Mandiri beach surf break South Sumatra
General surf information
Mandiri is a 7km long sandy beach. The south end faces SW and the north tip near Lintik faces S. When the sand banks are well defined and the wind off-shore it's an exceptional world class beachbreak. On these days you can expect heavy board breaking 2.4 mtr plus left and right peaks with spitting barrels over thigh deep water. The bottom might be sand but Mandiri Beach can produce some of the heaviest waves in the area.
Most people surf the peaks at the south end of the beach near the warungs but that's just because it's safer to park your motorcycle there. Far better and heavier empty peaks can usually be found further north towards Lintik.
Theft at Mandiri Beach is rampant, particularly towards Lintik. Not limited to personal belongings parts of your motorcycle can be stolen leaving you stranded. If you don't park near a warung (and buy a drink) you will need someone to guard you motorcycle while you surf.
The Winds
Wind direction is critical at Mandiri, when the wind is wrong Mandiri is an out of control mess.
June to October
June to September the winds are usually not favourable for Mandiri with strong onshore winds hitting by 10am. During these months early morning and late afternoon can sometimes offer clean conditions.
November to January
This is the worst of the rainy season and you can expect weeks of howling onshore winds and rain. On rare occassions usually during an El Niño January can be quite dry with light variable winds and swell size between .5 to 1.2 mtr.
February to May
This is the best time to surf Mandiri when off-shore winds prevail. In a favorable year the weather should also be starting to clear up.
Vibe in the water
When Mandiri is working the crowd is spread out between a number of peaks and there are plenty of waves for everyone. If you don't like the crowd your surfing with you can walk down the beach 100 mtrs to the next peak or find an empty peak and surf alone.
| Rating: | ★★★★★ When offshore and the sandbanks are well defined. |
| Access: | Paddle out. |
| Best Wind: | NE to E |
| Best Swell: | S to SW |
| Dangers: | Strong rips. Crocodiles near river mouth. |
| Crowd: | 10 on a peak |
Paddling out
Jump in a channel, time it right and you should be out in no time. Time it wrong and you will be dragged down the beach 500 mtrs.
Surfing here on a big swell with an outgoing tide can be dangerous. If you loose your board or get caught in a strong rip you can be swept offshore. There's often nobody around and even if there was there is no Surf Sea Rescue to call up and save you. It's never advisable to surf alone, especially at Mandiri beach.
When the rivers are flowing do not surf near the river mouths as there are dangerous crocodiles in the rivers and have been seen out in the salt water.