Icelands

Icelands, Mentawai, Indonesia is a world-class reef break in the Mentawai Islands, known for its long, fast, powerful left-hander.

Quick description

• Type: Reef break
• Direction: Left
• Wave quality: High-performance, often long and hollow
• Best for: Experienced surfers, especially those comfortable on reef waves

What it’s like

Icelands is famous for its rippable walls, quick sections, and barrels when the swell lines up. It can offer a long, clean ride with multiple sections to work, making it one of the standout waves in the Mentawai chain. When it’s bigger, it becomes heavy and more committing, with plenty of power over the reef.

Conditions

• Best swell: South to southwest swells
• Best wind: Light offshore winds, typically from the east/northeast side depending on exact orientation
• Tide: Often best around mid to higher tides, though it can work across a range depending on size
• Bottom: Sharp coral reef

Crowd factor

Because it’s a famous Mentawai wave, Icelands can get crowded when boats and surf charters are around, but the quality of the wave usually makes it worth it.

Skill level

• Recommended level: Intermediate-plus to advanced
• Not ideal for: Beginners

Overall

Icelands is a high-performance, memorable reef break with classic Mentawai quality: tropical water, powerful lefts, and the potential for long, barreling rides.