Sola Gracia Surf Charter

Group Size: Max 12 / Min 8 guests
Number of Cabins: 3 large a/c cabins
Length of Stay: 10 days surfing / 11 nights on board
Destination: Mentawai, Telo & Banyak Islands
Surfing Ability: Intermediate to advanced only
Budget: Medium
A/C: Cabins & dining area
Photos: AUD 200 pp
Beers: 4 beers pp / day
Tender: 2 (1 x 25 hp and 1 x 15 hp)
Port: Padang, West Sumatra

The Sola Gracia is a beautifully built 23 metre motor cruiser that had a total refit just a few years ago.

Although she's been a regular fixture in the pacific side as well as eastern stretches of Indonesia, the vessel is now under the guidance of an extremely experienced crew who know Sumatra as well as anyone. 

The boat is a beast. Its everything you'd expect from a high end surf charter, so its with some surprise that its such an affordable option in the mid price range bracket. We expect that pricing will increase in years to come, but for now, the Sola Gracia remains as one of the best value for money charters currently operating in Indonesia.

As we mentioned, she is BIG. And can comfortably sleep 11 guests (12 on request). Guests have 3 roomy a/c cabins on offer (not dorm style). There is a bathroom/shower on the main deck, shower on the swim platform & the guest cabins have an ensuite toilet & shower. The main lounge and dining area is light and airy with ample seating, big screen TV and stereo. The boat is fully air-conditioned.

The large top deck area can seat 20 guests, again, its massive. Its perfect for watching your buddies surf or taking a well earned break from the tropical sun. Its also ideal for shooting the action and just hanging out. The view of the lineup from the top deck is second to none. 

The back transom is a large space for diving and fishing and that leads to the back deck. This is the action station during the day with the tenders running back and forth to the surf, all day long long, dawn to dusk. This area also has a surfboard rack for 20+ boards and a lot of room to move.

11 beds (A/C)
3 private cabins (2 cabins with 4 bunks each & 1 cabin with a double and 2 bunk beds)
Guest cabins ensuite toilet & shower 
Bathroom/shower on the main deck
Shower on the swim platform
Inside dining & lounge area (A/C)
Flat screen TV 
Stereo system
Large outside decking area with seating for 20 people
Snorkeling & Fishing Gear 
Satellite Phone

Length Overall: 23.35m (76'7")
Length : 23.35m (76'7")
Width : 6.00m (19'8")
Depth : 1.80m (5'10")
Construction:
Marine Engine: 2 x 350HP Marine Diesel engines
Style: Motor cruiser
Cruise speed: 8-10 knots
Electrical points: 240v AC and 12v DC

Guests of the Sola Gracia will have access to 2 tenders; a 15 hp and 25 hp. Although they're not the fastest tenders in the islands, they're certainly fast enough for what they're used for. The reason being is that the boat only has a 1.8m draft (the depth of the boat) which means it can literally park within paddling distance from the waves. So you're only ever a minute or so on the tenders. A lot of the older bigger boats that operate in the region, sit deeper in the water and have to park up further away from the reef. The boats cruising speed is also 10 knots which is faster than most vessels in the area (and more comfortable - and safer too!).

Raytheon Radar 
Furuno Radar
Furuno GPS/Echo Sounder
Interphase Forward Looking Sonar
Garmin GPS 
VHF Radio 
Sailor Satellite Telephone
ECS Computer Navigation System
Rudder Indicator
Wind Indicator
Intercom Phone System
Depth Indicator
RPM Indicator

Life Saving Equipment

40 Life Jackets
2 First Aid Kit
2 Tenders / Surf transfer boats
4m inflatable with 15 hp Yamaha
4m aluminium with 25 hp Yamaha
1 Flare Kit
6 Life Buoys
3 Life Raft for 24 persons
2 Epirb
8 Fire Extinguishers

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.

The Sola Gracia has an incredible & experienced team. 

The owner / skipper / surf guide (Guy Morgan) who is from South Africa has 7 years of experience running several charter boats throughout the region and managing and guiding in resorts across the archipelago. He's a classic bloke, an absolute frother, super funny and a great surfer too (Guy used to be semi pro). 

The main Indonesian crew members have all been chartering the Mentawai, Telos and Banyaks region for more than 6 years.

There will also be a professional photographer available onboard for video and photos. Includes water, land, drone and video plus an edit of the entire trip with a lifestyle folder and highlight reel of everyone that purchases the package. Packages are an additional 250 AUD pp.

- Indonesian Captain
- South African  owner / skipper / surf guide (Guy Morgan)
- Indonesian Chef, deck hands & kitchen staff
- Photographer

When booking a trip aboard the Sola Gracia, 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 (plus fuel surcharge). 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.

All regions offer a nice mix of waves, so it’s best to check out our destinations pages and check the detailed description of all the surf breaks listed 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.traveloka.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 Islands early the next morning.

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 the Sola Gracia, 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.