Nias surf is rising on the Indo scene. The largest of Sumatra’s Barrier Islands, it gets the same huge SW swells as the Ments but can offer breaks for all levels that aren’t as busy as its more-famous near neighbors. It’s one to watch for the mid 2020s.
An introduction to Nias surf
There are the Ments. And then there’s Nias. It seems crazy to us that the largest of the Barrier Isles of western Sumatra has managed to remain so out of the spotlight in the last 30 years. While Playgrounds, Siberut, and others just on its southern side drew camera crews by the boat load, this oblong-shaped isle was almost completely ignored.
Until now. There’s a buzz beginning to settle on Nias, and we can see why…
For one thing, the island is ridiculously handsome. You know all those travel brochures of Indo looking like something plucked from the pages of Robinson Crusoe? Well…Nias is it. Sugar-white sands, jungled hills that tumble to an ocean of sapphire blue, villages built from palm fronds and bamboo – it’s stunning.
Then there’s the surfing in Nias, which has pretty much everything the Mentawais can offer plus emptier line ups. Yes, most of it is crammed into Teluk Lagundri – Langundri Bay – on the south coast, but there are inside and outside breaks there that suit all levels (even beginner, a level that’s often beach-bound on the Ments), plus plenty more spots waiting to be discovered, surfed, and named like some Karakoram peak in the 1910s.
Nias is becoming a big surf destination, even by Indonesian standards. There’s a growing array of fantastic surf charters and hotels. It’s good for all levels. It’s gorgeous. What more could you want?
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Indonesia
Nias surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Nias surf?
Where is Nias?
Nias sits between the Barrier Islands just off the western edge of Sumatra, which itself is in western Indonesia. It’s about 80 miles from the main port of Sibolga on the mainland of Sumatra itself, which is where you’re likely to pass through if you opt for a boat over.
Anyone who knows the ebbs and flows of the Indian Ocean swell should be licking their lips at that location, by the way. It’s smack dab on the path of the main SW dry season pulses that power all the best breaks in Southeast Asia.
How to get to Nias?
This is the tricky part. Nias is a bit harder to get to than the Ments, which now host so many boat charters and surf camps that there’s ferries and even charter flights heading their way every day.
Anyway, here’s what you gotta’ do…
- Flights to Indo – Depending on your starting location, you will want to book a flight to Indonesia. The two major international airports in Indonesia are Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Jakarta and Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali. We use Skyscanner to search all international links.
- Domestic Transfer –From either Jakarta or Bali, you can take a domestic flight to Medan’s Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) in Sumatra. Again, we typically use Skyscanner for this.
- Local Flight to Nias – From Medan, airlines like Wings Air operate flights to Binaka Airport (GNS) in Gunungsitoli, the largest town on Nias Island. Another option is to fly to Sibolga’s Ferdinand Lumban Tobing Airport (FLZ) from Medan, then take a ferry to Nias (this route might be less reliable due to possible weather interruptions or irregular schedules).
- Ferry – From Sibolga in Sumatra, it’s possible to reach Nias by ferry. PT. Pelni, the state-owned shipping company, operates a ferry service from Sibolga to Gunungsitoli, Teluk Dalam, and Lahewa in Nias.
Nias surf spots
Let’s run south to north up the surf-facing (south and east) coasts of Nias to reveal a little bit about all the best breaks that you can expect on this upcoming isle…
Hilisataro/Rockstar
Hilisataro is tucked further around the southern side of Nias island that just about any of the breaks that work consistently in that dry-season swell. It really hits its stride at sized of 8 foot+, when the reef here offers up a very quick barreling right that starts fast and quickly hollows out. It’s stick-the-rail-in, down-the-line stuff for the first 40m or so and then the shoulder shelves a little lighter before churning you out into the paddle channel to do it all again. It’s a cracking wave, usually totally deserted, though we’re not sure how long that will last!
Hiliduha/Dipi
Still a little sheltered from S swells but gets good wrap-around in SW swells in the dry season, Hiliduha is a wave for the scholars. It sucks fast and almost spits you out onto a vertical wall, so there’s only a few seconds to come down off the peak and rail into the right-hand shoulders. It basically barrels all the time when it’s over 4-5 foot, which is all the time in these parts. Rarely busy because most of the crowds are distracted by Lagundri, which is just around the corner.
Lagundri Beach
The beginner spot of Nias is tucked nice and deep into Lagundri Bay. It get the tertiary swell breaks after Indicators and The Point, so is usually a trickling knee-high thing that’s great for the local beginner schools and surf camps. You can track up the line a little to get chest-high waves with more exposure when you feel confident too. It’s like someone designed a wave for learners!
The Point
If you’re reading this guide because you saw Nias in a surf mag somewhere it was almost certainly a shot of The Point that piqued you’re interest. This is the Madonna of Lagundri Bay, breaking on the penultimate outer section of the inlet, where SW swells hit perfectly head on and NW dominant winds come in steadly offshore. All that adds up to create a barreling right that’s often touted as pure perfection. It’s ridiculously consistent and remains one of the busiest waves on the whole island for it. The keyhole paddle out is a cinch, too, and the wave is hardly technical. Basically, anyone intermediate and up can hit this one to score amazing almond-shaped tubes and a ride they’ll never forget.
Indicators
Indicators isn’t a barrel to be messed with. After changes to the shape of the reef below the water, this one’s gotta’ be caught at the dead-right moment or not caught at all. It’s steep, fizzing and hollow and spits anyone who thinks they can milk the thing dry out onto the shallowest, sharpest reef this side of Impossibles.
Bawa
The right on Bawa (one of the far-flung Hinako isles) was once thought of as a thing of beauty but we’d actually say it lacks a little bit of quality compared to the rest of Nias, and that’s not only because yours truly is a left-loving goofy foot. It’s also because the quake of 2005 has crumpled the reef to make what was already pretty gnarly shallow coral even more daunting. It’s also transformed the take-off from a clean peak to something that moves about like it’s anyone’s business. It’s still a great wave, especially with wet-season northerlies in town, but probably not worth the trek to Hinako on its own.
Asu Island
The marching lefts of Asu Island have been on the radar since the first Aussies braved western Sumatra in the 70s. An earthquake in 2005 altered the lay of the ocean a little, but it only served to speed up the already super-fast barrels here another couple of notches on the velocimeter. They break with a shifty peak on the north end of the rock, and curl Pavones-esque for 200-300 meters until they meet the shallower parts of the reef. There’s just one surf camp here and hardly anything else. Oh yea, and it’s a 5-hour ride from the main port in Nias itself. It’s a nightmare to reach but you could be the only one riding what’s a very special left.
Afulu
It’s a right trek getting to Afulu. You can either hitch a 4X4 up the whole island (takes like 4-5 hours) or hop over on boats after scoring the Hinako isles, which are midway between Lagundri and the spot. To be honest, things changed here so much in the aftermath of the 05′ quake that it’s hardly worth it unless you’re die hard about dodging crowds. The star was a peeling right hander barrel that was one of the most awesome big-pit waves to score around. Now, it’s on such shallow corals that only death wishers really hit it up. There are loads of big, wide beach breaks in the vicinity that haven’t yet been chronicled, which – we admit – is tempting.
Surf camps in Nias
Nias certainly isn’t inundated with surf camps but it would be remiss to say there aren’t any. The handful that make their home here are kinda’ bucket-list stuff for folks searching for the last frontiers of Indo waves. AKA, awesome. Check out the best…
- Hash & Family Surf Camp 10 Day All-Inclusive Surfari Camp for Beginners and Intermediates – If you’re just starting as a surfer but are totally drawn to the empty line ups of Nias, then this is the camp for you. It’s a great local package run by a local family. They have perhaps the single best location of any surf camp in Indo, overlooking the legendary Point in Lagundri Bay. You surf every day but there are five lessons throughout the week to help you along. Oh, and airport transfers are included in the package, which means you only have to sort those flights to Binaka, Nias, to get started. (These guys also have a dedicated package for advanced surfers).
- 11 Day Uncrowded Surf Camp in Asu Island at the Puri Asu Resort – The Puri Asu Resort is pretty legendary on the circuit. It’s actually on the Hinako Islands – Asu Island, to be exact. There, it sits smack dab in front of an epic left-hander that rolls across the north coast with barrels aplenty. It’s never busy and surfers at the resort get it almost to themselves. To make the travel easier, they can organize round-trip transfers to Binaka for around $130 per person.
Surf boat charters in Nias
As with the Ments before it, Nias is a haven for surf-boat charters. They were actually around long before the first on-land surf camps, and still have advantages – you can sail to spots to chase the all-important offshores, you can get out to the Hinako islands and offshore reef breaks.
To be honest, there’s just one that stands out from the crowd for us:
- Star Koat 2 Boat Charter Surf Trip in Banyak and Hinako Islands – Run by the same crew that do the fantastically rated Mentawai Surf Charters, the Star Koat 2 is a newly furbished yacht that offers trips to the Hinako islands just off Nias. The package costs roughly $3,000 per person but that gets you A LOT – think 11 nights on board, daily meals, access to waves that no one else can get to. Oh, and it’s a lux boat btw.
Best hotels/hostels in Nias for surfers
A full-on surf camp with included lessons or a boat charter certainly aren’t the only options here. We usually plump for a hotel close to the key breaks of Lagundri Bay, which is now a bit of a vibrant small town with its own surfer bars and restaurants.
These would be the hotels we look to first…
- Jamburae Lodge – We can’t recommend Jamburae Lodge enough. It’s a super-fun, half-hostel kinda’ stay with its own chillout terrace and billiard room. Feels like a real home away from home because the hospitality is so amazing, and The Point is a short walk away over the reef.
- Grace Wave Resort – A slightly more luxurious option that also flaunts a fantastic location right on the side of The Point, but also its own pool and well-furnished rooms with balconies.
Step-by-step guide to planning your [yoast_kw] trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the [yoast_kw]…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Nias?
The best time to surf in Nias is the Indonesian dry season. That lasts from April to October and ushers in a period when these islands boast a startling 100% swell consistency. Yep, 100%. That means surf every, single day. It comes up SW from over the Southern Ocean then and average 5-10 foot most days, which is dead on for getting The Point and the rest of Langundri pumping.
Don’t discount the wet season. There’s still a consistency that would make Cornwall blush going on, but the issue is the wind, which switches from offshore N-NE to more straight-on E. There’s also less action in the SW swells, so you can expect days to average 3-5 foot more often, which is better news for less-confident intermediates who want to expand their repertoire in reef surfing in this utter paradise.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
