It's a beautiful Island and location and most importantly has its own world class break! Two weeks after we departed the Island was staging the O'Neil Deep Blue WQS 6 star surf competition. Details of the surfing comp can be found at along with some quality videos and photos of this year's event and the previous two years at Lohis.
One of the biggest positives about surfing here is the water, its 28-30 degrees, absolutely boiling and gin clear - a surfers dream! Upon arriving and after a tedious twelve hourr flight passing over Beirut! (hmm, wished the captain didn't tell us that one during the film!), we arrived in the Maldives. We got off the plane and into a speedboat for a thirty minute transfer. The first thing you notice is the heat and humidity, whilst at the airport you see everyone jumping into their cases to get their board shorts out.
The first couple of days the surf was poor, barely 2ft and choppy! Just about okay given the water, sun and location though. Eventually it cranked up a bit more and we generally had 3ft surf maxing to 4 to 5ft on occasions. Bit on the small side but fun.
For the previous two weeks, the surf had been non existent so we didn't complain we just left this to the South Africans and Aussies. I'm sure they could teach whingeing as a degree course! I told them many times, how lucky they were to be living on the Gold Coast etc and they looked shocked when I told them about our water temperatures and the rubber/neoprene requirements we have to put up with!
On the first day's surfing, I hit the reef a few times plus I took a day or two to get into the swing of things. It always feels peculiar paddling out wearing boardies after just having surfed all winter in the full neoprene kit. Somehow you tend to feel less protected. Nevertheless you acclimatise quickly.
The waves aren't as heavy as I thought and most of the Gower reefs are just as heavy in the conditions I encountered. Although it's a world class wave out there I'd say its fairly tame and most surfers with over four years surfing experience should be able to competently ride out there. The only problem you'll encounter is the competition for waves with crowds.
At North Male Atoll there are approx seven surf breaks - Chickens, Cokes, Lohis, Ninja, Honkys, Sultans and Jails. The breaks other than Lohis are only accessible by Dhooni (surf taxi) from Lohifushi Resort for a very nominal fee. Whilst there, I managed to get a great session at Cokes although it was fun competing for waves as the break was pretty crowded, (over 30 on the peak!) and full of Brazilians who have to take an award for being the most arrogant bunch of surfers in existence!
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