Telo Islands?

farbz · Post by **farbz** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:30 pm

Thinking about going here.

http://www.teloislandlodge.com/index.asp

Anyone have any feed back ?

albert · Post by **albert** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:47 pm

looks fun, but it looks like its already booked out for the season...

farbz · Post by **farbz** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 6:00 pm

yeah ...I am thinking about 2010.

bunch of mates to celebrate the big four O.
Looks like it has some cruisy waves for the blokes who only surf now and then.

halbs · Post by **halbs** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:39 pm

Hi Farbz I did a fair amount of research last year when looking at visiting the Telos aboard the Nusa Dewata after getting the word from some seasoned travellers, however sadly we had to choose a different location [Panaitan Island] due to lack of numbers.The lodge looks nice but fairly exssy and I was keen to do a boat trip, there is one of those free dvds that came with a Surfing Life mag last year it was about all the current young guns and it is based at the lodge, infact one young guy does a bit of Kneeboarding only for a laugh though, it shows the waves and the lodge pretty well, its called Incoming if you can track one down well worth a look. there are some nice waves in the area best of luck with it!

Sparrow · Post by **Sparrow** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:20 am

Hi Farbz,
I surfed all this area in the early 90`s and some of that is on my latest movie in the bonus footage. None of the waves had names as stated by this surf camp. The waves are a very mixed bag but i would say it covers more so for the lower to mid skilled or a better way of putting it the waves will not tear you a new arse#ole. The place is beautiful & even though ive mentioned the surf & surfers that are attracted to the area are not charging adrenaline seekers some waves that are not shown are very good & are lots of fun but do require long boat rides which im not sure they are willing to do on this camp. I stayed at an Island called sipika which had a very challenging outer reef right that would hold very large waves but open to wind.
Many of the companys that do the Mentawai`s are doing trips into this part now & Im sure it is not uncrowded as you would think. The camp holds only small numbers but its open to boat tours also. It also is quite easy to access these islands yourself if you are adventurous from Nias. They have ferries that will take you out that supply food etc, to the islands. Well that was back then before all these company`s jumped in anyway & places like this were true adventures. I stayed with an Australian guy called Brad who married a local girl & built his house on a remote island (Sipika as stated before) Basic living no crowds, warm water over reef breaks.
Brad told me about some amazing set ups that he had surfed about 2 hours away by his boat that would blow my mind away but it was a crazy season for abnormal weather & the normal trades were all over the place so i never saw these spots but im sure they are out there. There are a few waves I showed at the end of the bonus section in my movie where i show a virgin reef break. When it pops up you see a guy with a helmet on just behind the wave when im doing a cut back, This is Brad & he would not come over & surf this break with me, the whole time he was saying this is not surfable, too shallow! but i convinced him to come out though he paddled into only one wave and tore himself a new (you know what

)
The other wave im surfing must be that wave they are calling Max's left. Once it gets big this wave just turns into a sucky take off then cut back city

Its very expensive i think for the quality of the waves but what is the price on having fun?

Good luck

farbz · Post by **farbz** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:27 am

cheers guys.
I do`get the impression that this jont is a bit fickle.

griz · Post by **griz** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:29 pm

thanks Simon for filling in the gaps on that 90`s left in your movie as it was doing in my head in figuring out where I`d seen it. I did 4 seasons at Telos in early 90`s camped out on Subranan (where the camp now is) and in Telo town.Encountered and had a run in with Mr. Brad on a few ocassions but eventually learnt he was run off for operating an illegal business (wasn`t greasing up the local military)First got wind of Sipika via a mates movie and was blown away but after trying to get it on for the next 4 seasons(4 x 2 months) only got it on once,prevailing trades just wreck it and could not figure out why anyone would stick a camp there.Would agree with you Simon on the quality of the remainder of locations around North Telo, "B" grade at there best,with perhaps 1 exception.Had our own outboard as a boat is an absolute must otherwise your stuck surfing an average left and right.Brad was right though,the real value was at the tip of South Telo.An absolutely sick right at Duro Dua which I`d bet now is first call of all boats coming up from the south.After surfing this joint to ourselves for a couple of seasons we gave up on the previously mentioned area,featured in movie "The Hole" surfed by Garth Dickenson,mag spread of Parko.As good as an Indo right gets although only surfable a couple hours either side of high tide yet bone dry at full high,lots of fun and mindlessly hollow.Would agree it would have to be very popular now(more so thanks to new camp coverage)as it also caters for Nias overflow .Just remember if you fork out the skins at the camp,you will not have it to yourselves.All this aside,they are the most beautiful islands I`ve stayed on in Indo.

Sparrow · Post by **Sparrow** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:14 am

Hi Griz,
I loved the walk from the sandy beach out the back then through the edge of the island (Subranan) & view the left running down the reef with never anyone on it. The locals were so friendly & the kids loved borrowing my board & just paddling around at high tide. Good memories.
You might be able to tell me if you ever saw anyone surf that island in the back ground when looking out at the left. On the other side was this left that Brad kept telling me it could not be surfed but was one of the best surfs i had on my trip.
Brad was amazingly annoying the whole time. He had great knowledge of the area but was shocking at the social skills. His surf manners were less than friendly & sure as hell didnt like that a guy on his knees went against his advice & proved him very wrong. I can see how you had run ins with him in the water, we all did

I still remember how quiet he was on the trip back to Sipika after he & I surfed this ? unsurfed reef & he got torn a new assh#le on the only wave he got the courage up to stroke into.

It was funny for me

Thats very interesting about him being run out of town, always wondered if he kept it up & running. He use to work in the mines in WA so he told me in the off season?
There is no doubt about the beauty of the place

That is interesting about your sipika experience, we found early mornings sessions was the time to hit that place. Light winds to glass offs early. I do remember having the worst experience with some kind of zapping lice in the water out there. Each bight felt like an electric shock with very nasty welts from each. I was over powered on one session & just could not take it even when the place was cranking at 8ft+. The camp of his (Brad) was very basic hidden well in the bush with no view what so ever. It was a beautiful home built on stilts that was the largest mosquito net ive ever seen. No solid walls from what i remember, just beams & mosquito nets. Not good for the privacy & dam hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, good to hear your experience of the area Griz.

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:33 am

Ahaaaa! I knew it wasn't perfect, Mosquitos

I hate em, and they love me

farbz · Post by **farbz** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:37 pm

geeze Simon

water bugs that give electric shocks and leave welts doens't sound too good.

The blokes I am thinking of going with are fairly average surfers.

...UM 8ft over coral sounds pretty damn heavy to me anyway.

I was kind of looking for a joint that would cater for both of us.
Easy stuff to some quality barrells..with a fair chance of not being sliced to ribbons in the middle of the jungle.
That pinnacles looks about as fat as some of my mates and would be perfect for them.
Plus of a lot of the fella's are right into fishing.

Got any other idea's for places like what I am after.
Tavarua Fiji would be too much like a resort holiday which means my missus would want to come along.
I love her ....but this one is about getting some waves and getting on the cans with my mates.
So I need it to have that feral twist to it.

griz · Post by **griz** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:21 pm

G`day Simon, yeah pulled in and checked that left a couple of times on the way back from surfing the rights on third island away from Sibranan.Very sketchy mate,probably looks a lot different from the beach but from a boat it appeared to be slabbing down mercilessly so no mate you would have to be the first.I guess that gives you naming rights.Our encounters with Mr. Brad wear not good,as were most of the locals around those parts as well which probably played a large part in him being run off.Whilst out at Sipika one afternoon him and a boat load of muppets he had roped into his camp cruised by for a look and dropped the pick next to our boat.To this day we still believe he played a hand in our anchor rope mysteriously snapping and then they proceeded to watch our boat drift away into the distance without any effort to stop it.Rates very high in lowest acts at sea I reckon.An hour and a half paddle to retrieve it,not happy Jan.Might explain why he gave us a wide berth where ever we surfed from that point on which was probably wisest for his personal health.This kind of action helped cement the decision to bail south .I agree with you about the postcard quality of Sibranan,the most idealic sheltered beach off the swell and an even time walk to either the left or right,we just got over the lack of barrels otherwise I`d still be there .Farbz,I would still rate it above a lot of other Indo destinations though,because of the previously mentioned and also because it is so together and pristene.Telo town was one of the cleanest Indo fishing towns I`ve ever seen and sells the coldest Tangs in these parts,but I won`t go into a night we fluked with a couple of backpacking Swedish dick nurses.Happy hunting.

farbz · Post by **farbz** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:13 pm

sweedish dick nurses

?????

I hope they were not sweedish nurses with dicks.

Because I'll go to Bangkok for that sort of holiday thanks very much.

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:40 pm

This thread is getting good!

Lucky that Brad dude wasn't shot by the military I reckon.