Saint Matthias Group, Frontier Charters : The Waves
Papua New Guinea

By Australian Skipper of Exocoetus, Andrew Rigby
These were discovered on our visits throughout the year but mostly late October and another in November when huey sent some swell. There are many more miles to explore. No one has surfed these waves before; it’s a good feeling to hear the locals say the first person to ever surf the si bruk (sea break) standing on foam and fibreglass is me. This is obvious by the crowds that gathered to watch as I surfed.

The following waves are a short dory (longboat) ride from the boats mooring in a lagoon at Nae Village eastern side of Mussau, near the most southern part of the island.

Lookouts : left hander that hooks around the point at Nae. There is a fast hollow take off peak out the back, which links up with an inside peak. Charging down the line, this inside peak horseshoes’ creating a great barrel section. This is a critical wave, care taken to pull in, in time so as to avoid the impending reef. It works best on an outgoing tide, moderate N/E to N swell.

Lobsters : Another left-hander at Nae Village is much more mellow than lookouts but so workable and tons of fun. Lookouts and lobsters doesn’t get the prevailing N/E swell as much as the breaks further north, so it presents a great option for the less advanced surfers in a moderate to large swell.

The following waves are a dory ride from the mooring, further up the east coast of Mussau.

Tasitel : A right-hander. This wave is best at three to four feet, any bigger and it tends to close out. This wave is heaps of fun! Perfect for all abilities.

Coconuts : this breaks 8 miles north of lookouts, and faces a North-easterly direction, and so is open to a more northerly swell than lookouts and lobsters. Only been surfed at a high tide on both trips. First trip was only about three feet but the second was easy four to six feet. I managed to get one good one on the head and it gave me an unexpected hiding, the footage was too shaky to put on disc as my partner, Jude was shitting herself whilst the skipper was trying to get in close for her to film. Up to six feet this break can handle no worries. Double-ups are very frequent creating a nice hollow section then dissipates into a deep channel. The wind was slight this day, so sea conditions were glassy. Coconuts breaks onto reef fringing out from beach at Tavol village.

The Meadow : Right-hander, unsurfed to date, half a mile north from Coconuts. It is a longer, but quicker wave than Coconuts but was closing out on the bigger second trip.

Magean Point : A hollow right-hander that wraps around a point on the far north eastern Quarter of Mussau Island. This wave is by far meant for the experienced surfer. This unexpected place was found on our November (most recent) trip. I regretfully ‘softed it’, deciding against surfing solo. The possibility of injury and being the captain of the ship got to me. Excuses excuses! A successful takeoff at this joint looks to me like a mindless pit would be the reward. There are two sections, an outer barrel section with a nice middle part to race and pick a line for a second pit on the end section. Of the twenty minutes or so we were filming I saw quite a few link up, and barrel all the way around the point. I just can’t believe this place exists and no one has ever surfed it! I love this place.

TRANSCRIBED FROM CONVERSATION WITH SHAUN LEVINGS & SHANE PEEL (PHOTOGRAPHER ON JAN 15 TO 23 2006 PROMO TRIP WITH SURFERS DION AGIUS, LEE WILSON & ANDREW MOONEY-AS SEEN IS ASL-MAY ISSUE #212) ON SHANES RETURN.