Imagining which of the Mentawai’s 50-plus waves you will bank and glide across enlivens a thousand pre-departure dreams. The excitement begins the minute you book your charter and only grows. Soon enough you will be navigating a tropical wonderland, feasting on an array of premium waves with a gang of your best mates. You have tickets to the Willy Wonka Wave Factory and life is rainbows.
That’s the dream anyway. But even within that dream, reality pokes its misshapen head - especially if you’re a middle-aged surfer. You know it’ll be crowded at all the famous spots – maybe hysterically so. You know you’re not as fit as you once were and accept the hard science that the balding wrinkle sack in the mirror really is you. That five grand is a stretch on the family budget, and has been drawn to your attention. But you’re also keenly aware that you’re not getting any younger and the Ments aren’t getting any less popular so the time to surf them is probably now… while you still
