Shane, Jackson Dorian & Friends Score Central Atolls Cylinders Aboard Carpe Vita
Chasing perfect surf in tropical locations is the ultimate adventure for any wave rider, but having big wave legend, Shane Dorian, leading the way equates to one thing… the emphasis is likely to be chasing tube time.
During August, Shane and Jackson Dorian led a team of frothing groms and their families through the Central Atolls in the Maldives tracking a swell in the Indian Ocean that eventually lit up all the reef breaks in our vicinity. Between sessions there was a bit of weather negotiated, some squall dodging and lots of forecast analysis by Shane and our guides.
Shane Dorian slotted.Breathtaking scenery in the Central Atolls.
We were lucky enough to score Carpe Vita, a boat I’ve come to love on my yearly pilgrimage to the Maldives. It’s the perfect boat to chase forecasted swell throughout the vast Central Atolls due to it’s size and speed. The food’s delicious, beverages plentiful and there’s so much space to relax pre-and-post surf, plus the saloon and TV area allowed us all sit and review the days video footage whilst hanging out with Shane, his family and friends.
This was Shane’s first time in the Central Atolls region, so he was naturally amped to check all the spots available and tick a bunch of new locations off his bucket list, as well as scoping new ones to visit in the future!
*cough* 2020 😉 *cough*
Jackson Dorian showing tube sense well beyond his years.
Fortunately for us, one particular set-up enjoyed it’s 15 seconds of fame and lit up waves of the month with perfect 3-4ft tubes breaking along a shallow ledge.
It wouldn’t take long before everyone was building their wave count and i was stacking multitudes of highlight clips. Everyone pushed their limits and scored a few new ‘tattoos’ along the way.
So many fun set ups, so few people.
After the swell peaked it luckily maintained for the remainder of the trip, ideal winds and perfect mid-sized waves continuing to break day after day.
The progression of the surfers having joined the Shane Dorian trip onboard Carpe Vita was visually obvious. Shane spent time with all riders, helping them fine tune their skills through video analysis and one on one coaching.
Of course Shane still took the time to score his own perfect waves!
It was an epic trip, with an epic crew. We will be doing it all again next year for sure.
One final chrystal cylinder for good measure.
Couldn’t ask for much more in a trip to tell you the truth. You should come along next year!
Words, photos and video by Andy Potts