Maldives surf guide (North Atolls) | Coke's, Chickens, Sultans & Jailbreaks

#surfmaldives #thulusdhoo #surftrip
What's it like surfing in the Maldives? Are the waves good? When is the surf season? Is Coke's better than Chickens?
After spending around 10 days in Thulusdhoo in the North Atolls of the Maldives, I've put together tips from my experience there and from speaking to people who have spent longer in the area.
Thulusdhoo is clearly not the only place that you can surf in the Maldives. In fact, I had not idea that the Maldives span over 800km north to south and over 90,000 square kilometres. As such, this is by no means an exhaustive list of tips. Though whilst the South atolls may be more exposed to Indian Ocean swells, it's hard to beat the convenience of Thulusdhoo as it's only 30 minutes from the capital and international airport in Male.
Spoiler alert: I loved it.
Coke's
Named after the Coca Cola factory on the island, this is a right hand reef point break that offers space for turns and barrels for those who are patient (especially in the end section).
Most people paddle out from the small island in front of the break but I dinged a board and stood on a sea urchin so ended up paddling from the main beach and around the reef.
It's the most famous wave in the area and for good reason! If you want to get barrelled, Coke's is your best bet. Strong currents can appear from nowhere, but are manageable most of the time.
Chickens
Across the channel from Coke's is essentially its opposite. A left hander with a softer take off, this waves was way more fun than I thought it would be.
Supposedly when everything lines up, Chickens offers incredibly long barrels. In addition, it's where I heard of the most people seeing Manta Rays in the surf.
Pay $5-$10 USD for a return trip via boat across the channel.
Sultans
A 20 minute boat ride from Thulusdhoo ($10 - 5 people minimum) and the other side of Himmafushi. Supposedly never closes out, though I was lucky with a big swell so there were definitely close outs.
Easy take off and long mellow walls for cut backs, with a sometimes punchy and barreling end section.
Jailbreaks
Right next to Sultans, Jailbreaks offers similar long mellow walls and lots of space for turns. A pulse from the swell hit when we were surfing there and it exceeded double over head surprisingly quickly!
Overall, I thought that the Maldives was going to beautiful white sand beaches and clear water, but average surf. Oh how I was wrong. Admittedly I did arrive in time for the biggest swell of the year (season runs March to October, I was there in September).
Regardless though, it is an amazing place to surf. The surroundings are incredible, as you would expect from the Maldives. The surprise was in the quality of the waves!
A few other tips:
- Ding repair on Thulusdhoo isn't great so if you can hold off to get boards fixed elsewhere, that's probably advisable.
- The sun is the strongest I've ever experienced, take LOTS of suncream/rash vest.
- Go snorkelling. Take a break from surfing for a few hours and go to the fish tank, it's like swimming in an aquarium.
0:00 - Overview of surfing in the Maldives (Atolls, Seasons)
1:43 - Surfing Coke's, Thulusdhoo
4:06 - Surfing Chickens, Maldives
5:23 - Sultan's & Jailbreaks
6:56 - Tides and currents
7:34 - What level? Is it shallow reef?
7:58 - Ding repair on Thulusdhoo
8:35 - Cheap flights to the Maldives (from Kuala Lumpur)
9:32 - What's it like surfing in the Maldives?