Once you have left the aircraft, got your visa on arrival, and cleared customs, you can then collect your luggage and go to the exit where someone will be waiting for you and transfer you and your boards to the boat or a hotel to relax until departure time. Your surfboards will go directly to the boat. The boat usually departs about 6 p.m. depending on your flight arrivals and also Crystal Clear's provisioning. You will steam overnight and try to arrive at the first surf spot at dawn if the weather permits.
Before you leave the port, you will have a group meeting. You will be given a welcome and safety speech by the captain or surf guide and also you and the Crystal Clear team will discuss the surf factoring in weather conditions, swell size, the location of other boats, etc. The areas are world-class surfing areas, with a wide range of different surf breaks for all levels of surfing.
Itinerary
There are two different trips, one is to the Mentawai islands in and out of Padang.
The second is to the Tello, Nias, Hinako and Banyak Islands in and out of Padang.
All these islands are about 80 kilometers off the west coast of Sumatra.
The itinerary is flexible because the group needs to take into account the different conditions for the waves you will be surfing, wind, swell direction, tides, other surfers, etc.
So before the group departs Padang, there will be a team meeting and Michael, your guide, will explain the different options and what he thinks is best then the group can make a plan based on the passengers' input and his experience and off you go.