Maldives surf trips are taking off like it’s nobody’s business. With the same Indian Ocean swells as Bali and Sri Lanka, fine reef breaks fringing the countless isles, and three separate surf zones suited to different levels – it’s easy to see why!
An introduction to surfing in the Maldives
To surf in the Maldives seems so distant to most of us. It’s like a vacation to the Bahamas; a casual city break to Cannes. Mere mortals with normal bank accounts usually discount idea out of hand. It’s too expensive, right? It’s too exotic?
Well…not really. Changes to the rules around hoteliering in the Maldives back in 2009 allowed locals to open their own guesthouses and allowed travelers to stay on any island in the chain, not just the ones that were privately owned by gazillionaires. That’s worked wonders for surf tourism in the region, helping barrel-hungry board touters reach the best breaks up and down the atolls for less.
That’s one side of the coin. The other is the fact that the surf here is consistently proving it’s up there with the best in the world. You won’t hear any arguments about the swell. The Maldives string through the Indian Ocean to pick up both SE and SW ground pulses just like Indo. When winds are onshore in one region, they’re neatly offshore in another. There’s a nice, long surf season of about six months.
Add to that the fact that crowds in the Maldives are but a fraction of what you get in nearby Sri Lanka, or even across the hard-to-reach Ments. Plus, the vibe is always a version of tropical happy go lucky. Localism incidents are basically unheard of.
Probably the best thing for us is the fact that the Maldives can be roughly split into three individual surf zones. Each of them cranks up the difficulty level a little as you move north to south, which means intermediate improvers have something in this paradise, as do pros, and even relative beginners.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Asia
Maldives surf at a glance
The good:
The bad:
What will I find in this guide to Maldives surf
Where are the Maldives?
Come on. You should know this already!
The Maldives sit southwest of Sri Lanka and India, roughly 700 kilometers (430 miles) southwest of the southernmost point of India’s mainland.
The whole country is spread across more than 500 miles of the Indian Ocean (you can see how there’s almost always somewhere with swell, eh?). It goes from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the far north to Addu in the far south, which is so far south that it’s actually over the Equator. Yowza.
How to get to the Maldives?
Yea, it’s not the easiest. Just keep a postcard of the perfect wrapping rights at Inside Mikados at hand to get you through the flight.
Here are the steps…
- Book a Flight to Male – Male International Airport (MLE), also known as Velana International Airport, is the main international gateway into the Maldives. This airport has connections with major cities across the globe, including London, Dubai, Singapore, Istanbul, and more. Depending on your starting point, the flight duration will vary. From New York, it’s approximately 20 hours including layovers. From London, it’s around 10-12 hours. From Dubai, it’s about 4 hours. And from Singapore, it’s around 4-5 hours. We use Skyscanner to book flights most of the time.
- Domestic flight or speedboat to your resort/surf camp – Once you arrive in Male, if your resort is on a different island (which is almost always the case), you may need to take a domestic flight to a closer local airport. You can also hitch a speedboat right there if it’s close enough. Lots of surf camps in the country are happy to organize these transfers from Male on your behalf. In fact, it’s often included in the cost of accommodation or a surf camp. That’s great because getting between the nigh-on 1,200 isles isn’t easy at all!
The top surf spots in the Maldives
In a country that covers more 500 miles from tip to tail, encompasses a whopping 90,000 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean, and even straddles the Equator, it can help A LOT to break things down.
Thankfully, that’s made easy in these parts thanks to three clearly distinct surfing zones.
Here’s a brief intro to the lot:
- The Male Atolls (or Northern Atolls) – The most sheltered of the bunch and certainly the most famous. They do suffer from a slightly trimmed down surf season because some of the S and SW swells get blocked by the Central Atolls. That said, this accessible region remains the home of most Maldives surf camps and surf hotels.
- The Central Atolls – The biggest group of the bunch, roughly ranging from Fulidhoo in the north to Gan in the south. Good distance from the source of the strong SW swells makes this a mecca for intermediate surfers who like a touch of cruisiness in their waves. Regular days of 4-8 foot with offshores abound in April-September and the islands and surf resorts are a thing of beauty.
- The Southern Atolls – The last frontier of Maldives surf, the southern Atolls are actually past the Equator. There’s a big uptick in the power and punchiness of peaks here, bringing it more in line with what you get from a dry-season Indo. It’s the top spot for boat charters and expert surfers, but you’ll need to be ready to travel some.
A note on staying and surfing in the Maldives: You’ll notice that several of the spots listed below are exclusive to certain hotels. Love it or hate it, that’s just a reality in the Maldives, where resorts own whole islands, not just plots of land. If you’ve got the cash then it’s a great news. You can basically buy your way into an almost empty lineup that you’ll share with only folks in the same hotel. If not, then there’s still lots to get through on boat trips and surf camps. Either way, we’ve listed the hotel that you need to book to surf the wave in question so you can check it out and check if the travel budget will allow a night or two…
Surf spots in the Male Atolls
The Male Atolls might be the most famous surf zone in the Maldives right now, but they’re really all about one 17-mile stretch of coral islands that get good SE swell coverage. There’s definitely more than that in the region, but it’s this short hit that makes the headlines and hosts all the named breaks and adjunct surf hotels…
North of Lima
Chickens
This long, fast left breaks over the strait from Thulusdhoo island, on the south side of unpronounceable Viligilimathidhahuraa. It’s great with those SE windswells that generate from the trades that push across the Indian Ocean from Thailand and Sri Lanka way. If they can team up with NW winds then you’ll usually find beautifully tapered shoulders with an inviting power zone for down-the-line surfing. It’s a more complex and challenging wave than lots in the area and is a regular on boat trips out of Male.
Cokes
Right opposite Chickens on the southern reef point of Thulusdhoo, Cokes is one of the hardest waves in the whole Male Atoll. To us, it handles more like a Bukit left only in reverse. It’s quick, lippy, down-the-line stuff that’s on jagged reef that’s never more than three foot off the fins. Cokes is always better when the swell is SE and upwards of 5 foot. And yes, it’s named for the fizzy drink factory that was once on the island.
Lohis
Lohis definitely deserves to be considered competition pedigree. It was one of the first waves in the Maldives to host pro showdowns after the atolls here hit the mainstream in the 00s and 10s. Naturally, that makes it hot property for traveling surfers, which is why the local surf resort who have a monopoly on the break – the Adaaran Select Huduran Fushi – has imposed a cap on people allowed out on the peak and now charge a whopping $500/day for a surf pass. Still, if you’re not staying on the island then you won’t surf the wave, so it is what it is.
The wave itself channels a touch of the G-Land. It’s kinda like G-Land on fast forward when it’s 5-foot or more, offering perfect round barrels and a final section that invites good top to bottom surfing.
Ninja’s
Ninja’s sums up the vibe of the Northern Atolls in the sense that it works best on smaller swells with little to no wind. It’s a bowly, bendy wave with a lovely long shoulder that’s asking to be trimmed by something with a bit of extra length. The water’s deeper than at Lohis and others, making it perfect for stepping up to reef breaks for the first time. Very common pitstop on boat tours because there’s no other way to get here really.
Pasta Point/Pasta’s
If you can push $300/night or so then you can hit Pasta Point. The Chaaya Island Dhonveli Resort monopolizes this one and they guarantee that you’ll only ever be out there with 30 other people, never more. The reality is that it’s never the full 30, either.
The money might just be worth it because it buys you access to what we consider to be arguably the very best left in the country. Variable Monsoon winds don’t pose such a problem, since it can deal with NE and SE, which are both offshore at certain sections. Talking of sections, this wave runs the gamut from beautifully deep bowls to fast sections that allow for high airs and big lip turns. It’s super-duper fun. Like we said, perhaps even worth the mega bucks!
Sultans and Honkys
We take these two fantastic breaks together because they each work on either side of Thamburudhoo Island, some 10 miles north of central Male. Each is kinda perfect in its own way. The left is real playground for Goofys who love getting rail in the water. It starts a little fast but quickly broadens out into a pitching shoulder than can go for 300, 350 meters around the reefs to the channel.
Sultans is always more popular, because a) it’s a right and b) it’s a touch more consistent. Some say this is the finest wave in the country. It’s no walk in the park, even on smaller days, because underwater channels and a shallow reef help to plump it up into big marching rights that demand good top to bottom turning. One ride there and you won’t look back, you’ll be hunting Sultans all day long!
Jailbreaks
Probably the best-known of all the breaks in the Male Atoll, Jailbreaks got its name because it works right out front of the local prison. It’s now the stomping ground of a large local crew, but they’re a welcoming bunch and don’t seem to mind a jot when the regular surf-tour boats pull up with internationals aplenty. We wonder how long that will last?
Anyway, the wave is usually sectioned out into a trio of take-off zones. The first is the quickest and biggest. The second is a nice almondy-barrel on bigger days and a fizzing lip that’s asking to be smacked over and over when it’s small. The last bit is a neat little racetrack from top to bottom and straight into the paddle channel. It’s an all-level break that we love for its ability to get learners onto reef.
Kanduoiygiri
There are some short lefts off the top end of this pint-sized isle but they’re often barely a trickle. Strong E wind swells will get them kicking and it’s a great backup for boat trippers who want to dodge the size elsewhere.
Furanafushi
The island that’s dominated entirely by the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort does offer guests private surf outings. It’s a good option if you’re planning on staying here anyway, but can’t compete with other options (especially not Chaaya Island’s Pasta Point above). The rights are the main break and they do work okay but are a shadow of the glass-clear peelers you’ll find all across the Male Atoll.
Surf spots in the Central Atolls
It’s strange to us that the Central Atolls seem to lag behind the Male Atolls and the Southern Atolls on the rep front. They’re not photographed as much. They aren’t lauded over as much.
That’s probably because they’re tucked a bit outside of the main SW swell channel so don’t get action like Bali does. However, if – like anyone we’ve ever spoken to ever – you prefer small-wave surfing, cruisy conditions, and simply having fun (hey – who goes surfing in the Maldives to score XL barrels anyway?) then this is the place to be.
There are some truly epic waves in the mix here, especially in the form of reef rights in the islands of Thaa and Laamu atolls…
Hirilandhoo/Malik’s
Big W swells do swing by this equatorial island chain on occasion. When they do, Malik’s is the place to be, so long as you have E trades to help shape them up. When that happens, you’ll get big, beefy lefts off the reefs here, all within paddle distance of the shore of Hirilandhoo island.
Bedhuge
Most surf travelers to the Maldives will never even glimpse Bedhuge. It’s basically out in the middle of nowhere, meaning it’s the preserve of only the most dedicated surf charter boats and boat tourers. Is it worth it? You’ll only find out after making the trip because the wind and the swell do have to match up nicely – you’re essentially after good E-SE windswell and direct W offshores.
Machine
Machine, or Machines, is what we’d call the most un-Maldives like break in the whole of the Maldives. It’s got all the moxy of an east-Bukit wet-season curler, breaking over extremely shallow reef shelves to give deep pits that run on for 50-100 meters. The peak is shifty as can be and the current always tries to pull you off the zone, so keep paddling and paddling to catch a wave. This one loves a SE swell with W or NW winds. Almost always has a crowd because it’s a rare true expert wave in the Central Atolls.
Mikados
Mikados is separated into an inside and outside section. The outside breaks south to north over a reef going right. It’s best with a W-NW wind and good E windswell, when it offers fast, bowly rides that deposit you far from the reef shelf. The better wave is Inside Mikados, which has rare protection from dominant monsoon SW winds and can front up with fantastically glassy right performance waves that even flaunt the occasional almond barrel. No wonder the photographers head here regularly.
Finimas
Finimas is one of the few performance lefts in the Central Atolls. Any N wind really helps it get the speed gauge up. It hits the reefs just off Funaduu Island across the way from Mikados with steep, hollowish walls that are great fun when they’re on. There’s a mirror right to the left but it’s usually sleepy and fat.
Yin Yangs
Right at the tip of the reefs that ring Hithadhoo island in the Laamu Atoll further south, Yin Yangs is certainly the choice wave of the whole region. That means it’s always busy, especially now that virtually all the boat charters operating in the region have it as their number one calling card. But it can handle a crowd thanks to inside and outside sections that work on different winds.
The inside has the ability to churn out steady almodish barrels that you can stand up in completely. The outside is a different, much more mellow, thing of beauty, often marching walls of rights into the reef that are great hotdogging waves. They do both work occasionally but the out prefers more N in the wind, while the inside gets glassy on SW offshores.
Surf spots in the Southern Atolls
The Southern Atolls are the place to be for experienced surfers wanting to scratch that Maldives notch in their proverbial bedpost.
Another 100 miles or so south of the Southern Atolls, these isles share a latitude south of the Equator with the likes of the Mentawais and Nias. That should tell you something about the consistency and quality of the S-SW swells that punch up from the roaring 40s. When those come, they don’t come so much with epic size as they do with power, and these waves are the only ones around that can snap your boards and bones when they’re feeling moody.
The region is mainly about the larger Huvadhoo Atoll. That’s got the three gnarliest reef breaks in the country. We’ll take a look at those and some others below…
Viligili
Don’t come here looking for one of those classic wrap-around point breaks that the Maldives loves to show off. Viligili is a bit more of a Sri Lankan reef, only with some added punch and grit. Needs good SE or E swells to get crunching. When that happens and the tide drops, there are wedgy pits to be scored off the cobblestones. Hardly anyone here, ever, because it’s miles and miles from any hotel or town.
Antiques
The chilled bro of Tigers (see below), Antiques is an often-mushy right that quickly fizzles out as it meets the reef. A good spot to warm up on before you move inside to conquer the lefts that are legendary but also a decent intermediate wave for nailing bottom turns. Local surf camps and boat tours often deposit their learners here before pointing more experienced surfers in the same group across the way to…
Tiger Stripes
Ultra-consistent Tiger Stripes is a swell sucker that picks up marching S groundswells between April and May but can also do its magic on SE wind swells that push through basically any time of the year. It looks a bit more fearsome than it is, often because people rip it to shreds. But they only do that because TS lets em’. The hardest thing to get right is the initial drop, which requires very good nose direction and a fast final paddle. Then, you’ll be gifted two sections, one semi-hollow, the other super playful, all the way into a paddle channel to help you back and do it all again.
Love Charms
Like Tiger Stripes before it, Love Charms is a must-score for goodfies in the Southern Atolls. It can be one wave (on big days when the whole thing connects) or it can be two (when its small and the tide peels back a little off the reef). Both are pretty epic but the first scenario will see 200-meter rides that alternate between barrel sections and down-the-line surfing; enough to get the thighs properly pumping. Really inaccessible. You’ll need to be on a boat charter or get there with your surf camp.
Two Ways
Two Ways is like someone went and plonked a wave pool in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Only you don’t gotta’ plug this one in – it’s in the Indian Ocean, remember! The reef – called Booga – at the south end of a small island creates both lefts and rights on either side. They’re both awesome waves that work in SE and S swell directions with nice N helping them glass out. They’re a bit cruisier than most in the south region, so usually favored by learners.
Five Islands
A cracking right that runs over a shallow portion of reef, this one’s a sectiony yet hollow corker that has some serious quality in direct S swells. The take off is okay-ish, if you can drop fast and keep a high line. From then, it’s proper down-the-line stuff. Everyone has to pump around certain parts to maintain enough speed to connect all the parts to make it worth the effort, but manage that and it’s great fun over 100-150 meters of wave face.
Beacons
Beacons sucks in those SW groundswells in fine fashion. It’s the first wave on this western edge of the atoll here and it really shows that with its punchy power, which is pretty much unmatched throughout the whole country. Yep, you’re looking at freight-train barrels that froth down the edges of exceptionally shallow reef. It’s like someone’s holding up a mirror to G-Land.
Surf camps in the Maldives
The Maldives is only just starting to emerge as a major surf-camp destination. But it’s PERFECT for it. Lots of the breaks here are located on the edges of distant isles, far from airports and harbors. The best way to surf them is to get there and stay, which is precisely what these packages offer to do.
There’s a growing range on offer, but right now the leaders of the pack area:
- 5-Day Camp at Surf Yoga Maldives in Thulusdhoo – Right in the thick of the action in the Male Atoll, Surf Yoga Maldives are one of the top-recognized camp within striking distance of the big city and the airport. They’re located just over the way from epic Cokes, a top break of the region, and offer four hours of surfing tuition throughout the stay. There’s free pick up from Thulusdhoo Harbor included, so all you gotta do is transfer there from Male or the airport, which isn’t hard.
- 8-Day Amazing and Affordable Surf Camp at Bito’s Guest House – The clue’s in the name: This camp costs just $700 per person in a land where that can be the going rate for a single night at a lux hotel. You get a lot of bang for buck, too. There daily transfers out to the best breaks in the Male Atoll (Jailbreaks is just off the shore) and two meals per day, plus accommodation in a charming beach house with its own terrace and garden.
A note on why we partner with BookSurfCamps.com: Book Surf Camps are probably the biggest online aggregator of surf camps and surf-yoga packages in the world. We sounded out a quite a few potential partners before we affiliated with them. But, in the end, the abundance of choice for beginners, intermediates, and female-only surfing sealed it. We also love the simplicity of their booking system and the trusted brand name, along with the focus on connecting with homegrown local businesses on the ground.
Want more [yoast_kw] camp options? Search the whole shebang below right now and book in a few clicks.
Step-by-step guide to planning your [yoast_kw] trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the [yoast_kw]…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in the Maldives?
Each region of the Maldives has a slightly different peak surf season. Or, to put it a better way, each region has a surf season that varies in length, with most of hitting their peak around April-July. Generally speaking, the further south you go, the longer season gets, with a prime time of March-October by the time you’ve reached the more exposed Southern Atolls.
Let’s take a closer look at the best times to surf in each region:
- The Male Atolls – The closeness of the Central Atolls actually means the Male Atolls sit in a bit of a swell shadow, which shortens the peak period to just a few months in what’s widely seen as the Maldive’s top surf zone. That said, there’s decent reliability from SE swells here in the period from April to July, while the tail end of summer and the start of fall also remain very good indeed, with regular NW offshore winds and steady 3-12 foot swell pulses.
- The Central Atolls – A big gap between these and the more southerly islands of the Maldives helps SW swell and SE swell filter through into the reefs of the Central Atolls. That means you get west-facing breaks alongside east-facing breaks, which adds variety and flexibility with switching winds. The peak season still matches with the strongest SW-SE swell pushes, which is April to August, though things are more consistent overall in these parts.
- The Southern Atolls – The longest season of all happens in the highly exposed Southern Atolls. Surf charters go on here from around early March to November, which is when winter in the Southern Hemisphere is throwing out those long-period groundswells that power Bali and the like. Those combine with SE swells on certain breaks to give excellent consistency until around November, when the winds and the swell dips cause even the most reliable waves – Tiger Stripes especially, to dip in character.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!