Nomad Surf Charter

Group Size: Max 8 guests
Number of Cabins: 1 a/c dormitory (8 bunk beds)
Length of Stay: 10 days surfing / 11 nights on board
Destination: Mentawai, Telo & Banyak Islands
Surfing Ability: Intermediate to advanced only
Budget: Low to Medium
A/C: Cabins & whole interior
Photos: Complimentary
Beers: No Complimentary beers
Tender: 4m tender & 7.3m aluminium speedboat (with 150 hp 4 stroke x 2) 
Port: Padang, West Sumatra

Built in 1995, the impressive Nomad is a traditional Indonesian “pinisi” surf charter that’s perfect for small groups looking to score uncrowded waves in the furthest corners of the Mentawai, Telo and even the Banyak islands.

At the helm of the vessel is Aussie Jake Thompson, an extremely experienced captain and surf guide with close to a decade of experience working in the islands. Well respected in the area, Jake is not only a capable skipper but at the ripe old age of 23, is an extremely keen surfer, willing to go that extra mile so he can guarantee you the best & least crowded waves of your life.

And if that’s not enough to get you frothing to jump aboard, guests of the Nomad have full use of its 4m tender as well as a 7.3m aluminium speedboat – known as the “Boomerang”. Powered by 2 x 150 hp engines, she’s absolutely perfect for "having a look 'round the corner" when the Nomad is anchored up at a break.

Sleeping quarters

The surf charter boat has plenty of space to sleep up to 8 guests in its dormitory style sleeping quarters. 

The cabin is fully air conditioned so you're guaranteed a great nights sleep. Its also perfect to just escape the tropical sun for a few hours, grabbing a day time nap or chilling out in front of a movie.

Towards the back of the boat, you will find an interior dining area next to the kitchen, which is perfect to escape from a nasty squall or passing storm. However, the main hang out area is outside, above deck, where there is a dining table and chairs as well as places to relax during the day. When the Nomad is moored up, a shade is also put up so everyone can be outside and keep an eye on the surf. Its the perfect way to enjoy the breeze on a hot tropical day and just hang out above deck while having some relief from the sun. There's no better place to put on some tunes, kick back and watch your buddies get shacked while enjoying a well earned ice cold Bintang!

Included in all packages:

3 large, healthy delicious meals are served each day

A mix of Indonesian and Western cuisine served for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Vegetarians can be catered for.

Includes:

Daily meals
Snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks
Unlimited Tea, Coffee and Water 

During each trip aboard the Nomad, there will be 5 qualified crew always on-board to maximise safety and service.

The crew have over 20 years of combined experience on board surf charters in Indonesia, and include an Indonesian captain, engineer, chef and deckhand, and an Australian skipper/surf guide Jake Thompson. Jake is not only part owner of the boat, but he’s also a very experienced and accomplished skipper as well as an extremely good surfer who will always guarantee finding you the best possible waves for your trip.

What’s included

* Airport transfers to and from the boat in Padang
* 11 nights on board the Nomad surf charter surfing in the Mentawai, Telo or Banyak Islands
* Single bed in the dormitory a/c cabin
* 3 large, healthy delicious meals served each day
* Plenty of snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks each day
* Use of flat screen TV & sound system
* Unlimited tea, coffee and water each day
* Speedboat shuttles to the surf from dawn til dusk, all day every day
* Use of fishing and snorkeling equipment
* Fishing & island excursions
* All necessary zone permits
* US$ 3 a day Mentawai Government Tax

What’s not included

* Mentawai Surfer Tax (IDR 1,000,000 pp)
* Flights to and from Padang
* Hotel in Padang if needed
* Visa Fees and Departure Tax
* Any additional cost resulting from late arrival or the need of early departure
* Use of satellite phone
* Tips for the crew
* AUD 3,000 fuel surcharge for trips to Telo islands
* Fuel surcharge for Banyak islands - price on request

Vessel Type: Timber Sloop (Traditional Indonesian Pinisi)
Length: 18 metres / 60 ft
Year Built: 1995
Speed Cruising: 8 knots
Range: 800 nm
Power: 220 HP Mitsubishi main 80 KVA Genset 240v/50 Hz
Facilities: Air conditioned, Refrigerator, Freezer
Accommodation: Bunks for 8 guests
Entertainment: TV, VHS/DVD player, CD Stereo, Fishing & Snorkelling gear

Tenders

1 x 4m tender
1 x 7m speedboat ("Boomerang"), details below:

Vessel Type: Aluminium Plate Centre Console
Length: 7.0m 
Range: 170 nm
Engines: 2 x Suzuki 4stroke 150hp
Accommodates: 8 pax comfortably with surf, dive and fishing gear
On-board Facilities: Esky full of cold drinks and snacks
Crew: 1-2
Communications: VHF Radio, satellite phone for longer runs
Navigation Aids: GPS, Depth Sounder, chart plotter, compass
Entertainment: All the fishing, diving and surfing you can handle


Boomerang and Nomad

Safety Equipment & Navigation

Life raft for 15 People
EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
Life jackets, life rings & flares
Satellite phone available
Radios - ICOM HF radio, ICOM VHF radio, ICOM handheld VHF radio
Garmin GPS FURUNO Radar
RAYTHEON Depth Sounder
Extensive First Aid Kit (with staff on board trained to use it)

Note: Satellite phone is available for emergency use only. If guests want to use it for any other reason, you will be charged. Please note, some areas of the region have mobile signal. Furthermore, some surf resorts have internet access and occasionally it will be possible to use their facilities.

When booking a trip aboard the Nomad, guests will have the chance to surf either the Mentawai Islands (the whole region) – or further north to the Telo Islands (as well as parts of the Northern Mentawai) as well as The Banyak Islands. If you’re booking a large group then you’ll usually get to choose which region. Smaller groups and single surfers should enquire as to which region the charter will be heading to but standard trips are typically to the Mentawai islands.

* AUD 3,000 fuel surcharge for trips to Telo islands (8 guests = AUD 375 pp)
* Fuel surcharge for Banyak islands - price on request

All regions offer a great range of waves, so it’s best to check out our destinations pages as well as the surf breaks listed there to get an idea of which region you’d prefer to visit.

* Surf Breaks - Mentawai (Playgrounds)
* Surf Breaks - Telo Islands
* Surf breaks - Banyak Islands

Detailed information for all the surf breaks can be found in the destination's section of the site within the Mentawai, Banyak & Telo pages.

* Surf Breaks - Mentawai (Playgrounds)
* Surf Breaks - Telo Islands
* Surf breaks - Banyak Islands

Guests need to fly into Padang Airport, West Sumatra 

Arrival into Padang by (latest) 1pm.

The boat departs at 6pm.  Departure flights should be from 1pm (onwards) on the last day of the trip.

Flights 

We recommend using www.skyscanner.com and flying into either Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - or Jakarta, Indonesia.  From KL, there is usually one morning flight (1hr) with Air Asia  as well as a lunchtime flight to Padang.  From Jakarta, there are over a dozen flights each day that fly into Padang, from airlines such as Garuda Airlines, Srwijaya, Citilink  & Lion Air. We recommend www.nusatrip.com

Note: Visa On Arrival: A FREE 30 day Visa On Arrival is now available for a number of countries including: Australia, USA, Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Peru, Costa Rica, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, England, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany. 

Arrive Padang airport by 1pm.

One of our staff will be waiting to take you to the harbor.

Depart harbour 6pm, arrive Mentawai or Telo islands early the next morning (Banyak Islands by request)

11 nights / 10 days surfing

Return back to Padang early morning.

One of our reps will take you to the airport or hotel of choice

Fly anytime after 1pm.

Note: The trip has no fixed route as the surf conditions can change day to day. Our experienced crew are always aware of the swell forecast and will update everybody each day to discuss the next move. The captain will usually change location during the night, leaving the opportunity for the guests to enjoy most of the day surfing.

All guests travelling to any surf camp or charter boat in Sumatra will require Travel Insurance. Surf Camp Sumatra recommends using World Nomads for any trip to Sumatra. Simply use the below form to get a quote.

Before booking a trip aboard Nomad, make sure to check our "Know before you go" section which is a handy page of what to expect as well as a detailed inventory of what to bring.

For those that need some help in choosing the right surf charter boat or those that are unsure what's better a surf charter boat or surf camp, then check out both our blogs below.