Stormrider Guide to surfing Gaafu Dhaalu and Alifu

Maldive Islands, INDIAN OCEAN

Beacons, YEP

Summary

+ Atoll pass perfection	- Stormy winter seas
+ Fewer charter boats	- Growing springtime crowds
+ Calm water cruising	- Long transfers
+ Great fishing and scenery	- Expensive

Gaafu Dhaalu (South Huvadhoo) and Gaafu Alifu (North Huvadhoo) has an exposed south and east-facing coastline, boasting a dozen good passes, in a 2 hr cruising zone. Maldivian pioneer, Tony Hussein, discovered the areas potential in 1973, keeping it to himself until the first charters began in 1993. A short flight from crowded Malé drops surfers in this beautiful, undeveloped, secluded zone with a good choice of rights or lefts.

When to Go

Due its size and location, Gaafu Dhaalu is the only atoll with total SW-SE exposure. May-Oct is the most consistent swell season, however, this coincides with the SW monsoon and the boats don’t operate much during the stormy, windy conditions from May-August. Shoulder seasons either side of the NE monsoon are best for clean and sunny conditions during Feb to April (usually crowded) and Sept-Nov (very uncrowded). Winds will generally have a NW - NE direction but the monsoon can be early or late, bringing unwelcome SW winds to the transition periods. Any wind from the S to E quadrant kills off all the breaks, especially when it’s small. Dec-Jan suffers flat spells, but exposure is better than Male Atolls.

Surf Spots

Fresh off the domestic flight, lucky punters will score good lefts at Airport’s with a strong S-SW swell and NE wind, but the boat usually heads direct to Beacons, 2hrs away, at the first southern reef pass. Touted as the Maldives gutsiest wave, Beacons’ powerful rights tube onto a shallow, unforgiving reef. SW swells will break down the reef, but a SE swell will create peaks slamming straight onto closeout sections of coral. Less intense is Castaways, exposed on an outside reef that is predictable, but shallow on the end section, especially at low tide. Anything N is offshore and the deserted island backdrop is idyllic. Blue Bowls is the most flexible right, tucked inside the pass and protected from SW-W winds. More of a point style wave, it has good length of ride and nice bowly sections for performance moves. All swells, all tides and all sizes. 30 minutes motoring east, Five Islands is another righthander that breaks hard and hollow on the shallow inside reef. The outside section encourages deep take-offs into racy walls and handles the biggest swells at all tides. Two Ways needs a big swell to hit its protected position, creating fun peeling, long walls with a bit of depth to the water making it a favourite with intermediates. Directly next-door are the reliable lefts of Love Charms, which can handle E winds and any size swell. Low tide is best when it is small, soft and broken into two distinct sections. Bigger swells morph it into a long, hollow wall, with powerful pockets. The next pass to the east is a narrow inlet between the islands of Gan and Gadhdhoo, where local surfers can be found. Antiques are the rights, which are always a couple of feet smaller and way more forgiving than the lefts. Named after the narrow gouges in the reef that give a striped effect, Tiger Stripes has some real growling lefts in a strong swell. Tricky take-offs into a long speed wall before committing to an inside tube section that wraps and peters out in the channel. Unimpressive when small, it always seems to be bigger than everywhere else. All tides, all variations of S swells and any N wind. KH’s is almost east coast and the two distinct take-off spots link together in bigger swell and tide conditions. There’s scattered, quality surf like Koodoo and Viligili, located in Gaafu Alifu (North Huvadhoo Atoll), surfed by boats on their way to/from Male.

Statistics

dominant swell

SE -SW

swell size (ft)

2-3

consistency (%)

560

dominant wind

N -E

W -N

SW -W

SW -NW

W -N

average force

F2-F3

F3-F4

consistency (%)

water temp (C)

wetsuit

boardshorts

Travel Information

Weather
NE monsoon is the driest, sunniest period with lighter winds from NW to E and high humidity. Water temps remain around 28-30ºC (82-86ºF), meaning boardies, long sleeved lycra and sunhat!

Lodging and Food
All mod cons aboard a handful of safari boats including the original Horizon II and Anloran, booked through all the big agents (Atoll Travel, Maldivesurf, Perfect Wave, Waterways, etc). Ayada resort sits a mile from Two Ways but prices are around $800/d. One guesthouse in Blue Bowls around $90/d; speedboat transfers being an obvious extra at 500usd both ways. Food is varied as long as it is fish!

Nature and Culture
Typical boat trip culture of insane fishing, great snorkelling (no tanks available), surf vids and board games. Vaadhoo and Gadhdhoo offer telecom services and village scenery.