A quiet right-hand reef break north of Krui that comes alive on wet season north-westerlies, when the rest of this coast has gone onshore.
Jenny's Right breaks at Pantai Negri Tumbang, in the Pesisir Utara district up the coast from Krui town. Older guides list it as Drew's Right, and you will also see it written as Lunak Kunyit. Whatever you call it, the appeal is simple: this is a right-hand reef break on a coast famous almost entirely for its lefts.
Opinions vary more than you might expect. Some guides rate it highly and talk about long rippable walls with the odd barrel, while others reckon it is a short wall that wraps quickly around the reef shelf and little more. Both are fair, depending on the day you get. What everyone agrees on is that it is usually quiet, that it is offshore when the rest of this coast is not, and that it is easier to get into than most of its neighbours.
The wave
It is a right-hand reef break over live coral. The take-off is steepish, straight in front of the reef shelf, and the wave then bends around that shelf and walls up down the line. Most reports put the ride at around a hundred metres, and some stretch that to a hundred and fifty on the better days. There is a bit of everything in there: barrel sections when it is hollow enough, and long open faces to turn on when it is not.
Wind is what sets this wave apart from the rest of the Krui coast. It is groomed by a north-west to west wind, so it comes into its own from roughly November through to April, the wet season, exactly when the dry season standards down the road have gone onshore and ragged. The trade-off is swell. Wet season swells here are smaller and shorter in period, so Jenny's is inconsistent rather than reliable, which is why most guides file it as an off-season option.
It breaks on all tides and takes a broad range of south to south-west swell, working from waist high to well overhead, with three to six foot the sweet spot. Lower tides make it hollower and shallower, and the end section is the part to watch, because it shuts down over shallow reef. The entry is a steep reef jump, manageable by local standards, with a keyhole that usually gets you out dry haired. On a bigger swell that jump turns awkward and a paddle from the beach is wiser.
Conditions at a glance
- Wave type: Right-hand reef break
- Best swell: South to south-west swell. It will take a broad range of directions, but it wants some period behind it to line up properly.
- Best wind: North-west through west. These are the wet season winds, which blow offshore here while the rest of the Krui coast has gone onshore.
- Best tide: All tides break. Low is hollower and shallower, particularly on the end section, so mid to high is the more forgiving call.
- Best size: Waist high to double overhead, best around 3 to 6ft.
- Season: About October to April, the wet season, when the wind sits offshore. It can break at any time of year.
- Crowd: Usually light, roughly a handful to twenty surfers, and far quieter than the well known waves south of Krui. The northern district has got busier since surf camps opened along it, so it is no longer the empty stretch it was a decade ago.
- Where: Krui coast, Pesisir Barat, Krui, South Sumatra
Who it suits
Confident intermediates and up. Set against the heavier waves on this coast it is forgiving, and that is a genuine part of its reputation, but forgiving over coral in a remote district still asks for a standard. You need to make a steep drop, ride a wall without falling on the shallow parts, and time your entry and exit off the reef. Booties are worth having, and coral cuts and urchins are part of the deal.
It is not a beginner wave and there is no point pretending otherwise. Mandiri Beach, a sand-bottom break further down the coast past Krui town, is where people learn on this stretch, and that is a fair ride away rather than a stroll. Proper medical care is a long way off, so treat any cut seriously and clean it the same day, and petty theft has been reported here, so do not leave valuables unattended on the beach. Crowds are light, usually a handful to twenty, though this northern district is busier than it was now that camps have opened along it.
How to surf Jenny's Right with WaveBorn
Jenny's Bamboo Surfcamp sits right on this wave, which makes it the simplest break on the coast for us to reach. The camp is our bamboo camp at Krui, with four waves breaking out front, and this is one of them. Checking it means walking down for a look rather than strapping boards to a bike, and on the mornings it is on you can be out there before your coffee goes cold.
The rest of the time you move. Around twelve named breaks sit within scooter range along this coast and there is scooter rental at the camp, which matters at a wave this fussy about wind. Our family have surfed this stretch for years, and the useful part of staying here is knowing which of the dozen is working on the day you have got. Ask before you paddle out, go early, and take the good windows when they line up.
Trips that reach it: Jenny's Bamboo Surfcamp .
Nearby breaks
Jenny's Right sits within easy reach of Honey Smacks, Jimmy's Left, Jimmy's Right and Ujung Bocur , 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 Krui, South Sumatra
- Way Jambu : The Sumatran Pipeline: a heavy, shallow left on the Krui coast that throws thick barrels from the take-off and punishes mistakes.
- Mandiri Beach : A long run of black sand south of Krui that catches every south swell, throwing thick shifting barrels for anyone willing to walk and start early.
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.