RealSurf Surfers' Forum

First time Indo, I want to go on a boat trip and was hoping to get some feedback from other surfer forumates as to what would be best for an intermediate surfer like me looking for uncrowded perfection: Mentawais Vs Maldives.

Looking for 4-6 foot tubes as opposed to 12 foot One Palm, etc.

Thanks all in advance for your comments, pros and cons, etc.

Happy 2010

check your inbox Elmako ...

Maldives....well at least the northern and central atolls are rather crowded now a days....otherwise I would highly recommend them as it's by far been my best surfari ever, but that was back in 2000, when the crowds where much much lesser.

I know a particular location that's much closer to home and has exactly the conditions you're looking for. 4-6ft, uncrowded reef breaks. In fact I'll be there in less than 4 weeks from now!!!!

Here's a sneak preview...............

Uncrowded Mentawais that is funny. Guess it depends on definition of uncrowded. If you consider MonaVale less crowded then Manly, and as therefore...uncrowded then yep the Mentawais is uncrowded.

I personally reckon there is no comparison between the two. Maldives lacks the power that Indo gets struck with. Maldives has fun waves that can be hollow but I wouldn't often call them life changing like playground area can be. The surf quality determines the crowds which grow every year I have been there. Must be near saturation one would think? Still there are places around Indo that are still low on crowds if you're prepared to put in some travel.

Donweather wrote:Maldives....well at least the northern and central atolls are rather crowded now a days....otherwise I would highly recommend them as it's by far been my best surfari ever, but that was back in 2000, when the crowds where much much lesser.

I know a particular location that's much closer to home and has exactly the conditions you're looking for. 4-6ft, uncrowded reef breaks. In fact I'll be there in less than 4 weeks from now!!!!

Here's a sneak preview...............

surfari_1.jpg

They've had a bit of shake,rattle and roll lately. Do you know if it has had any effect on the surf scene?

-

Thanks everyone for their input.

Wish you all great waves for 2010.

Go to both locations and tell us what you think, they are both hideously overcrowded these days

Boardscape, that is actually a very good idea, will do my best to do both.

I was wondering what is a crowd in any of these islands/reef passes, etc. Some people tell me that yes you can find 5 boats in one reef, which will see 50+ surfers surfing the same break, however in 12 or so hours of daylight each day, I am sure there would be plenty of waves for this humble surfer.

nuffink ngo wrote:There's a very nice man called Rick Cameron who would love to help you out.Calls himself mentawifusion.Tell him Captain Martin Daly sent you.

That's funny....

Mentawai early ( before May) or late season (Nov) is crowd free and still nice waves.

I went to the Maldives in 99 and stayed at Pasta Point but spent most of my time surfing Sultans & Honkys. Still rates up the best trip I have done however the crowds were non existent back then... 6 - 7 guys at overhead Sultans and similar levels at Honkys. Cola's used to get quite busy as well. A mate went last year and said it was quite crowded now, 5 or 6 boats in the channel at Sultans now but he also said if you get away from that area and out into the outer atolls it's still fairly quiet. Haven't been to the Mentawais so can't comment on that.

Thing is with crowds in Indo is if it's long range ground swell and not much in between in can be a long wait between sets. Then because it's a reef break and not a peaky beach break with lots of take off spots, you have to wait your turn, and that can take some time.....

Hideously overcrowded???

I dunno if I just got lucky but i went to the Maldives in September 08 and it was amazing, smallest it got was 3 foot and got up to 8 foot on the last day, not many barrels but really long, glassy walls. So good...

Crowds? If you time your sessions you can get no one out. Most crowded was about 30 people, but there were so many waves it didn't really matter. There were also sessions in the morning and at sunset where no one was out, surfing 4 foot Sultans while the sun went down with 2 other guys from my boat... Can't beat it!

lessormore wrote:They've had a bit of shake,rattle and roll lately. Do you know if it has had any effect on the surf scene?

As far as I know, most of the shake rattle and rolling has been in the western province with only small scale tsunami's reported (if at all).

beachbanga wrote:Hideously overcrowded???

I dunno if I just got lucky but i went to the Maldives in September 08 and it was amazing, smallest it got was 3 foot and got up to 8 foot on the last day, not many barrels but really long, glassy walls. So good...

Crowds? If you time your sessions you can get no one out. Most crowded was about 30 people, but there were so many waves it didn't really matter. There were also sessions in the morning and at sunset where no one was out, surfing 4 foot Sultans while the sun went down with 2 other guys from my boat... Can't beat it!

Sept is late season for the North Male atolls, so perhaps that's why you got lucky with the crowds?? 8 foot in late season North Male atolls is pretty impressive. Any pics? Can you recall the date of this 8 foot swell? 2008 was a La Nina year, so perhaps my stats are correct?

No pics sadly... I mean it wasn't consistant 8 foot, more 6 foot with 8 foot bombs, but they were rideable, and i got one! still the biggest wave i've caught in my life so far. Some people took photo's, I'll try trackin em down, haven't talked to em since then...

F*ck, caught me with the date, ummm somewhere between the 20th-30th?

i'd take the maldives over metawais just avoid the local politics and fact. one day, it will blow up, get nasty, with surfers in the middle

but than again....i, think the tropics totally overrated

i'll say no more....i like perfect un crowded waves too myself...plus better fishing

u guys keep slugging it out in your boardies

beachbanga wrote:No pics sadly... I mean it wasn't consistant 8 foot, more 6 foot with 8 foot bombs, but they were rideable, and i got one! still the biggest wave i've caught in my life so far. Some people took photo's, I'll try trackin em down, haven't talked to em since then...

F*ck, caught me with the date, ummm somewhere between the 20th-30th?

So just confirming......it was somewhere between 20th-30th Sept 2008 in the North Male atolls?

Based on the archive data that I have access to (and without trying to sound as though I'm shooting you down), I can't see any 8ft swells during that time. Apologies for the image quality but it was the best I could upload onto here (file size limit)