Some of the Best Surfing in the world is at The Maldives, thanks to Anthony Hinde and Mark Scranton who were both shipwrecked in 1973 while on there way to Réunion island, they introduced modern surfing techniques to the locals and became known as the founders of Maldivian tourism and tanthony was also known as the father of Surfing in the Maldives.
The monsoon season in September and October offers some big breaks, and February thru April gets some crazy waves and some nasty reef breaks in the atolls surrounding the capital of Malé, similar to what you would find in Indonesia.
Check out this video of the Occy Final Four Championship
You might want to consider chartering a boat, if you’re planning a holiday during the off-peak season. Some tours or liveaboards are specialized in diving and some in surfing, while others are mostly about fishing, so make sure you know which one that you’re mostly interested in and make the right choice.
Most of your gear can be rented here, but most surfers choose to bring their own stuff. A normal short-board, a mid-range gun, a long sleeve rash guard for sun protection if you burn easily, and a helmet are all important items that must be in your kit, and neoprene booties are crucial due to the sharp coral in every surf point in the Maldives.
Popular Surfing Spots in the Maldives
While most of the surf points in the Malé region can be accessed via speed boat rides at the most 40 minutes long, the Atolls of Meemu,Thaa and Laamu are usually accessible via resorts or charter operators. These atolls have the capacity to turn out the longest swell periods as it sits between the northern and southern atolls of the archipelago. Exploring these atolls on a surf cruiser will be the best option, as most of the secret locations having the best surf are known only to a handful of people.
The following surf points are all reef breakers, and caution is advised even for advanced surfers as surfing in these waters can lead to injury if one takes too many risks.
Pasta Point: Tony Hussein-Hinde set up shop in this area. Named for the fact that the location used to be an Italian resort, the surf point gives perfect lefts. Unaffected by wind, the surf picks up the most swell and has a 300 yard tubing wall for pull ins, called the Macaroni Bowl before it comes into the shallows called, “Lockjaws”.
Beacons, in Gaafu Dhaalu, is an exposed reef break. If you have a northerly breeze, the consistent right handers can give you hours of entertainment, if you watch out for the reef and the currents, and if not too crowded. Beacons give you great breakers in every tide.
Meanwhile, in higher tides, Chickens is a good left hander that’s quite fast and can get hollow if it’s a wave from the south. Chickens is at Villingilimathi Huraa and is best if you visit on a charter vessel.
Cokes is a right hand reef break on the east of Thulusdhu Island. You can experience the big wave tube, but the rides are short albeit intense. You’ll have consistent waves from mid to high tides, and maybe not worth the wait at low tide, even though big swells wash up from time to time. These high frequency waves are usually best for experienced surfers.
Honkey’s is a great surf point for surfers at every experience level. This left hander is on the same reef as another surf point, the Sultans. Unfortunately, it also gets quite crowded at times, but is made up by (and also probably because of) the fact that it is quite easy to access this surf point.
Backpackers and tourists both love the surf scene in the Maldives, where a number of international surfing competitions have been held in the past years, as you saw in the above video. Professional equipment is available at several sporting shops in the capital city as well as many of the resorts in the Maldives.