Maldives Surf Report and Forecast – September 2023

📷 by Jinu and Stephen Lanfranco. Text by Chris Buykx

We know that the Maldives enjoys consistent SE swells and offshore westerly winds from April to October, but 2023 has taken this to a new level – every day, for months! 

August was blessed with the swell of the season early in the month, followed by some mid-sized days before another contender for the swell of the season finished the month. There was no let-up in the SE swell train; however, it was the good weather and light offshores that made the difference, with many days trending from good to epic at the east-facing breaks.

Surf Report – August 2023

Outside of the major swells on August 6th and August 30th, the whole month was mainly mid-sized swells, good weather, and offshore winds.

Perfect Wave consultant Billy Randell checked in to Kandooma in the middle of the month. Despite missing the major swells, he found plenty of speed out front at Kandooma Right.

Billy perfecting the rail grab carve on another fast Kandooma Right runner – 📷 by Jinu

Meanwhile, the charter boats were scoring in the Central Atolls, with Machines lighting up with solid SE swells and Mauroofs turning on with SW swell and light winds.

The Machine getting mechanical! 📷 by Steve Lanfranco

ENQUIRE NOW

Season Outlook

The major swells of August 2023 were notable highlights in a season of epicness. These major SE swell pulses coincided with the Indian Ocean Dipole trending towards strongly positive. The 2023 season has been a standout, with consistent moderate westerly winds grooming all the breaks to perfection. In 2023, the neutral to positive IOD means stable weather, setting up what is already an excellent season in the Maldives.

The notable swell-producing feature of 2023 has been a strong high-pressure anomaly in the East of the Indian Ocean 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 feature has been stable and almost locked in place from April until now and shows no signs of abating in September.

The good news for 2023 is the more consistent westerly winds in the Maldives favor breaks facing South around to East. When strong trade winds south of the equator deliver dominant SE trade swells combined with wintery lows pushing up SW groundswells, there is plenty of scope for conditions to trend from good to epic at the premium east and SE facing breaks.

Billy takes to Kandooma on his twinny! 📷 by Jinu

ENQUIRE NOW

Forecast: 12 – 17 September 2023

A solid start to September has eased to consistent mid-range SE trade swell continuing from September 12th with a 3–4 foot @ 9 seconds range (145 degrees) hanging in there, then building to 4 foot + on September 15th to 17th. This combines with 2–3 feet of SSW groundswell at 15 seconds. Winds will remain light SSW – SW, favoring the east-facing right-handers of the Male and Central Atolls. Breaks like Kandooma Right, F1’s, Sultans, and Jails should all light up with this combination of SW winds and SE swells with head-high to overhead waves. Potential squally conditions at times with passing rain bands and wind.

Mauroufs loves SW swell and NW wind, 📷 by Stephen Lanfranco

18 – 25 September

Swell size and consistency should build again on September 19th as the SE swell train steps up to high gear. The SE swell will increase from 5 feet @ 10 seconds, 145 degrees, up to 6 feet @ 11 sec on September 20th and 7 feet @ 11 sec on September 21st, then slowly easing back from September 22nd to 5-foot SE.

A rare very long period (>21 seconds) SSW groundswell will build through 21st September, peaking around 4′ @  18 Seconds on 22 September before slowly easing on 23rd. Such long periods can have very long intervals between the sets (15 – 30 minutes) and the sets when they arrive may be double the size expected as all that energy pushes up on to the shallower reefs. South exposed breaks like Cokes or SW facing breaks like Mauroofs could see double overhead plus stepladder sets at the peak of the swell – experienced surfers only. Other breaks facing east will not get the full exposure to the swell but should still set infrequent strong and long lined sets in amongst the consistent SE shorter period swells.

From September 23rd, it should trend back to the 3 to 4-foot range from the SE. We expect winds to remain light to moderate from the SW throughout; however, this may be associated with some stormy and squally conditions. With stormy winds having a trend to SW direction, the East facing rights (Kandooma, Jails, Sultans, Ninjas, Machines) will offer the better options. The SE facing lefts like Honkeys, Lohis, Pasta Point may be blown out at times.

There will be moments of great conditions between passing showers, so keep an eye out and be prepared to hit it and hopefully score some glass off after the storms.

25 – 30 September

Small to mid range SE trade swell should continue in the 3’+ range which should offer waist to shoulder high waves at the east facing breaks. A moderate SSW groundswell around 2′ – 3′ should offer some extra push at breaks exposed to the S to SE like Cokes. Local winds could trend gusty with passing squalls as the late monsoon clears out.

ENQUIRE NOW

ENQUIRE NOW