If you are the soul-searching, free-spirited adventurist who knows how to read a map and swell charts and you time your trip during peak season from June to August you'll be graced by perfect empty lineups with not a single head in sight for miles.
Surf Trips Maldives Northern Atolls
The Maldives' last surfing frontier
Not too much is known about the island formation 115km north of Male other than that the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, located in the Baa Atoll, is a popular diver pilgrimage site.
The region has yet to be fully explored, but don’t let that fool you! There are plenty of waves on tap, and with some navigation skills, you’re about to get very very lucky!
The reason why the Northern Atolls aren’t on people’s radar (yet), is because they have a smaller swell window than their more popular brothers and sisters to the South. You really have to nail the surf season, and an experienced guide is essential. But if you are the soul-searching, free-spirited adventurist who knows how to read a map and swell charts and you time your trip for April to September you'll be graced by perfect empty lineups with not a single head in sight for miles.
- The last untouched region in the Maldives
- An abundance of uncrowded waves
- Great for longboarders
- Smaller swell window
- Mesmerizing landscapes and marine life
Your personal expert for northern atolls surf trips
Martin Jenner
Head of Sales
Martin, LUEX's Head of Travel, started out skating in the UK, before escaping to the powder of Canadian mountains. He found his way to LUEX through years of chasing snow in winter and waves in France during summer. These days, he manages our surf and snow teams, while squeezing in surf trips to his favorite right-handers at Cokes and Kasabu in the Maldives, or powder missions to the tree-lined runs of Revelstoke. At LUEX, he combines his love for board sports with making sure every trip runs smoothly.
Meet other experts
Ignacio Echandi
Product Manager Surf
Benoit Labat Camy
Product Manager Surf
Max Domijan
Product Manager Surf
Julia Heising
Product Manager Surf
Tim Heising
Managing Director
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Suitable for all levels - Best for beginner-intermediates with more mellow, playful waves. Perfect for beginners or best for longboarders or people who place low crowds above all else.
Great selection of high-end resorts and a few options for surf charter explorer trips up north.
A great option for families and non-surfing partners, especially at resorts in the area. Kid-friendly and plenty of activities in and out of the water available. On surf charters options are more limited
Domestic Flight (And possibly then a Speedboat to your resort) or Direct Seaplane from Malé. Longer Boat Charter Crossings are also possible without the need to fly (Minimum 12-14 nights)
Some of our favorite waves in the Northern AtollsFind more waves and detail information in our Maldives Wave Guide
Northern AtollsKakuni Rights / Marco PoloA well-kept secret for so many years, Kakuni Rights might not be as consistent as other spots further south, but if you hit it when the conditions are right, the hard barreling righthander is absolutely perfect.
Northern AtollsKakuni Rights / Marco PoloA well-kept secret for so many years, Kakuni Rights might not be as consistent as other spots further south, but if you hit it when the conditions are right, the hard barreling righthander is absolutely perfect. The wave wraps around a deeper shelf of reef and starts with a mellow-ish takeoff, followed by a fast and hollow barrel section over shallow reef. It's a bottom turn-stall-race kind of scenario, so speed is key - Don't hesitate! Very remote and only accessible by boat!
ReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedS - WMarch to OctoberReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedS - WMarch to October
Northern AtollsDhravandhoo RightAs the name suggests, this is a pretty epic righthander when it's on and probably the heaviest wave in the Northern Atolls. It has a pretty small swell window which makes the break pretty fickle and unpredictable.
Northern AtollsDhravandhoo RightAs the name suggests, this is a pretty epic righthander when it's on and probably the heaviest wave in the Northern Atolls. It has a pretty small swell window which makes the break pretty fickle and unpredictable. Works best in a medium tide with variable W - NE wind and a strong SSE push. Even though Dharavandhoo right is close to the Atolls airport, it's a pretty remote set up, so make sure your captain knows where he is going.
ReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedS - EMarch to OctoberReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedS - EMarch to October
Northern AtollsSoneva House ReefJust out front of Sonevafushi Resort, this wave has a little bit of a temper. It’s fickle and you need to have a little bit of luck on your side to score, but with a big southeast swell, Soneva Reef is on fire.
Northern AtollsSoneva House ReefJust out front of Sonevafushi Resort, this wave has a little bit of a temper. It’s fickle and you need to have a little bit of luck on your side to score, but with a big southeast swell, Soneva Reef is on fire. It’s a pretty friendly righthander with an easy take-off but it gets super shallow through the inside, so make sure you keep your head straight and watch where you’re going. Not the most powerful in the region, but with size, it’s super rippable for shortboarders.
ReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedSEMarch to OctoberReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedSEMarch to October
Northern AtollsBatsA solid A-frame that works in all sorts of conditions. Either way you wanna go, with a straight W swell the wave turns into a barreling machine. Bats is mechanical which makes it easier to navigate the zippy and hollow mid-section.
Northern AtollsBatsA solid A-frame that works in all sorts of conditions. Either way you wanna go, with a straight W swell the wave turns into a barreling machine. Bats is mechanical which makes it easier to navigate the zippy and hollow mid-section. It’s one of the more powerful waves in the region as the swell traverses through a narrow channel out from the open ocean before hitting the shallow-ish reef bank. Ya need some skills to get the most out of the steep and heavy take-off, but on the right days, it’s perfection!
A-FrameW - NWAdvancedSW - NWMarch to OctoberA-FrameW - NWAdvancedSW - NWMarch to October
Northern AtollsDrumsticksOne word. Worldclass! Drumsticks well and truly turns into a perfect barreling lefthander in the right conditions. It’s long. It’s fast. It barrels. It has all the attributes of a world class wave without being too heavy.
Northern AtollsDrumsticksOne word. Worldclass! Drumsticks well and truly turns into a perfect barreling lefthander in the right conditions. It’s long. It’s fast. It barrels. It has all the attributes of a world class wave without being too heavy. It has a pretty easy take-off that fades into a rippable bowl before the wave bottoms out through the inside for a classic, pristine Maldivian barrel. It has a smaller swell window than other waves around, and needs a South - Southwest to really start working.
ReefbreakLefthandW - NWIntermediate - ProS - WMarch to OctoberReefbreakLefthandW - NWIntermediate - ProS - WMarch to October
Northern AtollsSnakesThe Northern Atoll’s response to a wave pool! Snakes is a lot of fun with a perfect reef formation to support that claim. The wave never gets too big or too heavy and hardly ever closes out. It essentially has 3 sections
Northern AtollsSnakesThe Northern Atoll’s response to a wave pool! Snakes is a lot of fun with a perfect reef formation to support that claim. The wave never gets too big or too heavy and hardly ever closes out. It essentially has 3 sections. The mellow take-off is perfect for longboarders to cruise down the face before the reef wraps around, producing slightly steeper, faster and more rippable walls. In smaller conditions it’s a safe haven for beginners and intermediates as it breaks in deep water. With a good Westerly push, Drumsticks turns on the high performance mode perfect for more comfortable punters to shred away.
It can get a little fickle due to its location. Too much South in the swell can create longer waiting periods, making the whole experience a little inconsistent. Nonetheless, this wave pumps when the conditions are on.
ReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedS - WMarch to OctoberReefbreakRighthandW - NWAdvancedS - WMarch to October
Northern AtollsDhakendhooDhakendhoo Corner is a solid option when everywhere else seems to be too small. It always has a little wave as the swell travels through a narrow reef passage before hitting the reef.
Northern AtollsDhakendhooDhakendhoo Corner is a solid option when everywhere else seems to be too small. It always has a little wave as the swell travels through a narrow reef passage before hitting the reef. It breaks directly off Dhakendhoo, an inhabited island, with a perfectly deep reef set up. It’s an A-frame wave cooking up something for everyone. The right is fast and rippable, while the left is mellow and cruisy. A lot of fun when nothing else seems to work.
A-FrameW - NWBeginner - AdvancedSWMarch to OctoberA-FrameW - NWBeginner - AdvancedSWMarch to October
Five Reasons For The Perfect Maldives Vacation In The Northern Atolls
- 01Wavepark means elevated travels
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01Wavepark means elevated travelsThe appeal of grabbing a slice of surfing bliss coupled with luxury living draws surfers from all over the world to the Maldives’ best-kept secret. The Northern Atolls first made it on people’s radar as a dive and honeymoon destination which lead to some of the most exclusive hotel chains set up shop in the far north.
We don’t complain, as some of our favorite partners offer the best of both worlds, tempting couples with once-in-a-lifetime holiday experiences while also cater to the hungry salty warriors with surf programs and guiding.
Surfers of every description from solo travelers through to couples and families. The Northern Atolls are the closest you can get to paradise offering something for everyone.
- 02Longboarders might just be in heaven
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02Longboarders might just be in heavenAlthough the Northern Atolls aren’t short on rippable waves, the long, peeling walls are right on the money. Whatever you prefer, lefts, rights, A-frames, your 9ft+ is going to feel right at home. The reef setups are perfect. Shallow. But perfect to produce peeling walls, never too fast, never too slow, to elevate your high-performance longboarding game.
- 03Worldclass IF you time it right
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03Worldclass IF you time it rightWe can’t stress this enough. The waves can truly get world-class with all the perks you might be used to in North Male or the Southern Atolls, but you have to time it right. The biggest misconception
About the Northern Atolls is that it’s inconsistent, or worse, that there are no waves. But the truth is way less bleak. Sure, they might never get a 5star rating like some of North Male waves do, but they can definitely hold their own during the region’s surf season. It gets good! It even gets occasionally worldclass. Period.
- 04Truly uncrowded waves
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04Truly uncrowded wavesIf you want to surf alone, the North Atolls are for you. Running into big hordes of hungry surf travelers rarely ever happens because A, not many boats make the trip up north, and B, only a few resorts cater to surfers.
Pick the small-ish swell window right and the Northern atolls will reward you in true Maldivian fashion, meaning plenty of pristine barrels with no one else around.
- 05Besides surfing your brains out there are plenty of alternatives in the Northern Atolls
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05Besides surfing your brains out there are plenty of alternatives in the Northern AtollsLazing around in hammocks and on sun decks and/or surfing from dawn 'til dusk is the only aim of many, which is of course totally okay. However, once the sun goes down or if you fancy a break from the wave-riding bliss then there is plenty to keep you entertained. Snorkeling, diving, fishing and dolphin watching trips are all on the menu along with a diverse range of facilities and services or you can simply play at being Robinson Crusoe – ocean gazing or wandering along spectacularly beautiful beaches.
Wall of Fame - You can't go wrong if they've traveled with us
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