Togat Nusa

By Jeff Shapiro

By KAVU

March 19^th, 2024

Where to even start......

My friend (and absolute legend), Tim Emmett and I were at the Bozeman Ice Festival together, when after climbing one day he mentioned, "hey mate... you know what?.... Some mates and I are planning a surf trip to celebrate my 50th birthday, and a few of the other guys birthdays... to the Mentawai's off the coast of western Sumatra. Have you heard of it? We're looking for a couple more to go on the trip. Would you like to join us"?

I think it took me all-of-about 3 seconds to say unequivocally.... "Absolutely"!!!

If there's one thing a KAVU life has taught me, it's that when opportunities for adventures like this come along, just say yes and figure it out.

So, just like that.... I was totally committed. Funny thing was, although I'd traveled in the same circles with many of these guys, I knew no one other than Tim.

Tim and I had originally connected through a close, mutual friend, along with a shared passion for climbing rock, ice, and BASE jumping wing suits. And I knew that this entire group had grown up dedicating their lives to mountain arts like climbing, skiing and alpinism. So, although I didn't know any of them, I knew we also had a lot in common. I'd also heard and read of some of their exploits over the years, and was super excited to have the opportunity to finally meet them.... and humbled by the invite.

Anyone who's traveled to Malaysia or Indonesia knows that it's about two full days of planes, trains and automobiles to get to your destination. To start things off, my first flight was cancelled. That first faulty link in my chain of travel meant that I consistently missed every connection after that, and needed to have my itinerary changed, and re-routed about 4 times along the way. After many lines, making confusing connections in various airport terminals, and about 4 hours of sleep in 48, I finally got off the plane in Padang to run for the boat where the boys were patiently waiting for me.... as the last of the crew to arrive.

Most others would have taken the boat across the straight and let me figure it out on my own, but this group of mostly strangers put their trip on hold just so they didn't leave me behind. I pretty instantly knew I was in the company of an epic group of humans, thanking them all as they handed me a Bintang when I climbed on the boat.

Togat Nusa

And just like that, we were in paradise.

The story of Johnny and Ainsley Ocean is full of kindness, adventure, and making dreams reality. They met in Hawaii, and then through their travels found that they wanted to make a home in the Mentawai island chain. So, they built the now well-known surf retreat, "Kandui" before realizing that it's popularity came at a price.

Looking for a different pace brought them to this small island, which through lots of hard work, love, blood and sweat resulted in Togat Nusa retreat. The care and attention to detail of this place makes it easy to see that it wasn't a "surf hotel" they wanted to create, but a home they were open to sharing.

The wood for all of the structures was found right on the island. Drift wood, beach wood and various hard woods were expertly crafted into pretty luxurious spaces to rest and crash out after a long day of surf and diving. It was easy to tell that every single piece of wood was placed with intention and for us, it was instantly comfortable.... like a home away from home.

All of the structures are tucked into the jungle just off the white sand beach, with sandy walkways connecting back to the community "restaurant" space that was obviously going to be the heart of the party.

There is also a beautiful yoga space as well, which was used daily and made a massive difference for a bunch of old dudes who've beat up their bodies over the years. Being able to stretch before and after time in the water made such a huge difference in our overall health and enjoyment while we were on this trip.

Outdoor showers, tree houses, a garden for growing food, and of course, views of one of the best waves I've ever been lucky enough to surf made for endless opportunity to explore.

Like I said, Paradise!

Our crew.... Jake, Valtteri, Matt, Ian, Damien, Timmy, Todd, Jimmy, Andrew, Dennis and Jonny are all Canadian.... most of whom now live in, or around Squamish, BC.

The large majority of these guys are passionate SUP'ers (standup paddle boarders) with a few other traditional surfers (like me). What I learned quickly.... was that these guys love to surf and do it well... but what became even more obvious was that they're all legendary humans. There wasn't a single negative moment in the entire 16 days we were there, and each of them added such a necessary ingredient for this to truly be a trip of a lifetime for me. To say I'm grateful is an understatement.

And the Togat crew!!! These guys are all time!!

Abby teaching daily yoga and sharing waves with us.... Terry made it obvious nothing was ever too much trouble (...also super styley on a short board), Gill would take us out in the boat, delivering us to the lineup with a ever-present smile, and Annie (and her staff) would cook us a variety of delicious and healthy food every day.

And, our surf guide Sam was about the most mellow cat I've met in a long time. He was always calm, soft spoken, and clearly stoked out of his mind to surf. Over 20 years younger than most of us, he was wise beyond his years and I learned a lot by just watching him surf. Talent, skill, and a LOT of style, the dude plain rips.

Our group won the lottery by being taken care of by this epic group of unique people. Later in the week, Jason Acott also arrived from taking photos of pros and surfing Cloudbreak. He's the Togat Nusa photographer, and seamlessly flowed into our group of hooligans, capturing memories that will help us to never forget the time and waves on our trip.

Oh.... and of course the wildlife. A few cats, some big Monitor lizards, Barney and Scruntchy (the dogs) and last-but-not-least, Squiggles (who would occasionally sneak up and take a nibble of your toes) all added flavor to time on the island.

But.... we were here to surf! And even in the off-season, there are world-class waves right out the front door.

Above is a short video that Matt edited of our trip. It's a fun wrap up of a bunch of days sharing waves, laughs and making memories.

One thing is for sure..... I'll be back!! This was a trip of a lifetime and there will never be another trip quite like it. But, after spending nearly 3 weeks on that island with the crew at Togat Nusa, I pretty much have to go back.