Surfatoll | Maldives surf trip

Ying Yang

Ying Yang is a powerful righthander first surfed on a 1996 Maldives boat trip headlined by Pat O’Connell and Satoshi Sekino. Boat charters have been making it a regular stop ever since, and not just because one of the Endless Summer guys surfed it—it’s also the most consistent wave in the Laamu Atoll area.

Located on the southeast side of the atoll, the wave transitions between a mellow outside and a tubular inside, divided by the type of corner that makes the Maldivian Atolls so unique. The outside wall breaks in deep water, so it is a safe wave that forms pretty slow and starts off really mellow as it bends into the corner. When it hits the corner it briefly mushes out, but then wraps around into a long and speedy inside barrel. The bigger the wave the thicker it barrels, providing some serious shade for those who can avoid the punishing sections.

Although it meets up as one wave, ideal conditions are different for the outside and inside portions of the wave. Northwest winds blow out the inside wave, while the deep-water outside holds up pretty well. On the other hand, southwest winds chop up the outside wave, while really igniting the inside section. It is definitely one of those waves where you kind of have to show up to see what you got, but—ranging from 2 to 12 feet and breaking in any tide—there is always something. Altogether Ying Yang is probably best in a strong southeast swell, with the wind directly west, if at all.

You can return to the main page for the Northern, Central, or Southern Atolls by clicking the buttons on the right. Or you can navigate to any of the breaks within the Central Atoll region by clicking on the break name below. If you have any questions regarding regions and waves, what is included on the surf trip, or any other questions regarding the maldives surfing experience, please visit our FAQ page or contact us.