Daily updates from Maldives trip with The Perfect Wave and saltmotion photography

Daily updates from the surf trip onboard Cobia in Maldives.

All photographs (c) 2011 saltmotion photography | Joel Coleman

Day 1…

Maldives, day one… The first day of a surf trip is always something to look forward too. Last night a bunch of guys (and one girl) boarded a boat and settled in to our floating home for the next week or so. An early start in the morning and we were the first ones to reach a spot called Saltans. This is right in the heart of the Maldives surf scene and, although we were the first boat there and managed a good few waves to ourselves, it was not long before several others showed up. With plans to head a lot further afield this trip, we are just biding some  time and waiting for a weather pattern to shift opening up a few more options for us. Having said that, we surfed all day, sure there were a few other folk to share the waves with but sets were in the head high range, the sun was out, the water is like a tropical bath and everyone got more waves than they could have hoped for, the photos tell the story…

Australia from the plane

Pretty good for day one!…

S.M. – Loving Life

BYO Cheering squad

TBS joined the crew…

The first day ends…

Day 2…

Waking up on our boat in the Maldives is hardly what you would call ‘roughing it.’  Eager as can be, we were all up well before the sun and heading out for our first surf. Our crew was the first out on a pretty decent right hand reef break and everyone enjoyed some fun waves before breakfast. We are lucky enough on this trip to be accompanied by one of the best surf guides in the business. While filling our bodies with food he checked all the charts and decided to head a little further afield. His knowledge of the area proving to be spot on when he delivered us to a fast, hollow left with no one else around… What was meant to be a lunchtime surf turned into an all afternoon marathon session with the crew on the boat bring us a soft drink in the line-up! As I said, surfing here is hardly what you would call ‘roughing it…’

J.H. – getting his fill

Daffy in the duck tunnel

catching everyone out…

Chris chalking up another…

Plenty of empty ones…

morning reef view…

Day 3…

Floating around on a surf charter in the Indian Ocean paradise of the Maldives is a damn good place to be. With the swell a little smaller today, we hit up a very exposed reef and scored a load of fun waves. The crew all surfed until their arms ached and the sun forced them back to the boat. With plenty of waves for all to share, a few new friends were made in the lineup and things are getting pretty social on the back deck this evening. With a good few beverages going down, I have a feeling a number of the crew might be missing from the early session in the morning!…

Retirement plan…

Maldives colours

Tropical cylinders

Refreshing

Amazing reefs

Day 4…

This crew just want to keep surfing! Everyone is in the water all day, only coming in to eat and slap on some more sunscreen before getting out there for more waves!.. Navigating the reefs here is too dangerous to allow the charter boats to move at night, so normally we are coming in just before sunset to get to a safe anchorage for the evening. Last night was a little different. With a wave just on the other side of the lagoon where the boat is sitting we were able to surf until dark. We figured it was good opportunity to try a little night surfing… The thing about photographing at night is, it’s dark, tricky and was made more difficult by a bit of wind messing up the waves. Still we gave it a go & had a good laugh!

lighting up a bumpy one

Attempting the impossible

Our french connection

Night time shapes

Mark carving in the dark

Big smiles in the flash

surf stoked crew, heading home…

backscatter…

Day 5…

What an amazing day… four of us started off with a dawn session and surfed until hunger pains sent us back to the boat. The crew split up for the rest of the day, surfing in shifts, some at a hollow right-hander and others at a more mellow but bigger reef. We surfed some of the best waves we have had so far on this trip and everyone is damn happy with how this trip is going. While I write this the rest of the group are sitting on the back deck of the boat, feasting on the chef’s carbo-loaded super meals, which will no doubt put everyone to sleep pretty soon! Can’t wait to do it again tomorrow. With a little luck the Maldives will turn on another special day…

TBS – Text Book

what we came for

Miss Vanessa…

Inside blues

M.R. in the slot

splashy one…

Dr. Daff and the fish…

Day 6…

We woke this morning and took a look at the reef across the lagoon only to see ripples barley breaking. “Relax guys, we’re going to motor north a little this morning, I’ll find you waves…” The reassuring words of a surf guide that cut his milk teeth surfing these breaks. Sure enough a few hours later (and some very random forms of entertainment) we arrived to another perfect tropical reef break. Sets were still coming through in the head high range, the water was crystal blue and the sun was out, perfect!.. The small island in front of the reef provided a great vantage point to photograph from, with thousands of hermit crabs crawling around the rocks to entertain me between sets. Late in the day a large tropical squall pounded us and forced the boat to take shelter in a protected lagoon, it’s amazing how quickly it can go from sunshine and blue to driving rain with howling winds, then back to complete calm again. Bring on tomorrow, we still have more breaks to explore…

J.H. – stylin…

clear, blue, perfect

T.L. – eyeing sections

Maldivian blues…

tropical distractions…

no distractions

Stephan with the war paint on…

Dr. Daff – chillin..

Day 7…

Getting going early paid dividends again today. While the other boats sat peacefully inside the lagoon our captain and crew were up early to get us to the line-up well before the other charters… We had a beautiful reef break to ourselves; head high sets with the odd larger one peeling through. By the time the crowds showed up we’d had our fill and headed in for breakfast… With the winds blowing out a lot of breaks, you have to be on your game if you want to surf without company and our crew are all over it!…

Late this afternoon we pulled up at another island and while photographing  our lot out one side of the boat, Jordy Smith was boosting some massive airs on the other side… Entertaining to say the least, there are several pro surfers in the area at the moment!

The gymnists dismount

blue lip wobble…

Rod flying by…

Jordy Smith above the line

Late afternoon in the tropics…

smooth early waves

Day 8…

Our surf guide did it again… With several different charter boats all operating in this area crowds can easily form in the Maldives. That’s where you need the best of the best when it comes to surf guides. Our man Martey read the conditions perfectly again today and pulled a rabbit out of his hat. Delivering us to a dream like right hand break with not a soul around. I photographed until the last of our team headed in for lunch, and then while the chef’s pasta put everyone to sleep I snuck out and surfed a few hours by myself… Paradise! We then planned to head north this evening to surf another spot we have not been to yet. Word on the radio was the line up was packed up there so Martey pulled another swift one and while all the other boats were steaming north he took us south again and we scored the evening session with only a handful of others to share with…

The colour of aqua…

The masked brazillian…

who wants it?..

strange TBS angle

Mr. Stiffler

S.L. Sets his line

Textured blues

Day 9…

Nothing shy of perfect!…

Cobia life…

boat jump…

The crew…