Photos: Maldives surf report - July
The Maldives Surf Report is brought to you by World Surfaris and curated by Richard Kotch at Hudhuranfushi. At the beginning of each month during the winter surf season Rich will update swell conditions as well as bring you the best photos.
Following text and photos by Rich:
July is the month here in the Maldives - it really is.
We've just had pumping waves and decent weather for the entire month of July. And a new swell kicked off the start of August.
I doubt that there’s a surfer on the planet who doesn’t know that Indonesia has just had a historic swell, and the same lines of energy that hit Indo also wrapped their way up into the North Male region of the Maldives.
Admittedly it wasn't as big as Indonesia’s exposed breaks by the time it reached us, but the long period perfection level was off the charts. If you were here you scored, and if you weren’t then maybe you should consider booking for next year as July never disappoints!
See you soon,
Rich
PS: Photos by the life_at_lohis crew!
Comments
Did a week in north male region through July. Strong offshores and plenty of head high lines. Stoked.
But bizzarely as the tide was going OUT to low tide, the current in the channel would be pushing IN at beyond paddle strength. The converse of what you would expect. Can Richard or some wise old salt explain this? My mate Jeremy reckons same happens in Fiji sometimes.
Don't class myself as a wise old salt AP but have been to the dives three times in the past and the reason I have been told is that it's like the water retreating when a wave approaches, i.e. the tide is the wave and the current is the water moving in the opposite direction to the approaching wave (tide). Think of it as the current refilling the lagoon from where the tide is emptying the water, always trying to achieve equilibrium. Vice versa goes for the incoming tide. This link may explain it a bit better: https://www.therealmaldives.com/current-in-the-maldives/.
All I know is at the narrower reef passes it can be brutal and at times it's almost impossible to paddle against it. A lot of guys tend to sit it out when the current is raging so if you can handle it then you get uncrowded sessions.
Thanx Quokka. Well explained and great link. Aa-harrr moment!
Can't comment on the tide scenario but those photos are dreamy.
As he said, if you were here, you scored. We were there and we did. Pretty gusty winds but constant pumping waves.
Guys, I'm heading to central atolls in a few weeks. Never been to Maldives.... what can I expect? Any left handers or am i going to get tons of practice at my pig dog technique?
thanks,
Sickness is what you can expect. Tune that backhand up!
Roger that!!! Thanks Dog
Maldives.....Got completely skunked on my one and only trip. Nothing over knee high for seven days at Kadooma. The islands surf guide went into hiding.
Apparently it does get fun but got sucked into the marketing hype.
Kandooma gets less than 1/2 the swell of Sultans/Cokes etc I reckon. Or maybe its the swell angle as they are not that far apart. I went on a 10 days trip a few years back to North Male and we got head high plus everyday with a few double overhead days thrown in. A mate of a guy I was with was at Kandooma exactly same time and got nothing over knee to waist high.
I got skunked badly on a trips to Cokes last year in May, knee high with a strong sideshore everyday for a week (plus the week after apparently). Talked to a bloke on the plane on the way home who stayed at Kandooma and he said it was 2-3ft everyday, clean and super fun so it is tricky to predict and especially in the early season. Beautiful place with or without waves regardless
Richard_kotch insta
Unfortunately becoming a little more and more common over there.
I have always scored it super fun with the odd bigger day tho.