Surfatoll | Maldives surf trip

Southern Atolls

Huvadhoo and Addu Atolls (referred often as the Southern Atolls) are located in the most southern section of the Maldives, which surfers are continually reminded of when they arrive upon empty surf break after empty surf break. Although it may not be completely abandoned, fewer surf boats and surf charters operate in this area, causing even the most popular spots in this region to be less crowded than the Northern Atolls. Of all the Maldives surf spots, the breaks in the Southern Atolls remain among the most secluded and idyllic, preserving the reality of a remote island paradise that comes complete with incredible waves.

Huvadhoo Atoll is best known for Beacons, Castaways, and Tiger Stripes, while Addu Atoll’s standout spots include Approach Lights, Madihera and Shangri-la. Beacons and Tiger Stripes are touted as two of the most powerful waves in the Maldives, barreling down fast and hard on to a fringed an eerily shallow reef—a common feature of southern surf spots.

Although these waves tend to be smaller than some of the more northerly atolls, the south-facing coastline really opens the breaks up to the southern swells that flood the area in the summertime. Since a clean southern swell is about all you could ask for at these breaks, the result is waves with a ton of power and heaps of opportunities to get shacked. These southerly atolls differ from the northerly atolls in not providing perfectly shaped or soft-breaking waves. These waves break fast and throw hard, with a whole lot of power—probably best suited for advanced surfers or at least daring intermediates. The waves you can find in Southern Atolls are the kind of waves you keep reliving days, weeks, and months after your Maldives surf trip has come to an end.

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