One of the most perfect, awe-inspiring left-hand reef breaks in the world is found in the Mentawais, Indonesia: Macaronis. This break is renowned for its mechanical perfection and its ability to produce some of the most perfect barrels and fun waves on the planet at any size, any tide and any wind direction.
Despite its playful nature, Macaronis is a challenging, hollow wave with many shallow spots; encounters with the reef are common and occasionally serious.
From knee-high to double overhead, sets appear on the horizon outside the point, descending upon Macaronis takeoff zone at high speed to unload perfectly shaped barrels, which then wrap around the long reef with alternating wall bashing and tubing sections. Macaronis gradually slows down as it approaches the channel but the ride from the top to bottom of the curvaceous reef is a thrill in almost any condition.
The further up the point you paddle, the faster the wave at Macaronis will barrel from take-off. After the initial barrel ride, this wave offers one of the most rippable walls for any maneuvers you can think of. Rides can last up to 150 meters.
What are the best surf conditions for Macaronis?
Gets good between overhead to double overhead. We recommend riding your standard shortboard or step-up when bigger here. Macaronis in Mentawais is best suited to intermediate to advanced surfers. The surf here is very consistent (8/10) and always has a crew (7/10). The best winds for Macaronis are East. The best swell direction is from the South, Southwest and West. Works on all tides.
We recommend wearing boardshorts or a bikini year round. Water temperatures range from 28 to 25 year round. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
150M LONG WAVE
Reef break OVER Coral BOTTOM
