MALDIVES: Male and Central Atolls

The Maldives atolls are a tropical paradise strategically located in the center of the Indian Ocean with full exposure to Southern Ocean swells. Geographically, the Maldives are at the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa and as such are serviced by a wide variety of air carriers such as Singapore, Emirates and Malaysian and are surprisingly accessible from all parts of the world. It is possible to fly into Male airport and be onboard your surf charter boat or at your resort within an hour or less upon clearing customs. Even if you are bound to the more distant atolls they are reachable within a 1 hour charter flight.

The Maldives has 3 major surfing zones spanning a region of over 300 nautical miles from Latitude 4N down to the Equator:

The Surf

The Maldives experiences a similar surf season to Indonesia. The best waves can be had from April to October, with the biggest swells likely to occur in June-September. During these months the conditions are predominantly off-shore all day due to the monsoonal winds from the Indian Subcontinent and the swell generated from the south. The surf generally ranges in size from 3-8 feet, however bigger days have been experienced. A great variety of reef breaks exist ranging in intensity from quite mellow shreddable walls to gnarlier hollow pits. There is something for everyone.

Male Atolls Surf

In the North Male' atoll, between Male' and Thulhusdhoo is an assortment of 7 breaks.

Jailbreaks is a classic right-hander that was previously off limits. A long down the line right-hander with 3 distinct sections including a mid barrel section. Rides of up to 300m can be had when it's lining up.

Honkys is located near HP reef just North of Himmafushi Island. It is a fast wrapping left at 4-6ft and needs the right swell direction. Worth checking if Sultans is crowded.

On the other side of the channel you have Sultans. An easy right-hand take off which leads you to an intense wrapping section at the end. Breaks 3-8ft. Please note: this wave is the most protected from the southerly winds in the North Male atoll and collect the most swell, so go there if it is small.

20 minutes further North you will find the right-hander known as Ninjas which breaks off Kani Resort. A mellower right-hander which can be quite fickle.

25 minutes north of Lohifushi are 2 breaks opposite each other at a reef pass. The right-hander known as Cokes (Colas) breaks 3-10ft and is fairly protected from the southerly winds that may affect other breaks. This wave has been well photographed and is the hollowest in the North Male atoll. This will test your tube-riding ability.

The left hander known as Chickens is probably the fastest wave in the North Male atoll. This wave holds swell size from 3ft to well over 10ft and provides rides up to 500m long.

Over the months of Jun/Jul/August the North Male atoll surf breaks are getting busier due to the European Summer holidays. Many nationalities of surfers flock to the Maldives over this period. The surf at this time is VERY consistent and can accommodate a large number of surfers spread-out over the 7 breaks in the atoll. If you are after less crowded conditions Apr/May/Sep/Oct are recommended. The swell over this period may not be as consistent as Jun-Aug however good waves certainly still exist at this time.

The South Male atoll also several great set-ups that on LARGE swells will be 2' smaller than North Male breaks, with less crowd factor. Our surf guides have experience in this region and can make recommendations accordingly. It is only a 2 hour trip from Nth Male atoll breaks to the Sth Male atoll breaks.

Central Atolls Surf

An 8 hour steam south from the South Male Atoll brings you to Mulaku atoll.

Mulaku Atoll

All Spots in the Mulaku Atoll are on a coast line facing to the east. There is always a left or a right hander well protected from the predominant wind directions. All spots are close to each other so that you can change spots within a few minutes!

Veyvah : Left Hander Perfect wave with long wall. Easy take of with several options with long rides. Not too heavy - Great Fun.

Mulha : Right Hander Can hold bigger swells. Easy to ride even when it is big. Good for intermediates and even beginners.

Mulha : Left Hander Pretty shallow, fast wave. Works only in certain times of conditions.

Muli Inside : Righthander Very fast, long walls, hollow, barreling, can be shallow but still save ending. Very well protected from southerly winds. Needs bigger swells.

Muli Outside : Righhander Picks up more swell, good in sw winds, long walls, can max out easily, on the corner easy exit.

We have recently scoped out 2 atolls on the West Side between Mulaku and Hadhdhunmathee atoll and in the right swell direction, Handhu will take you over there. There are some perfect set-ups on these atolls and almost certainly no-one else around. If the surf on the East side is small or onshore then your guide will use his expertise to determine whether it's worth visiting the west-side also.

A further. approx. 8 hour steam south brings you to Hadhdhunmathee atoll hosting the following breaks.

Hadhdhunmathee atoll

Spots are spread from the south facing coastline along the east facing up to the north east corner where waves wrap around. As a result you will find spots protected from all wind directions except a rare straight easterly breeze.

Isdhoo : Righthander which needs large easterly swell but very well protected from southerly winds.

Maabaidhoo : Left and Righthander. Left: Very fast and hollow, sometimes closing out, well protected from westerly to northerly winds. Right: works only in large swells. Fun Wave, Longboarders and shortboarders will have a good time.

Mundoo : Righthander Fast and shallow take off sectiont, barelling, spitting, perfect wave. With soft ending.

Gaadhoo : Lefthander Fun clean wave playground. When big: perfect lefthander.

Ying Yang/Hithadhoo : Righthander Yin Yang is a long and typical outside -typical reef corner right in a pass. Outside is a mellow wall, often cross shore, with safe rides in deep water. Then, the wave bends in the corner, mush out for a while, then wraps into one of the most critical sections in the Maldives. Inside section can be long and tubular, guys getting barreled 3 times but it can be fairly heavy too on pretty uneven reef, producing potential intimidating barrels on the first bend.

There is another atoll to the west (between Mulaku and Hadhdhunmathee atolls) that with the right swell direction (SSW) will offer a few other options and may be worth investigating on the 11 night Male to Hadhdhunmathee trips.

Wavehunters boats and expert surf guides have been surfing all these waves listed above for the last decade on route to Gaafu Dhaalu atoll (Southern atolls). Claims by other operators have been made that they discovered these breaks etc...We don't make these claims as surfing in the Maldives dates back to the 70's and some local Maldivian surfers were surfing these breaks 3 decades ago.

About the Male & Central Atolls

The Country

Scattered across the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the gem like islands of the Maldives depict the rare vision of a tropical paradise. Palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm water and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna and hosting a variety of world class waves that are now accessible to the travelling surfer. Measuring 820 km's north to south and 120 km's east to west, the closest neighbors are India and Sri Lanka. There are over 1,192 islands in the Maldives Republic. People who have never been to the Maldives often have trouble comprehending that there is almost NO land. It is sea with little pockets of coral dotted on top of an old volcanic mountain range. Only 202 of the islands are inhabited; there are no hills or rivers: the highest point above sea level is less than 10 feet.

The Climate

The Climate of the Maldives is warm year round, determined by the monsoons. The air temperature varies little with an average daily maximum of 90F and the minimum at 79F. There are two monsoon seasons: the northeast from November to April (February is the driest month), and the Southwest from the end of May to October. Water temperatures remain about 80F year-round.

EQUIPMENT

You'll need to take everything. Nothing is available in the Maldives. Board size is a personal thing, but it would be wise to bring an assortment for various conditions. Recommended quiver is 2 boards: A normal shortboard and a mid-range gun (6-8 to 7-0). It rarely gets over 8ft. The warm crystal blue waters make it possible to swim without a wetsuit, but a vest or long-sleeved rashguard is advised for protection from the sun. Booties are a necessity due to the sharp coral found all over the atolls. A helmet is also recommended. Be sure to bring plenty of waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.