The best period for surfing in the Maldives is the Southern Hemisphere winter, which lasts from March'til October. During this period, the roaring forties cause storms which bring the largest swells to the archipelago. The biggest waves are likely to occur in June, July and August. During this period, the wind is mainly offshore all day long. This paradise is exposed to the same swells as Indonesia is, except that its higher latitude and its South-East exposure offers cooler and less hardcore surfing. The typical Maldive wave rolls up more like a Point Break than a rectilinear wall. A small tube arises from time to time, prompting manoeuvres especially when the size oscillates between 3 and 6 feet. There is a wave for every taste! The reef is far from being aggressive, for it is dead and much flatter than its Indonesian cousin. It is rare to touch the bottom unless you surf it by very strong low tide coefficient.

Surfing in the Maldives is tempered by the North-East and South-West monsoons. During the North-East monsoon (from February ‘til April), conditions are optimal in the "South Outer Atolls". From May to October, during the South-West monsoon, the best surfing area is in the "North Atoll Male".