Malé Atolls Surfing Guide: North & South Malé

Maldives Male Atolls Surf Season Best Waves in the Male Atolls Male Atolls Surf Resorts Male Atolls Surf Charters

Malé Atolls surfing

North and South Malé are the Maldives’ closest surf to the airport, with the most consistent swells from April to October.

The Malé Atolls of the Maldives is a perfect destination for a surf adventure or family holiday. Be it beautiful resorts with a wave out front, or a surf charter with a group of friends, these Atolls offer an experience for both surfers and non-surfers that is unrivaled. Experienced surfers love to come here to score quality waves in the peak season, while intermediate short board and long board surfers will find long, fun, peeling rights and lefts. North Malé has some of the best Maldivian surf breaks including Chicken’s, Cokes and Lohis. While in South Malé, Kandooma Right and Foxy’s are just two of the world class waves in this magical part of the Indian Ocean.

Planning a wider trip? Read our Maldives Surf Guide for seasons and regions, or explore the Central Atolls and Southern Atolls.

Maldives Malé Atolls – SURF RESORTS
Maldives Malé Atolls – SURF CHARTERS

What we love

A great variety of resort and boat charter options, including resorts with a wave out front

High density of quality waves. South Male Atoll is great for beginners and learners, as much as it is suitable for experienced surfers

April to October is when the best south swells and prevailing west or southwest winds light up most of the quality breaks in the atolls

Perfect Wave resident surf guides and instructors

Best Waves in the Maldives - Male Atolls

Kandooma Right

South Male
Breaking a stone’s throw from the Kandooma Resort, this is a fast breaking right with two take off spots and a great barrel.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Quarters

South Male
Gulhigaathuhuraa, uninhabited island attached to Anantara Resort. Eastern Reef of South Male Atoll. The wave has two sections, the outside is a fat, slow and meandering wave perfect for longboarders and even beginners and the inside section is a really nice, fast little right-hander that picks up less swell than most other places but on its day delivers perfect barrels. Best in winds W to NW, named after the resort workers’ quarters on the island.

MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

Surfing Male Atolls Maldives Foxys Natives Surf break

Natives / Foxy’s

South Male
This wave is very fast and hollow breaking over relatively shallow coral. It’s “Goofys Paradise” or if you’re fast on the backhand you will love this wave. Breaks for 100 to 150 metres and provides many barrel opportunities. Best with SE swell and NW wind. On transfer you will visit both Foxy’s and Rip Tides, so you get the best of both worlds.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Tucky Joes / Boatyards

South Male
A fickle, but freight train of a lefthander that provides a long, perfect but intense ride.

MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

Riptides

South Male
A right hander breaking for 150 meters on a reef in the middle of a channel. Need a transfer to this wave even though it is very close. The wave is aptly named as sometimes very strong currents can sweep you seaward so we always check current conditions before settling in for a session. Great wave for the longboarders and shortboarders as well as low intermediate surfers, providing very carvable walls with the occasional hollow section. Best with S swell and SW wind.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Cokes

North Male
Also at the eastern reef of North Male Atoll, this wave is a short but intense ride that is perfect for barrels with a steep barrelling take off, then a very shallow inside section that opens up even more than the takeoff.

MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

Chickens

North Male
Eastern reef of North Male Atoll. This long, excellent left-hander has two sections with an enjoyable, thin, peeling, racing lip. Best winds are NW-NNE (offshore). It was named because of the poultry farm on the island and is only accessed by boat.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Lohis

North Male
Consistent and hollow left-hander with two sections breaking directly in front of HudhuranFushi Resort.

MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

Honkeys

North Male
One of the most consistent waves of North Male Atoll off the island of Thanburudhoo which is uninhabited. This is an excellent, long, world-class left-hander. Its mirror, Sultans, breaks on the other side of the island.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Sultans

North Male
Easy spot located off Thanburudhoo island on the other side of Honkey’s. Excellent and long right-hander that can become very walled and long but only with big swells from the south. One of the most consistent waves of the Male atolls that never closes out, even on large swells. It is best at high tide and with west to north winds.

MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

Jails

North Male
Jails is actually the break off the island Himmafushi which used to actually have a jail on it. The jail has moved to a new one, but the name stays. This wave is a perfect right-hand reef break with a big whackable wall and fast sections to get a few cover ups. One of the most popular breaks due to the fact it isn’t a heavy wave and is normally a little smaller than its cousin Honkey’s across the channel.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Ninjas

North Male
North Male Atoll break out the front of Club Med Resort. This slow right-hander is good for beginners and long-boarders. Best on W-NW winds with a moderate S swell. It was named Ninjas due to the Japanese riders that love the break. However can be a serious wave when a big SE swell hits it.

MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

Malé Atolls surf breaks by level

From slow, beginner-friendly rights to shallow, hollow barrels, there’s a wave for most surfers in the right season.
Beginners: the outside section at Quarters, Ninjas off Club Med Kani, and Kitchens, Kandooma’s learn-to-surf break.
Intermediate: Riptides’ carvable walls, Jails, a popular right that isn’t heavy, and Sultans, a long right that holds big swells.
Experienced: Cokes’ barrels and very shallow inside, Foxy’s, fast and hollow over shallow coral, Tucky Joes and Kandooma Right.

When's the Maldives Male Atolls surf season?

The most consistent swells for the Male Atolls occur between April and October. This is when the best south swells and prevailing west or southwest winds light up most of the quality breaks in the atolls to the north and south of Male. March and November can be considered transition months, but also provide moments of magic without the crowds.

MALDIVES SURF CHARTERS

Attractions

The scuba diving in the Maldives is world-class, and many of the surf boats and surf resorts have top class facilities and instructors available. The Maldives is one of the best places in the world to spot manta rays and whale sharks; this should be more than enough to convince anyone to travel there, but there is more. Reef sharks including whitetip and grey reef are quite common, together with big tunas, Napoleon fish, eagle and stingrays. Otherwise, activities include: spa treatments, deep sea fishing, yoga workshops and yacht dolphin cruises.

BEST MALDIVES SURF RESORTS

The Country

The Maldives is made up of 1192 tiny islands grouped into atolls, spread over 800 km from north to south and straddling the equator. Roughly one hour’s flights southwest of Sri Lanka or 4hrs from Singapore, most of the atolls are idyllic, sun-drenched, palm-fringed Gilligan’s Island style set ups. Countless pristine, white, sandy beaches are surrounded by shallow, crystal clear lagoons and vibrant live coral reefs perfect for diving. This is life stripped down to simplicity – bright blue skies, year-round sunshine and fantastic diving and snorkeling in lagoons the temperature of bath water. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of both population and area; it is the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres above sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. It is also the country with the lowest high point in the world, at 2.3 metres.

Getting There

The capital’s Male’s Velana International Airport (MLE) is well connected with direct flights to and from Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, London and Hong Kong. From Male it is a short boat transfer to the resort or surf charter.

Where to stay in the Malé Atolls

Getting there: fly into Velana International Airport (MLE) in Malé; resorts and surf charters are a short boat transfer away.

North Malé resorts: Kuda Villingili, with Chickens just off the island; Hudhuranfushi, with Lohis a short paddle away; and Club Med Kani, with Ninjas out front.

South Malé resorts: Kandooma, with Kandooma Right steps from the villas (40 to 45 minutes by speedboat), and COMO Cocoa Island (40 minutes by speedboat).

Surf charters: Gurahali, Island Safari, Keana, Carpe Diem, Carpe Vita and Sea Rex work the Malé Atolls in the main season.

Transfers and surf trips depend on weather and surf conditions.

Travel Information

Time Zone

UTC+5:00

Currency

USD

Calling code

+960

Electric

230 V

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Malé Atolls Surfing FAQs

Quick answers to the questions we hear most about surfing North and South Malé. Tap a question to open it.

In North Malé: Chickens, a long left; Cokes, short and intense with barrels; Lohis, a consistent, hollow left in front of Hudhuranfushi; Honkeys and Sultans on either side of Thanburudhoo; Jails; and Ninjas. In South Malé: Kandooma Right, Quarters, Foxy’s, Tucky Joes and Riptides.

The most consistent swells arrive between April and October, when south swells and prevailing west or south-west winds light up most of the breaks. The Malé Atolls are prime from June; there are no charters from November to January. See every region in our Maldives Surf Guide.

Yes. South Malé Atoll is great for beginners and learners. Kandooma has its own learn-to-surf break, Kitchens, and beginner sandbank sessions in small groups of up to 4, while the outside section at Quarters and Ninjas in North Malé are slow waves.

Fly into Velana International Airport (MLE) in Malé, which has direct flights from Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, London and Hong Kong. From there it’s a short boat transfer: Kandooma is 40 to 45 minutes by speedboat and COMO Cocoa Island about 40 minutes.

In North Malé, Kuda Villingili has Chickens just off the island, Hudhuranfushi has Lohis a short paddle away and Club Med Kani has Ninjas out front. In South Malé, Kandooma has Kandooma Right steps from the villas, and COMO Cocoa Island has overwater villas. See our Maldives surf resorts.

Yes. In the main season (April to October), boats such as Gurahali, Island Safari, Keana, Carpe Diem, Carpe Vita and Sea Rex work the Malé Atolls, and Island Safari and Gurahali also run trips to the Central and Southern Atolls. See our Maldives surf charters.

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