Mar 15 21 01    Mar 23 11 00    Mar 30  2 25    Apr  6  9 37

    Apr 14 12 29    Apr 21 18 20    Apr 28 12 18    May  6  4 15

    May 14  1 04    May 20 23 43    May 27 23 07    Jun  4 22 13

    Jun 12 11 15    Jun 19  4 29    Jun 26 11 30    Jul  4 14 35

    Jul 11 19 40    Jul 18 10 10    Jul 26  1 36    Aug  3  4 59

    Aug 10  3 08    Aug 16 18 14    Aug 24 17 05    Sep  1 17 22

    Sep  8 10 30    Sep 15  5 50    Sep 23  9 17    Oct  1  3 52

    Oct  7 18 44    Oct 14 21 27    Oct 23  1 36    Oct 30 12 46

    Nov  6  4 52    Nov 13 16 39    Nov 21 17 27    Nov 28 20 36

    Dec  5 17 36    Dec 13 13 59    Dec 21  8 13   

 

Crowds/Space at the Resort

We mentioned above how May – September tends to be the most crowded time for surfing in the Mentawais, so it only follows suit that this tends to be the more crowded time at the resort as well.  You should consider what they are really looking for in their vacation in terms of social activity when you are planning you trip.  If you are looking to have plenty of other guests to talk to and party with, as well as get exposure to many different types of cultures, then this it’s probably wise to plan your trip sometime in this time frame.  However, if you’re looking for a romantic getaway with basically just you and your significant other, or you want to feel like you’re Robinson Crusoe on your own private island, it might be wisest to pick a time deep in the off season.  Also, if you want to reserve the resort for your own private party, know that it is much easier to do so when the crowds are down in the off season.

These are all factors to consider when planning a trip to Aloita, and we hope the information above helps you make the best decisions on choosing when to visit us.