A fickle, world-class left in the Playgrounds that barrels from start to finish when the swell has enough west in it.
Also known as Ebay.
E-Bay is one of the best barrels in the Playgrounds, which is saying something in a cluster of reefs that holds more quality waves in a small radius than almost anywhere else in Indonesia. It breaks off Masokut Island, also known as Nyang Nyang, in the northern Mentawais, with Bank Vaults, Kandui and Rifles all a short boat ride away. Nobody out here is short of heavy waves. E-Bay still stands out.
Its reputation rests on one thing: the tube. Surfers who have ridden both regularly compare it to Padang Padang in Bali, and the comparison holds in the way the wave stands up and throws. It is also genuinely fickle. E-Bay wants some west in the swell to properly light up, and when the swell swings too far south the tip of the island blocks it and the reef sits there doing very little. When it does come together, it is one of the best lefts in the archipelago.
The wave
There are two take-off zones. The top one is the smoother entry and the one most people paddle for, though the first barrel section arrives quickly and catches out anyone treating it as a warm up. The second sits deeper down the reef, straight out from two large rocks that stand clear of the water and give you an unambiguous marker for where you are sitting. Those rocks are the visual signature of the wave and, at size, a fair share of the intimidation.
From that second peak the wave gets serious. The barrel sections grow longer and wider, and on the right swell they link, so it tubes from start to finish rather than in bursts. The closing section is called Greedys, and the name reads more as a warning than an invitation. It is where a wave that has already been generous turns unkind on anyone trying to squeeze out one more section.
Size and tide change it completely. Small to head high it is an approachable, rippable left with makeable barrel sections. Push past overhead and it gets hollower and heavier with every foot. Low tide draws it squarest, but it also pulls water off a reef that is shallow to begin with, so expect dry sections on the inside. Mid tide on the push is the sensible middle ground: still barrelling, still linking, with enough water for a mistake to stay survivable. High tide softens it into a performance wall.
Conditions at a glance
- Wave type: Left-hand reef break
- Best swell: SW to W groundswell, needs some west in it
- Best wind: E to NE offshore, light SE also works
- Best tide: Mid, on the push
- Best size: 3ft to 8ft
- Season: April to October
- Crowd: Busy whenever it is properly on. Several camps sit within minutes of the reef, so the line-up fills fast and the vibe can get sharp on the good days. Charters tend to work the tide and pick their window.
- Where: Playgrounds area, North Mentawai
Who it suits
This is an advanced wave and we would rather say so plainly. The take-off is tight, the drop is close to vertical once there is size in it, the reef is shallow and unforgiving, the current runs hard on bigger swells, and there are rocks in the middle of the equation. If you have not surfed a hollow reef before, watch a few sets from the boat and be honest with yourself. There is no shame in that, and the Playgrounds has plenty of waves within minutes that will not punish you for learning.
Solid intermediates do get a lot out of E-Bay on the right day. At three to four feet on a pushing mid tide it is genuinely fun and the barrels are makeable. But the version people travel for, double overhead and grinding, is an experienced surfer's wave and nothing else. Bring a board you trust in the tube, and if it is on and busy, be realistic about how many you will actually get.
How to surf E-Bay with WaveBorn
Because E-Bay is fickle, a boat is the honest way to surf it. Ombak Kabau runs 11 nights and 10 surf days for up to 10 guests and roams the entire Mentawai chain following the swell. That flexibility is the whole point at a wave like this. If the swell has too much south in it and the reef is not switched on, we move instead of leaving you to sit and hope.
Odyssey Mentawai is our 46ft catamaran for up to eight guests, with a surf pro on board, covering the Mentawai and the quieter Tello Islands. Having someone aboard who has watched this reef through a lot of swells counts for plenty here, because knowing which of the two peaks to sit on, and when to give the end section away, is most of the game. Both boats work the tide and the crowd, since several camps sit right on this wave and the line-up fills quickly.
Trips that reach it: Ombak Kabau and Odyssey Mentawai .
Nearby breaks
E-Bay sits within easy reach of Pitstops, Bank Vaults, Beng Bengs and Nipussi , which is what makes this part of the archipelago so productive: if the wind or swell does not suit one reef, another is usually working a short ride away.
More breaks in North Mentawai
- Rifles : A machine-like right that runs for hundreds of metres and is widely rated one of the best on earth.
- Kandui : A hollow, mechanical left in the northern Playgrounds, often called the Mentawai answer to Teahupoo in miniature.
- Burgerworld : A long, playful right-hand reef point in the Playgrounds that switches on when the heavier North Mentawai reefs go flat.
- Hideaways : A world-class Playgrounds left that opens with a hollow ledge and runs into a long rippable wall, over reef that punishes greed.
Conditions here are a guide, not a guarantee. Our crew reads the swell, wind and tide each morning and puts you on the break that matches your surfing that day. See the full Mentawai surf spots guide or browse every break we surf.