Playgrounds (North) · Indonesia
Surfing Bank Vaults
A right reef in Playgrounds (North), Indonesia, for advanced and pro surfers.
Bank Vaults is a thick right over a shallow shelf in the north Mentawais that handles big swells. When the forecast shows 8-10ft and the lighter waves close out, this reef starts to work.
The peak is steep and moves around, and the barrel throws wide and lands hard on the shelf. Even at double overhead it can be ridden, but only by surfers used to big waves and with a strong paddle.
South in the swell helps it bend in, and S-SE winds clean it up. Keep an eye on the tide. Charters anchor wide and take surfers to the takeoff by dinghy. Take a proper step-up, 6'6" or longer for most people.
When to surf
Bank Vaults
Bank Vaults is at its best from April to October. Conditions it likes: SW swell, S-SE wind.
April to May: Good
Fewer boats and good swell
June to August: Prime
Peak season: maximum swell, maximum boats, book long ahead
September to October: Prime
Still good swell, fewer boats
November to March: Quiet
Small season: playful sizes, big discounts, empty lineups
The year across Mentawai Islands
Waves near Bank Vaults
Nipussi
1 kmPlaygrounds (North) · Right Reef · Intermediate / Advanced
Pitstops
2 kmPlaygrounds (North) · Right Reef · Intermediate / Advanced
E-Bay
3 kmPlaygrounds (North) · Left Reef · Advanced
Straight-line distances. By road it is usually further.
Getting there
Where to stay: Everything here is a full-board package including speedboat transfers from the Padang ferry, there are no walk-in rooms. Land camps beat charter boats on price and give you the same waves. For June-August book 6-12 months out; shoulder season (March-May, Sept-Nov) has waves and space. Known places: Kandui Resort and the more upmarket Kandui Villas are both on Karangmajat island, in the middle of the Playgrounds waves.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Playgrounds (North) guide.
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