Scott Balogh
Red Frog Bungalows
Bocas Del Toro Panama
http://www.redfrogbungalows.com

My name is Lori and I’m big fan of , reading it regularly, I enjoy your posts and share your interest in <blog surfing.

I’m writing a blog about surfing and have linked back to you in http://www.thesurfingvillage.com/when-global-warming-meets-the-sharks-67.html

I would really appreciate if you could link to my blog or exchange links with me, so more people would reach our blogs

I will also be honored if you would let me post a guest post on your blog or vice versa.

Best,
.

BREAKING NEWS - VIDEO OF MEETING NOW ONLINE http://www.mmta-mentawai.org

Padang - Charter boats that do not have a license to take tourists surfing in the Mentawai Regency, West Sumatra will be controlled. In the near future, the Regional Government of Mentawai will operate patrols to check the boats that carry tourists surfing that enter the area without permission.

Head of the Department of Tourism Mentawai, Zulkarlin, said the Mentawai Regional Government will operated the patrols and control all the boats that entered (the area). In his estimate there are about 60 vessels that do not have a marine tourism license to operate in Mentawai, they only have permission from the harbour-master to navigate to Mentawai waters.

He stressed, the Mentawai Regional Government did not intend to determine a quota on the number of surfing tourists that arrive. What will be arranged is that all the (licensed) operators of marine tours will receive the same opportunity. The restrictions have been put in place to minimize the risk of collisions between one surfer and another.

“Surfing is an adventure sport but we dont want to see a uncontrolled scramble for every wave, for example if one surfing spot already has a tourist boat in place, the other tourist boats have to wait their turn,” said Zulkarlin.

According to Zulkarlin, at this time there are five marine tour companies that have bu licenses to operate surfing businesses in Mentawai, they (collectively) have 30 passenger vessels taking tourists to Mentawai. Each ship pays Rp20 million per year to the Mentawai Regional Government for the moment and Rp30,000 per day for each person.

“From this surfing tourism fee, this year we aimed at an income of around Rp1,2 billion,” He said. To accommodate candidates for marine tourism in Mentawai, Zulkarlin suggested that there is a need to revise the Regional Regulations No 16/2002 (PERDA No16 2002) related to marine tourism fees/retribution. “With the stage of development now, possibly this Regional Regulation should be revised, so that all candidates will be able to have the same opportunity, (providing that it is) in accordance with the rule and the current procedures,” he said.

In the meantime, the Head of the Mentawai Department of Income, Finance and Regency Assets (BPKKD), Nurdin, said that last year the fee that was deposited by the maritime tour businesses in Mentawai was around Rp500 million. The prediction is that this total will increase when all the vessels pay the fees. Nurdin estimates that, if in one year approximately 3,000 surfing tourists arrived, and if they, respectively paid Rp30,000 (per day), and most of them stay in the area for 10 days, then the total fee that could be raised, will be around Rp900 million, and that is only the fees for surfers.

For the moment, the Vessel Tax/Fee, will be about Rp600 million per annum, with the assumption, that 30 charter boats that received a license all pay Rp20 million per year. So from the surfing business sector, we can raise at least Rp1,5 billion per year. “He said, there are seven ‘exclusive’ wave locations where the number of visitors are managed/limited, these are Silabu, in Katiet, in Mapadegat and in Nyang Nyang.”

The Mentawai Regional Government plans, said Nurdin, to divide the wave zones into three types, the exclusive zones, where visitors must pay the fee, the economy price zones that are allocated for beginners and the free zones, where anyone can surf without paying a fee.

In the meantime, Un Suheri (Un), Head of the Mentawai Marine Tourism
Association, fully supports the Mentawai Governments plan to control surf boats arriving in Mentawai. Un says that because of the number of
unlicensed vessels entering Mentawai without permission, the (licensed)
surfing industry is currently depressed and operating at a loss.

The owner of PT. Saraina Koat Mentawai that has six vessels explained,
that in the same period last year he had a total of 10 trips, but now he
has only two trips. “If previously (each boat) could expect 15 trips a
year, now they get at most 3 trips a year,” he said. He estimated that
proceeds from the surfing industry in Mentawai, is around Rp40 billion a
year. However because of many companies that did not have permission and are not paying fees and taxes, the income that was received by the
Mentawai Regional Government is not being maximized.

Wannasurf.com suggests a springsuit for that time of year, but I would say you’d should definitely bring a 3/2 fullsuit. Southern Brazil gets cool/cold. It’s off-season down there, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a hostel either. There are some good ones by the Lagoa near Praia Mole. We didn’t stay in a hostel but I would expect it to be in teh $15/night range. The island is super fun, there’s a university there so it has a great nightlife.

As for Rio area, I dont’ know much about the surf there but it’s definitely warmer so you probably only need a spring suit/shorty up there.

For air temps, Rio will be warm 70-80s. Floripa will be cooler, not quite beach weather. It can also get cold in the south. Have a killer trip!

Evan

Wondering if you could help……. Im off to Brazil in May for 2 weeks of surfin and lazing about. Trip is starting off in Rio for about 5 days, then making my way down to Floripa for the remainder of my stay.

What I need to know from someone whom has surfed these areas in May is:

How warm is the water going to be? Boardshorts/wetsuit?

How warm is the air temp going to be? Burnt to a crisp or moderate and wet?

Also apart from the obvious breaks that keep on popping up on my Google searches, can anyone point me in the direction of some other spots that are really worth checking out?

Accommodation - How easy would it be to just rock up in Floripa and find a hostel? As I am travelling on my own this would seem to be the obvious choice of accommodation. What sort of price would I be looking to pay?

If anyone who is reading this is going to be out there when im there then please get in touch!

Thanks all

Alan