Ismari Surf Charter

Group Size: Max 10 guests
Number of Cabins: 5 air conditioned cabins 
Length of Stay: 11 days surfing / 12 nights on board
Destination: Mentawai, Telo & Banyak Islands
Surfing Ability: Intermediate to advanced only
Budget: Low to Medium
A/C: Whole interior - Cabins & dining room 
Photos: On request
Beers: 1 case of beers per person per trip
Tender: 4.2m inflatable powered by 40HP Yamaha engine
Port: Padang, West Sumatra

The Ismari charter boat is a beautiful traditional Indonesian “phinisi” that’s perfect for small groups looking to score uncrowded waves while enjoying quality facilities at a surprisingly affordable price tag. Each trip includes 12 nights and 11 days which is 1 more night and day than most operations, meaning you'll get even more bang for your buck.

The crew are spearheaded by Californian Blake Hales who has an experienced Indonesian team under his wing. Trips are typically to the Mentawai & Telo islands but a boat this size can easily do trips further north to Nias & even the Banyak islands. 

A beautifully crafted vessel both inside and out

The Ismari surf charter boat has plenty of space to sleep up to 10 guests in its 5 private cabins & 2 bathrooms.

Built from stunning teak and iron wood, in the traditional Phinisi Sulawasi way, the boat is fully air conditioned throughout the entire interior so you're guaranteed a great nights sleep - & with so many sleeping quarters it'll be easy enough to avoid any snorers in the group! 


5 air-con cabins on board

There is plenty of room to hang out and enjoy a meal in the interior dining saloon, although most will choose to spend their time on the large upper deck, that's protected from the tropical sun by a large shade. Complete with lounges & sun beds, there's no better place to watch your buddies surf, take an afternoon snooze or to enjoy an ice cold Bintang.

Enjoying a few late afternoon cold ones 

Plenty of room on deck

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.

One of the two guest bathrooms on board & interior dining area

Includes:

Daily meals
Snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks
Unlimited Tea, Coffee and Water 
1 complimentary case of beer "per guest" (more can be ordered prior to departure)

Dining area

During each trip aboard the Ismari, there will be 5 Indonesian crew members, who are always on-board, to maximise safety and service - as well as American owner & surf guide Blake Hales

The crew have over 10 years of combined experience on board surf charters in Indonesia, and include an Indonesian captain, engineer, chef, deckhand, as well as the surf guide.

Blake is originally from California and grew up at Laguna beach. After attending maritime academy for 4 years of university, Blake walked away with a degree in marine transportation and a license for the USCG to drive unlimited size vessels. His experience has been mainly driving tugboats as an officer and captain for 11 years in Alaska. That's no mean feat. Safety is his absolute biggest priority - right after having fun! Blake has teamed up with an extremely experienced crew of Indonesians to take care of everything. Rest assured you're in very capable hands.

What’s included

* Airport transfers to and from the boat in Padang
* 12 nights on board the Ismari surf charter surfing in the Mentawai, Telo or Banyak Islands
* Single bed in an a/c cabin
* 3 large, healthy delicious meals served each day
* Plenty of snacks, fruit Juices & soft drinks each day
* Unlimited tea, coffee and water each day
* Speedboat shuttles to the surf from dawn til dusk, all day every day
* Use of fishing and snorkeling equipment
* Fishing & island excursions
* Photos on request
* 1 case of beers per person
* All necessary zone permits
* US$ 3 a day Mentawai Government Tax

What’s not included

* Mentawai Surfer Tax (IDR 1,000,000 pp)
* Flights to and from Padang
* Hotel in Padang if needed
* Visa Fees and Departure Tax
* Any additional cost resulting from late arrival or the need of early departure
* Use of satellite phone
* Tips for the crew

Vessel Type: Traditional Indonesian Pinisi
Length: 26 metres / 85 ft
Speed Cruising: 8 knots
Power: Hino V8 360hp marine diesel engine
Facilities: Air conditioned, Refrigerator, Freezer
Accommodation: 5 air conditioned cabins with two bathrooms
Tender: 4.2m inflatable powered by 40HP Yamaha engine

Safety Equipment & Navigation

Life raft for 20 People
EPIRB Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
Life jackets for 20 people
Flares
Satellite phone available
Radios - VHF and SSB radios
GPS (2)
Radar
Depth Sounder
Extensive 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.

When booking a trip aboard the Ismari, 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 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
* 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.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. 

Arrive Padang airport by 1pm.

One of our staff will be waiting to take you to the harbor.

Depart harbour 6pm, arrive Mentawai or Telo islands early the next morning (Banyak Islands by request)

12 nights / 11 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.

Before booking a trip aboard Ismari, 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.