 The surf season coincides with the south-west monsoon and runs from mid February to November when the best swells are generated by winter low pressure systems in the southern Indian Ocean. March and April provide a combination of excellent surfing and weather conditions. The water is warm enough to swim without a wetsuit, though a light suit is a good idea, for protection from the sun and coral. Booties are essential for picking your way over exposed coral reefs, and a helmet is recommended. Surfing in the Maldives provides you with two options; either staying in a resort or booking a live-aboard surfing vacation on a charter cruiser (Safari boat). Resorts provide boats (Dhonis) to transport surfers out beyond the breaks up to three times per day for two hour periods whereas charters offer surfers the chance to surf the reefs for longer periods. There are principally 2 major surfing areas in the Maldives:
The North Male Atoll contains the more well known (and surfed) breaks such as Lohis, Cokes, Chickens, Sultans, Jailbreaks, Honkys and Ninjas. These breaks offer a mix of rights and lefts for both the recreational and the high performance surfer, averaging 3-8ft and featuring some long point breaks as well as some hollower reefs. The North Male breaks can be accessed one of two means: surf charter boat, or from Lohifushi Island Resort. The Outer Atolls, approximately 300 miles to the South, contain at least a dozen, potent world class reef breaks that are rarely surfed, and this zone is fickle, with the right winds occurring only in two narrow windows generally from Feb-Apr and Sep-Nov. This area can only be accessed by means of a well-equipped surf charter vessel. The surf in the Outer Atolls is usually a few feet bigger than the North Male Atoll, hollower and shallower, similar to Indonesia style breaks.
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