Surfatoll | Maldives surf trip

Blue Bowls is a favorite stop for boat charters in the Maldives, not only because it’s a long and smooth righthander, but also because anchoring there means an opportunity to meet the local population and spend time in the local village—one of the great advantages to having amazing waves in a truly unique location. Also…

The northern-most break in North Male Atoll, Chickens breaks off an island that was once known strictly for poultry. That was before Australian surfers Tony Hussein Hinde and Mark Scanlon’s boat shipwrecked nearby in the 70s. With the island’s poultry farm long gone, Chickens is now known as one of the longest and lively lefts…

A world class right that breaks off an island housing a Coca-Cola factory, Cokes is also referred to as Colas—but strictly by Pepsi drinkers or anti-corporation activists. Soft drink loyalties aside, Cokes will quench the thirst of even the most barrel-starved. A hollow, pounding righthander, Cokes is the best big wave spot in the area,…

Refugee’s Rights is the nearby alternative to Lefts for the restless natural footer and/or goofy footer looking to perfect their rail-grab drop-in. It handles the southwest swell better than Lefts, but needs some size to work properly. Yet, even when working properly, Refugee’s Rights is still a break only suited for those need-for-speed surfers who…

Named after the Lohifushi Island it breaks off of, Lohis is comparable to Pasta Point in not only having hosted its fair share of WQS events, but also in housing an on-island resort that claims exclusive rights to the break. It is another incredible lefthander with a less than welcoming crowd. But since the resort…

Refugee’s Lefts are just across the pass to the north of Bedhuge on the east-facing side of Laamu Atoll. The “s” at the end of “Lefts” is more than just slang or a forgotten apostrophe—a few different lefthanded peaks break here. The lefts that roll through here are short and shifty, but enough to attract…

Although the name would seem to suggest that one need ninja-like skills to survive the potential pounding that this break might provide, Ninjas actually provides smaller waves that seem more characteristic of its less common name Piddlies (the name Ninjas is the result of the breaks traditional popularity with Japanese surfers). North Male Atoll’s premiere…

In line with the name, Beacons is the first spot surf charters usually stop at when traveling to Huvadhoo Atoll from the central atolls. Yet, even though it is first, it may not be the best break to ease into your Maldives surf trip, as many consider it the most powerful wave in the Maldives….

Pasta Point is the wave-machine of North Male Atoll. Less affected by wind than any of the other spots, this reef break consistently pumps out pristine lefthanders of all sizes.  Like any good wave-machine, Pasta’s long beautiful waves typically stay in the 4-6 feet range, but even in 1-2 foot waves it still breaks exactly…

Sultans location next to Honkey’s puts the uninhabited island of Thamburudhoo, which they both break off of, in the running for the most perfect island in the world—luckily the beach and the entire atoll are government property and remain unrestricted. Sultans righthander on one side and Honkey’s lefthander on the other makes it a double…

Kottey, some times referred to as Kottey Hithadhoo or just Hithadhoo, is located on the Northwest shores of Addu Atoll. This unique little island has a thriving population with some of the largest villages in the Maldives. Up until 1976, the British Royal Air Force had a military base on Addu and as a result,…

Taking its name from the earliest and most frequent visitor(s), the Honky’s lefthander wonderfully complements Sultans (its righthanded sisterwave), while tending to outshine its sibling on a regular basis. A long, wrapping, left, Honky’s competes for the best wave in North Male Atoll when all conditions are met. The takeoff is about 100 yards south…

A two hour plus dhoni ride from Kanda Muli leads you to a largely unridden spot known as Air Equator Lefts. Located on the northeast point of Meedhoo Island, these fast and full barrels were first spotted by Andy Burr, the Air Equator airline pilot who became known as one of the first “local surfers”…

Jailbreak was off-limits for years due to its location, churning out pristine right-handed barrels for hundreds of meters that only the daring risked trespassing to surf.  Those few locals who surfed Jailbreaks said there was one key to avoid getting caught—drop in deep from the takeoff and stay covered up.  The rights were so hollow…

Towns breaks on the eastern reef of Male, the capital and most densely populated island in the Maldives. Its location on Male means it is a popular spot with the locals, and you will see everybody out here on shortboards, longboards, and boogie boards. The Towns break is also accessible from the shore, so this…