There have been a lot of very stoked surfers returning from the Maldives over the last month.
June will be remembered for non-stop SE trade swell and ideal light westerly offshore winds. This combination works almost everywhere, and so all the main breaks lit up. A few of the more fickle spots also turned on, and even some best ever sessions going down.
Tucky Joes is possibly the best wave in the Maldives, but it’s fickle and requires good to epic conditions to fire up. A bunch of Kandooma guests were on the spot to score in early June, Mathew Batley, surf guide Clayton and photographer Minhaal were there to get the shots.
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When we said last month “the resulting Trade swell can outperform expectations”, we were talking about what might happen at Kandooma with all that South East Energy.
Perfect Wave CEO Jamie Gray reporting that it was the best he had surfed in 15 years while he was there for the Music In Paradise event for The Living End and Tex Perkins.
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Steve Lanfranco runs the Perfect Wave surf program in the Maldives, this is what he had to say:
“The last month has been one the most consistent run of swell we have experienced in the Maldives, certainly this season and probably for a long time. I can’t remember the last day we didn’t have waves”
Season Outlook
Following the great conditions of June 2023, July is showing more of the same but with extra spice! The 2023 season has been a standout since mid May based on the consistent moderate westerly winds grooming all the breaks to perfection. There has not been the strong South Westerlies we had last season when the 2022 the Negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) became established. In 2023, the script has flipped with a positive IOD now locked in and setting up what may be an excellent season in the Maldives.
A strong high pressure anomaly in the Indian Ocean is pushing up against lower pressure in the Central Indian Ocean, creating an embedded trade wind field of ESE winds pushing swell back towards the Maldives. This analysis from Surfline is focusing on Indonesia, and this from Swellnet focusing on Southern Australia both highlight higher than average pressure west of WA resulting in an enhanced Trade wind flow across the tropical Indian ocean south of the equator.
The good news for 2023 is the IOD is now strongly positive which should result in more consistent Westerly winds in Maldives and more surfing options facing South East to South West. When combined with wintery lows pushing up SW groundswells, there is plenty of scope that SE trade swell, SW groundswell and light west winds will combine and conditions will trend from good to epic at the premium east and SE facing breaks.
Forecast 14 – 21 July 2023
Some surfers are exhausted from the constant surf, but they won’t be resting much with SE trade swell continuing 4’ – 5’ @10 seconds until 17th July, where it might ease back to the 3’-4” range @ 9 seconds – still super fun under 5 to 10 knots of westerly offshore breezes across the Male and Central Atolls. Conditions are expected to remain in this range, boosted by a SSW groundswell around the 19th to 20th July, which will favour breaks with exposure to the South.
This is what Kandooma looks like with 4’-5’ SE Swell and west winds! Pic Jinu.
Forecast from 22 July 2023
Hang on, looks like swell of the season so far might be inbound, right on time for the 3rd week of July, which is almost guaranteed to pump! Check the WAMs for surface wind and pressure forecast for 20 July, note ESE trade wind field south of the equator covering the full width of the Indian ocean. At the same time, a strong SW front is pushing up below Madagascar. The isobars in the pressure map reveal the strong high in the central Indian ocean that is helping direct all this energy in both of Maldives optimal swell generating fetches.
Expect SE trade swell to build in to the 6’ – 7’ range at @12 seconds from 22nd June and hang in there for next 3 days. A long period SSW groundswell will build to 4’ @ 16 seconds around the 25th ensuring that South exposed breaks get some extra push in the sets. From 24th July swell may take a more East trend to 150 degrees or less but still hang in there in the 5’ – 6’ range. Note the winds across the Male atolls may take a SW bias which will favour East-facing rights like Kandooma , Machines, F1s, Jails and Sultans.
See what Shane and Jackson Dorian scored in late July swells in 2022, we are expecting a lot more of this:
MALDIVES SURF TRAVEL SPECIALS
Azure skies, golden sands, and sparkling turquoise waters make Kandooma Maldives the perfect spot for couples, honeymooners and families
Azure skies, golden sands, and sparkling turquoise waters make Kandooma Maldives perfect