Australian man reportedly killed in big Indonesian surf

An Australian man reportedly died earlier this week while surfing in Indonesia's Mentawai Islands.

Police told The Jakarta Post newspaper that Ronald Stephen Schneider, 54, died on Tuesday around 6pm local time after a wave slammed him into rocks.

Local authorities in the Mentawais, a chain of islands off western Sumatra, were preparing to send his body home to Australia, it was reported.

Mr Schneider's body is reportedly in the Dr M Djamil General Hospital where it is being prepared to be returned to Australia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is "providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian man who died in Indonesia" but will not reveal further details due to privacy considerations.