Saraina Surf Charter

Anchored up in the Mentawais

Group Size: 6-9 guests (10 on request)
Number of Cabins: 2 x private a/c sleeping cabins
Length of Stay: 5-14 days surfing, 4-13 nights on board
Destination: Mentawai islands
Surfing Ability: Intermediate to advanced only
Budget: Low
A/C: All interior & cabins
Photos: Price on request
Beers: 2 complimentary beers per person / per day
Tender: 1 x speedboat 
Port: Padang, West Sumatra

The Saraina is a 64' "motor cruiser" surf charter boat built in 2003 that had a full refit in 2014. 

What separates this operation from many of the others is that not only do they boast 2 impressive & reputable surf guides/owners (Trent an Aussie, who's also a vessel master/engineer and Dedi a local legend from the Mentawais) but they also start & end their trips in the Mentawai Islands (rather than Padang). That not only means trips are cheaper (think less fuel burned) but you'll also skip the 2 "night crossings" between Padang & the islands. Instead you'll take the early morning "fast ferry" which is much quicker than any charter boat operating in Sumatra (3-4 hours crossing instead of 12 hours, each way). 

Perfect for small groups of 6-9 guests (10 on request), trips typically start/end in Siberut (Playgrounds, Mentawai) as well as Tua Pejat (Sipora, Mentawai). 

Most trips are focused on the Mentawais, but a handful of trips each year head further north to the Telo Islands & beyond.


Cruising in the Mentawais

2 a/c sleeping cabins

Constructed from local Indonesian hard wood & featuring a dark coconut timber interior, the vessel has an air conditioned saloon area for its guests to relax in as well as 2 separate air conditioned sleeping cabins to enjoy a good nights sleep.

For a mid sized boat, there are also plenty of exterior spaces on offer, including 2 covered decks (one at the back and one of the front) as well other exterior areas that are not shaded.

The vessel's accommodation includes:

- Fully air conditioned (interior and guest cabins)
- 2 guest sleeping cabins (comfortably sleeping 9-10 guests) 
- 1 bathroom with toilet & shower
- 2 showers (1 outdoor, 1 indoor) 
- 2 shaded exterior deck areas with seating
- Indoor living/dining room with seating & tables
- Flat screen TV (in living room)
- I-pod dock/speakers


The main deck area (above), perfect for escaping the midday sun or enjoying a sunset beer.


sleeping cabin 1


Leading through to sleeping cabin 2

Dinner is served!

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 given prior notice.

Includes:

* Daily meals
* Snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks
* Unlimited Tea, Coffee and Water
* 2 beers pp / day included

Additional beers can be purchased in Padang before departure.

The a/c dining & living room

Trent (left) and Dedi (right)

Dedi – Owner/Operator
“Hi I’m Dedi. Long before the Mentawais was classified as a surfing mecca of the world, here I was riding waves on traditional handmade canoes before I had even seen a surfboard. I started in the early nineties, at that time local people were afraid of the water, they were jungle people and had a fear of the ocean because of the tsunami’s that had devastated the land. When I started they all thought I was crazy.

When I saw the first surfers arrive in the islands and watched them riding waves with surfboards I knew the future of the Mentawais was Surfing. I jumped at the opportunity to crew on the first surf charter boat in the islands, the local knowledge and experience I had gained allowed me to share the unknown breaks to the rest of the world. I’ll never forget the day a surfer gave me a surfboard and I traded in my canoe. And for the following twenty years I worked on most of the surf charter boats still in operation today to share that knowledge.

I was the first local to become a certified tourism guide and set a standard for future guides, I’ve worked alongside Surfaid, and recently I am pushing to protect the Mentawais against illegal fishing and protecting the reef to create a sustainable environment for the future of visitors and locals. I have recently joined forces with Sumatran Surfers to start West Sumatra’s first boardriders club and it has been over ten years now since I teamed up with a friend to build ‘Saraina’. It’s been the past five years she has been re-fitted to basically a brand new boat, setting a level of safe operational standard and a platform to share my vision from so many years ago of navigating surfers to the best breaks in the world.”

Trent Woodleigh – Owner/Operator
“Hello I’m Trent, I was introduced to surfing as a young fifteen-year-old boy along the south coast beaches of Sydney and like every surfer once I had a taste… I was hooked. I was hungry to surf the best breaks in the world and become the best surfer I could be, for the following fifteen years I pursued this mission relentlessly. My journey exposed a deep love for the ocean and I thrived at being a lifeguard, a surf coach, and for the past nine years a vessel master and engineer.

One place in particular had me racing back for more: once, twice and up to five times a year for the sheer perfection of waves it offered in constant abundance, the freedom to ride in solitude, and the beauty of the pristine tropical environment, enchanting flavoured cuisine and simple happiness of the native communities. It was the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra that had me dreaming of wave perfection.

Inevitably, I became a partner with a local Indonesian legend Dedi in a surf charter vessel called “Saraina”. Our vision was to share the magic of the Mentawai Islands with everyone.

As an operator/owner of Saraina I am grateful to share my love for the ocean, the knowledge I have acquired, the experiences that shaped me and the sheer love of taking people on an adventure in Indonesia. As a team our professional crew, including Dedi and myself, take immense pride in navigating to some of the best surf breaks in the world and create a life enhancing experience by making it accessible to everyone as an affordable surf charter in the Islands.”

Saraina Crew

What’s included

* Pickup and return airport transfers in Padang (PDG) airport - including Airport to Hotel (40 mins), Hotel to Fast Ferry port. Same transfers on return)
* Return ferry ticket (including board bag) from Padang to Siberut / Tua Pejat (Mentawai Islands)
* 10 to 13 nights on board "Saraina" surf charter surfing in the Mentawai Islands (Telo on request)
* Single bed in an a/c cabin
* 3 large, healthy delicious meals served each day
* Snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks each day
* Unlimited tea, coffee and water each day
* 2 complimentary beers per person / day
* Speedboat shuttles to the surf from dawn til dusk, all day every day
* Use of TV, video, stereo, I-pod
* Surf Guide
* Fishing & island excursions 
* Use of all onboard equipment including tender / dingy, snorkelling & fishing gear
* All necessary zone permits

What’s not included

* Hotels in Padang (we recommend D'Oxville Hotel)
* Photos and videos - on prior request (price TBC)
* Flights to and from Padang
* Visa Fees and Departure Tax
* Any additional cost resulting from late arrival or the need of early departure
* Tips for the crew
* Mentawai Surf Tax (IDR 1,000,000 pp / approx. AUD 100) - required for trips to the Mentawais

Vessel Type: Indo style motor cruiser
Length: 64 ft 
Speed Cruising: 8-9 knots
Engine: 360 HP turbo diesel engine
Generator: 2
Accommodation: 2 x guest cabins (air conditioned)
Bathrooms: 1 (1 toilet, 1 indoor shower, 1 outdoor shower)
Tender: 1 x speedboat 

Navigation & Safety

• Chart plotter
• Compass
• Depth sounder
• Radar
• EPIRB
• VHF
• Satellite phone
• Flares
• Life jackets
• Life raft
• Life rings

Trips aboard Saraina are typically to the Mentawai Islands although the occasional trip will head further north to the Telo Islands.

If you’re booking up with 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.



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

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

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

Guests need to fly into Padang Airport (PDG), West Sumatra 

Arrive into Padang at anytime.

Guests will be picked up from the airport and taken by private taxi to your hotel. 

The next morning you'll be taken to catch the Mentawai Fast Ferry that will take you to the Mentawai Islands.

On return, you'll be collected from the river port in Padang around 6:30pm and taken by taxi to your hotel. The next morning you'll be collected once again and taken to the airport to catch your outbound flight.

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 always recommend flying with Garuda & booking via 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. 

Saraina is the only surf charter boat that remains in the Mentawai Islands at all times. The other surf charters start & end their trips in Padang. There are some great advantages to this...

Firstly you wont have to take the 2 "over night" crossings out to the islands. These typically take around 12 hours and are often bumpy due to the "Mentawai Straight", the large body of water separating Sumatra and the Mentawai Islands which has all the elements of "open ocean". It's not the most ideal way to start and end your surf trip. Instead you'll spend your first & last night in Padang in a hotel & take the Mentawai Fast Ferry across to the islands.

Guests can also arrive anytime into Padang & you'll guarantee yourself a better nights sleep too. This also means that the Saraina doesn't burn endless amounts of fuel during the overnight crossings which results in discounted rates for their customers :-)

"Transfers" (Padang to Mentawai to Padang) are FREE & include:

- Meet and greet at Padang Airport
- Taxis - Airport to Hotel - 1hr
- Taxis - Hotel to Mentawai Fast Ferry - 10 minutes
- Mentawai Fast Ferry – 3-6 hr crossing (board bag storage included)
- Padang Hotel – additional charge approx $20-$70

Note: the Saraina charter boat will be moored up very close to where the fast ferry docks in the Mentawai Islands (just a few minutes away).

Padang Hotel (extra cost)

On arrival into Padang you'll be collected and taken to your hotel. Even the best hotels are only around $60 for 2 guests including breakfast. We suggest staying at the D'Oxville hotel although Padang is quite a large city and offers plenty of good hotels to choose from. 

Mentawai Fast Ferry

The safest, most reliable way of travelling between the mainland and the Mentawai islands.

Traveling to Siberut, Mentawai 

Travel days from Padang to Siberut are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 

The overall travel time is detailed below (crossing time 3-6hrs)

Padang to Mentawai - "Siberut"

Note: Thursday is the best day to arrive in the Mentawai!

Tuesday: FAST FERRY, departs 7am, arrives Mentawai same day around 12.30/13.00pm
Thursday: FAST FERRY, departs 7am, arrives Mentawai same day around 10/10.30am
Saturday: FAST FERRY, departs 7am, arrives Mentawai same day 12.30/13.00pm

Mentawai to Padang - "Siberut"

Tuesday: FAST FERRY departs 14.30, arrives Padang around 18.30pm
Thursday: FAST FERRY departs 14.30, arrives Padang around 18.30pm
Saturday: FAST FERRY departs 14.30, arrives Padang around 18.30pm

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Traveling to Tua Pejat, Mentawai 

Travel days from Padang to Tua Pejat are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. 

Padang to Mentawai - "Tua Pejat"

Padang – Tua Pejat: Monday, depart 06.00am
Padang – Tua Pejat: Wednesday, depart 06.30am
Padang – Tua Pejat: Friday, depart 07.00am
Padang – Tua Pejat: Sunday, depart 07.00am* (2hr longer crossing)

Mentawai to Padang

Tua Pejat – Padang: Monday depart 15.00pm
Tua Pejat – Padang: Wednesday depart 15.00pm
Tua Pejat – Padang: Friday depart 14.00pm
Tua Pejat – Padang: Sunday depart 15.00pm

The Ferry crossing time takes around 3 - 5 hours. Guests will arrive in Tua Pejat (Mentawai Port) around 10-11am, where the ground staff will be waiting to transfer all the baggage to the charter boat

Note: On Sunday the ferry has a stop in Sioban - so guests will arrive 2 hrs later into Tua Pejat.

On return, guests will be dropped off at the Ferry port around at 1-2pm. The arrival time in Padang will be approx 6.15pm.

The ground staff will transfer you to your hotel as well as the airport the next morning.  

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 Saraina, 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.