Maldives surf trip...

[spork]

See you there then?

[Balts]

Hey guys,

Lohi's does have a fair few people staying at the resort.... but pick your times and you can surf with only a few in the water. We did this most days.

I would also really recommend the Manta if you want 7 nights on a boat as well. That was the highlight for me.

Sultans was my favourite wave - if only I can get back there sometime

Chickens was really fun as well... though one of the boys did bust a leggie and end up on chicken island! Then had to score a ride with a local fisherman back around the atoll - classic stuff

If you go, you will love it

Cheers - Balts

[Donweather]

Hey Balts, did the Manya just cruise around the breaks in the North Male atolls? If so, how did they avoid the crowds from the other boats and resorts?

Cokes best swell magnet and right hander (for lesser crowd...yes Sultans is a better wave but hardly ever NOT crowded).

Chickens, one of the most fun lefthanders I have ever surfed by far and would go there again at the drop of a hat if someone could guarantee the crowds were like we had them back in 2000.

Honkies, an unbelievable lefthander. Take off on a 2ft wave and kick out down the end of the line on a 4ft wave....the most amazing thing I've seen for a wave.

[Donweather]

Male and Central Atolls. Keen as for it now.

I'll be very keen to hear how the crowds were in the Central Atolls. It's marketed as the quiet atolls, but one just has to google it now to see that there's a significant number of boats and resorts there now. Although pick the good operators with the expert local guides and one should find some solitude I hear. But let us know how you got on anyway.

Sing out closer to the time and I'll do up a long range surf forecast for ya too.

[swvic]

Male and Central Atolls. Keen as for it now.

I'll be very keen to hear how the crowds were in the Central Atolls. It's marketed as the quiet atolls, but one just has to google it now to see that there's a significant number of boats and resorts there now. Although pick the good operators with the expert local guides and one should find some solitude I hear. But let us know how you got on anyway.

Sing out closer to the time and I'll do up a long range surf forecast for ya too.

Cheers, Don. Will do.

Have had a variation to the original trip. Was virtually locked in, but one couple didn't commit so it may have meant carrying an 8 grand load. Trip (deposits paid) is now on the Hamathi from 18-28 August. The boat was rebuilt in 2010. Central and Male atolls. Apparently the skipper's been doing it for a long time and the guide (Horse) has been around for a few years too. So we're expecting to get some good uncrowded waves. Testimonials are pretty good, but they wouldn't be publishing shitty ones.

[Balts]

Hey Balts, did the Manya just cruise around the breaks in the North Male atolls? If so, how did they avoid the crowds from the other boats and resorts?

Cokes best swell magnet and right hander (for lesser crowd...yes Sultans is a better wave but hardly ever NOT crowded).

Chickens, one of the most fun lefthanders I have ever surfed by far and would go there again at the drop of a hat if someone could guarantee the crowds were like we had them back in 2000.

Honkies, an unbelievable lefthander. Take off on a 2ft wave and kick out down the end of the line on a 4ft wave....the most amazing thing I've seen for a wave.

Hey Dom,

Yeah just Nth Male atolls.... he was a local guy (Nahu) and was just on it - often telling us to wait half an hour until the tide would turn and get better, as others were getting out etc... We honestly had at least one surf a day with just the 5 of us for at least half the time. It was fantastic. There was a boat of portugues groms (about 30 of them) that would drop out of a boat like lemmings.... we avoided those little frothers as much as possible.

Sometimes we had crowds... but no where near as many as I thought we would encounter.

Enjoy

[spork]

Hey all, just booked for 14 dys 22Sept, who's coming?

[brendo]

where ya staying spork?
ive seen a deal for on a website , central atolls, right point out front, only about 1100 for sufer, 850 non surfer 7 days. seems cheap for there. but do they get the same swell as north atolls?
swvic, with ya wife on the boat, and a surf guide called horse, id keep an eye on her

[swvic]

swvic, with ya wife on the boat, and a surf guide called horse, id keep an eye on her

I'm with you on that one brendo. Hopefully the big Horse might target the other 3 girls given they're 10-15 yrs younger than my missus.

Last year in Samoa we spent some time at Aganoa. There's a guy there called Sebastion. All the chicks loved him, mine included. When I got home a mate asked me if all the women were still falling all over him.

[Donweather]

but do they get the same swell as north atolls?

Generally no they don't as they are sheltered somewhat from the atolls further to the south, but of course this all depends on swell direction. If the swells due south then swell will be considerably diluted. If the swells from the SE, then far less dilution IMO.

So chose your time of year wisely is all I can say!!

[brendo]

i see there is a small swell window of about 8 weeks this time of year for south atolls. is this swell caused by the long fetch from high pressure sitting around WA, as i noticed on the synoptic on the news tonight don?

[Donweather]

i see there is a small swell window of about 8 weeks this time of year for south atolls. is this swell caused by the long fetch from high pressure sitting around WA, as i noticed on the synoptic on the news tonight don?

The small window that you refer to is more based around the local winds in the Southern Atolls. You'll notice the boats run there early and late season as peak swell season (May to August) is also peak SW Monsoon season and the winds down at the Southern Atolls at this time of year are typically unfavourable. So they operate Feb-April and Sept-Nov to get the better winds (either light and variable or from the north). Swells not usually a problem down at the Southern Atolls as it also picks up the more typical SW groundswells (which don't get up to the Central or Male Atolls). Certainly looks a good time to go in the next week or so!!!

[Jorgo]

Spork - just booked at Hudhanfusshi from 24 Aug to 5 sept with 6 mates through World Surfaris. All very keen and being of an age (mid 50s) go a couple of kids (i say kids but early 20s) to save us if we get in strife

[ric_vidal]

Cheers, Mark. Yeah, I know it's the best time and now it looks like 10 night on the Handhu leaving either 13th or 27th August. Male and Central Atolls. Keen as for it now.

The women are coming so it's only 6 surfers on board. Anyone been on the Handhu?

SWVIC, did the Handhu last year mid July with a bunch of guys I’d never met before, turned out very well as there was only 7 of us on the boat (capacity 12) so we pretty much had a cabin each.

Had a couple of very good days surf-wise and the balance were more than acceptable, couldn’t surf the last day due to lack of swell. Doing the same trip again this year with one of the same guys I met onboard + a few of his cohorts.

Handhu is pretty hot in the stateroom in spite of air-con (meals), but plenty of space outside. Cabins are air-cond and comfortable with on-suite. Handhu is showing its age if you look closely enough but plenty good enough for a surf trip and more. Food wasn’t too flash and perhaps the weakest link but we didn’t go hungry. I’m told Maldives usually would Sri Lankan chefs but Handhu’s was/is Maldivian and tended to overcook for our liking. Beer was cold and plentiful. Good crew and a quite knowledgeable surf guide.

Might drag out a photo if I remember.

[ric_vidal]

A place down south off Kudahuvadhoo, south west coast, probably not surfed too much as a result but not sure on the prevailing swell and winds.

Interesting wave, wall outside, bit of a shoulder section through the middle that you had to stay with and then it could barrel or at least wall up and race again on the inside. Belted the reef on a few occasions, but didn’t wear reef boots the whole trip which was pleasant.

This young man in the images could surf... think both these shots are either the same or consecutive days. Either way both were good from morning until evening. Max 7 surfers + our surf guide and a trainee, neither of which got in the way. Spent the majority of our time surfing this or a random left on the next island (we goofy footers revolted).

DSC_1087sml.jpg (47.98 KiB) Viewed 6078 times

DSC_1221sml.jpg (45.2 KiB) Viewed 6078 times

[petulance]

^^^^

Genuine question. On the Iggy scale, what would you call the wave heights in the 2 pictures above?

[ric_vidal]

^^^^

Genuine question. On the Iggy scale, what would you call the wave heights in the 2 pictures above?

That’s always a tricky area, petulance, find it easy to resort to terms like 'head high' or whatever and then people can call the size based on that. If I had to, I would call 3-5'.

[Donweather]

Yep, I'd call the top one 3ft+, maybe 4ft, and the bottom one an easy 5ft/5ft+.

Hey ric, can I ask what time of year you surfed the SW side down south? Winds look wickedly light.