Surfingin the Maldives

The Maldives is a great place for both surfing beginners, as well as advanced surfers. The region benefits from exposure to southern swells on the Indian Ocean and good surfing conditions on the outer reefs of the atolls.

Northern Atolls

The North Malé Atoll was the first to be discovered by surfers for its breaks, and is currently the most popular and most accessible. It is considered to provide the longest rides, stretching over 100 meters. Both North and South Malé Atolls offer great surf spots, including internationally recognised breaks such as Chickens, Pasta Point, Coke’s, Jailbreaks, Sultans, Ninjas and Lohi’s in the north, and Guru’s, Foxy’s, Twin Peaks and Riptides in the south.

Central Atolls

The breaks here may not be as popular as the northern atolls, but atolls such as Thaa and Laamu have been gaining popularity among surfers looking to escape the crowds in the northern atolls. The breaks here provide consistent surf and pristine barrels, and some of the better known spots include Malik’s, Finnimas, Outside Mikado, and Inside Mikado on Thaa Atoll, as well as Ying Yang, Refugee’s Lefts, and Refugee’s Rights on Laamu.

Southern Atolls

Fewer surfers and surf charters mean there are plenty of empty surf breaks in the southern atolls of Huvadhoo and Addu. The best known spots on Huvadhoo Atoll include Beacons, Castaways, and Tiger Stripes, while Approach Lights, Madihera and Shangri-la are the well known spots on Addu Atoll. The breaks here are better suited for advanced surfers, or confident intermediates, as the waves break fast and are very powerful.

Best Time to Surf in the Maldives

Surfing conditions remain good through the surfing season which runs from mid-February to November each year. The best conditions can be experienced from March to May, with the period from June to August offering bigger swells. September to October are also good for a surfing holiday in the Maldives.