6 reasons why the Maldives is better by surf charter

Charters are mobile, they follow the swell and avoid the winds. Neither option is available to most resorts (there are exceptions of course but you’re limited to tender/ speedboat distance and fuel tends to be expensive). Charters do things like ‘steam’ over night to get you the best wave by morning. Take Maavahi for example, you’ll start  Kaededhdhoo and travel clockwise around Gaafu Dhaalu, heading past Beacons or Barracuda Point, Dhigulaabadhoo, Castaways, Blue Bowls, Gani Point, Booga Reef,  Love Charms, Rockets and so on and so on… You’ll surf a plethora of waves that activate on all different types of wind and swell conditions and if the conditions aren’t right, then you’ll steam to the next one (or back to wave you sailed past to check the next spot).

Without a doubt, the best surf trips have a guide. Guides are locals, know the region, know the waves, know the distance between the breaks, know the coastline and are in tune with the forecasts. Their knowledge and experience invariably take you to the best waves and spots known in the region and sometimes unknown. Our Maldives’ charter guides are locals from the region and have grown up surfing these waves and exploring these waves: Or experienced ex-pats who have spent more time under the Maldivian sun than on their home shores. All this experience leans towards you having an amazing ‘surf-filled’, crowd dodging trip of a lifetime.

There’s something to be said for simply putting your hand up in the air when you’ve had enough. There’s something comforting about seeing the tender, dinghy, zodiac boat zipping towards you after a long paddle. There’s usually a cold drink onboard, a light snack, sunscreen and above a friendly, helpful smile - sometimes a photographer to congratulating you on that wave you caught and asking,  ‘would you like to see the pics?’. The tenders are used for short runs to and from the boat. If you’re in a channel and some of your crew want to surf that right that looks fun they can but be ready in five. The rest of the crew will go surf that wedgy left on the other side. Or you can wait, have another coffee, see which way you’re thinking and head out to your favourite then change your mind and do both. The point is you have choices and coupled with the expert advice of your guide, the tender can get you to the best spot and back again and again and again.

Surf charters are generally full board and the food is always amazing and plentiful. It needs to be, after surfing up to 4 times a day, you'll be hungry!  Charters have a private chef onboard, the menu is generous and they cook up a storm three times a day, every day, with a mixture of delicious cuisines, and no, not just curries (though no complaint from us)! Snacks are generally also available at any time. Plus, you can dine indoors or under the blue Maldivian sky on the decks for an unbeatable view every day or night and a full service bar means a cold beer or soft drink is always on hand!

The best stories we have are from surf charters. Years later when you’re planning another trip or catching up in the cold winter dreaming of the warmer Maldivian waters you’ll laugh at the time when [insert humorous anecdote] from that trip back in 2022. You’ll remember the comradeship, the long conversations, the book that got shared, the time you made a new friend or learned something completely new about the mates you’ve had for years. There’s simply something innate about spending time together as mates as you explore the tropical paradise of the Maldives.

You’re not a dyed-in-the-wool tourist on a surf charter, you feel more like a ‘traveller’. You are after all on an adventure - we may be splitting hairs here but there’s a difference. Essentially, you’ve deviated from the beaten track a little, you’ve taken comfort with you but you’ve ventured beyond the horizon into something new. You’ll stare at the hazy sunset over an endless ocean and you’ll island hop to local villages where your way of life is completely alien. You’ll get a brief experience of how tho locals live and it will build your understanding and appreciation for the region beyond those landlocked on resorts island, where, embedded in luxury (which is great at times too!), the horizon and the rest of the experiences a region has to offer may never truly reached.
As the saying goes … “Life is short and the world is wide.”