Wavepark.

About

Wavepark is a left-hand reef break that fronts the WavePark resort on Karangmajat Island, in the Playgrounds region of the northern Mentawai chain. It’s the resort’s house wave — visible from the dining hall and a short paddle from the beach. Compared to neighbouring Kandui’s freight- train barrel, this one is built for turns: long, peeling walls with the occasional hollow section, less penalty for a mistimed line.

Wavepark wants south-west swell with 11s and beyond of period; the wave fires through the same dry-season window as the rest of the chain. East trade winds are clean offshore. All tides work, with mid the most predictable. Wavepark is forgiving by Mentawai standards — it goes from waist-high right up through head-and-a-half overhead before the size starts to overload the reef.

Intermediate to advanced. The reef is shallow coral and unforgiving on the inside, but the take-off zone sits in deep water and the wave telegraphs its sections. Crowds are thinner than at Kandui or Hollow Trees because most of the line-up is resort guests; charter boats running the Playgrounds usually paddle out only when the bigger breaks are closing out. Sit deep, take a turn, and watch the inside section as the tide drops.