10 Things You NEED to Know BEFORE Surfing The MALDIVES…

[@damisu8]

We stayed at Kandooma (which is obviously private), but on trips to other (non-private) spots the waves weren’t crowded at all...in fact I don’t think I surfed a spot with more than 7 people during the whole two weeks. In the peak season of August. The spots we went to weren’t the world famous ones (and were not close to inhabited islands) so I guess that’s why they were empty. On the heat - it is brutal, I managed to burn the back of my thighs (from paddling) so ended up wearing leggings (you could call them tights if you were being cruel), boots (after scraping my feet to pieces), and a hat. I gave up all sense of trying to look cool and went into survival mode. However, our guide at Kandooma (who was Brazilian and didn’t have pasty Anglo-Saxon skin like mine) also often wore leggings when surfing...so...maybe not so lame I absolutely loved the place, had some of the best waves in my 35 years of surfing - all in the space of two weeks. Met loads of great people from all over the world, but had to empty my pockets pretty heavily for the experience. If you can save up / sell a kidney to go to one of the private resorts, a lot of the issues you’ve described will disappear (apart from the heat).

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey mate!! Yeah, you must have been surfing some lesser-known breaks as from what i saw, it would be impossible to surf with only 7 people out (when the waves were good) at the famous breaks! Haha, nothing wrong with a pair of leggings if it keeps the sun off hahaha 😂 Yep If I go back, I'll definitely be going to one of the resorts!! Yew!

[@kassidyf8776]

Where’d you stay ?

[@markpyne8354]

The only problem with resorts is you'll have to eat western food which will be shit . Id much rather eat local cheap nutritious food when traveling. A generalization but usually true.

[@mmchrisp]

Bang on, but you should probably clarify the video is about staying in the northern atols. The middle and southern atols are certainly harder and more expensive to get to, but because of that they are less crowded and a bit less hard work.

[@mariolopes2365]

I went to Mentawais last year on late season sep/oct and in many sessions I've had the same issues with guys paddling around you, going straitgh to the peak, like you described on the video, upper beginner/intermediate lets say that have no idea what they're doing. I think if every surf camp in those islands should start doing like an induction when they get there and this could be improved, everyone paid thousands to be there

[@DanHarmon123]

Yeah, that's a great idea!! I think just in general there needs to be more education/attention toward line-up behaviour hahah!

[@michaelj8793]

Pretty sure that I'm going to be passing on the Maldives Whenever we travel crowded surf is exactly what we don't want to find after spending time and money When you can spend more time than money and find less crowded breaks and your content serves people well in scoring the best possible experience Thanks for sharing as always my friend and Be well 👍🤙

[@MrJMHP]

If you skip Maldives your are skipping one of the best and fun waves in the world. Nowadays with social media and youtubers there's no spots without crowds at least the most famous and more consistent. It's true that Maldives like Bali and others famous spots around the world are crowded but there is plenty oportunity to surf with less people during the day. Simply no one can spend all day or many hours surfing under the hot sun like in the Maldives. The best way to spend your time resting and surfing with less stress is to book a resort with private wave and access to others public spots. Give it a try and have fun!

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey Michael!! Yeah, that's the whole purpose of these videos!! And yeah, I mean you will get fun waves, but there are plenty of other cheaper and empty places to get waves that's for sure!!

[@gwoodsy6872]

It depends where you go. I have been twice and never had any crowds, apart from the crew I went with plus a couple of friendly locals. I don’t go to the main well known places though. The closer you are to Male, the busier the breaks are.

[@Changwen666]

Man, you made a good choice… there are so many places in Indo that can offer similar water quality yet an empty line-up… people here are just so rude they destroy your wave in all sorts of ways… drop-ins, paddling out even clearly you are already on it…. Just a very rude crowd

[@andrewhallam926]

My first trip was in the early 1990s. No crowds then. Unbelievable crowds now.

[@uri.patish]

Thanks for the *honest* review Dan! This is really important info for planning a surf trip. The points regarding the power of the swell, and especially the crowd factor, and the poor etiquette are critical.

[@DanHarmon123]

No worries!! Glad you found this helpful :))

[@thegentleorchestra]

I love it when you do these things these are great. I also had a great laugh, but very informative thank you.

[@nickd1637]

I needed this one Dan as we plan on heading to the Maldives in the near future. Thanks for all the valuable info! You definitely have one of the best and most informative surfing channels on YT!

[@Nashinsi]

Good and practical review! Thanks

[@DanHarmon123]

Stoked you found it helpful :))

[@jonsalvador5051]

Hey Dan, I did a boat trip on The Maldives from North Atolls all the way south, and even though it was great, this charter boat would not motor at night, meaning we spent day / surf time motoring. We got fun waves but spent many hours on the boat going from atoll to atoll. Thanks for sharing.

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey mate!! That's good to know and must have been super frustrating having to do that and not being able to wake up at a new spot!!

[@libertard6101]

The great thing about pasta point is it’s so exclusive,, Nobody allowed to jump off a boat and hop your point …. Worth the extra $$$$. And food is five star, You get you own chef !!! 🤙🏽

[@gavinratcliffe6201]

Such great advice great videos. Keep it up buddy 😎

[@DanHarmon123]

Thanks mate!!

[@w4rl0q]

have you read barbarian days by William Finnegan? you remind me of him and his surf travels. only youre doing it in a modern era. so rad and loving all videos dude

[@kaiasano8370]

great book

[@days8973]

100% every surf influencer has read that book it is the goat of surfing books

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey mate!! thank you so much and yes, I absolutely love that book!! I've read it a couple times....

[@hassanshiruhaan106]

you should come and experience the southern atolls sometime.

[@DanHarmon123]

Would love to one day :))

[@ryancraig6624]

Bruhh!! You're information is clutch. I'm on Bali and thinking about Maldives for a visa run. Thank you for all your awesome content keep up the good work! Suksma!!

[@DanHarmon123]

Thanks Ryan!! Yeah do it, great visa run option this time of year :)

[@ryancraig6624]

@@DanHarmon123 Done. Thanks Dan!

[@scottmcwave9479]

Thank you for the information! Great show!🤙

[@DanHarmon123]

No problem Scott!! Glad you liked this one :)

[@GoodBye-hy3zw]

Well explained Bro,never disapoint,spot on

[@alvarogonzaleztemprano4503]

Hello, I have seen your KZbin video about the Maldives. My friends and I are planning to do a surftrip. In Thulusdhoo, where you say that you have stayed and where the Cokes spot is located, it seems like a very good area. We would like to move to other spots. My question is In that area where you have stayed, are there any local guides with a boat? Can you negotiate with them, to hire their services for days or hours? I look forward to hearing from you, thank you very much for your attention.

[@hassanwardani9002]

Great info mate. Thanks 🤙

[@erdemulubas]

Which months are good for surfing in Maldives? What is your personal experience?

[@orpaztron]

Ninja is best for getting a way from the crowd in a reasonable budget. and I wouldn't describe 7-8 ft Cocks an easy or a weak wave.

[@DanHarmon123]

Sick!!

[@kaiasano8370]

Hey Dan, have you done any surf trips to the phillipines before?

[@DanHarmon123]

Hey Kaia, I haven't (yet). But definitely keen to go there at some stage!!

[@ashleysomers3202]

Do you need a pass for cokes?

[@DanHarmon123]

Nope! Anyone can surf Cokes!!

[@kaidame3499]

On behalf on what you described in the video, it's a prime example that you can't buy happiness by just pumping more money into it 🙈 Enybody else around you there did the same and maybe even more. So alot of them become the feeling of owning something. Surfing world's problem in a nutshell 😂 Surfing is no ski resort business 😂

[@DanHarmon123]

Yeah, great point actually!! I do love that no amount of money can necessarily buy good waves on demand!!

[@joshsmith7999]

Actuall it's the total opposite, if you pay top dollar to stay on an island with an exclusive wave you will avoid 90% of the frustrating issues dan described 🤣

[@kaidame3499]

@@joshsmith7999 Good luck following that path mate 🙏

[@MikeCorica]

Where are there the least amount of South Americans?

[@libertard6101]

They don’t have the influx of aussies and Brazilians like Mentawi’s …. Lot of aggressive Portuguese tho , Lots of history being at the tip of India

[@richardallen4999]

Its because cokes receives se trade swell that's why it's not as powerful as indo

[@AageV]

You can't really make a video about all of the Maldives after just visiting the absolute most well know and most crowded area... I spent 3 weeks in a very affordable place in the central atolls and it was one of the best trips I've done. Value for money and crowd wise it was unbeatable. Consistent surf for 18 of the 21 days with only a handfull of surfers spread over 4 breaks, only time it would get a bit busy is when some charter visited. But the charters always leave. We pretty much always had a nice vibe and etiquette going in the lineup. Never had that many waves in such a short time, my whole body was fried after 3 weeks. This is like visiting Snapper rocks and saying that all of Australia sucks.

[@DanHarmon123]

Hi mate!! Thanks for ya comment! And yep totally agree, and I’m sure the Maldives has lots of epic uncrowded waves, but for that very reason I can’t really talk about those on KZbin, so I tend to report on only the most well known spots :)

[@Changwen666]

Maldives surfing is defo overrated…. The unpredictable current and crowded line-up…… I surfed Sultans and Jails but out of 9 days only 1 or 2 days the current was not mentally draining. The current is unpredictable, avoid low tide seems to be the only rule that works most of the time but otherwise it’s so hard to map out the logic of current strength. The crowd is not too much of a factor for wave catching as there are multiple peaks but I strongly agree with the no etiquette comments you made. Every session I am in, I would get at least two waves destroyed by either people dropping-in on me consciously or unconsciously or people destroying my face by paddling for a wave that I was clearly already riding while they did not even bother looking back. Overall the crowd here has no manners as they are mostly tourists hence they don’t have to behave as they are only here for a few days. The current is unpredictable and you don’t know when it will tame off so it’s very mentally uneasy. Overall, I would rate Maldives 5 out of 10. Waves are really good though if you don’t get disrupted and ride to the end. But with the current and impolite crowd factor, every session I probably only have one or two undisrupted long rides. Whereas in other parts of Indo I can have 3-4 undisrupted long rides…. I hate to be a hater but it is what it is. Think twice before you book your tickets…..

[@Changwen666]

Ideally somewhere with less current and better mannered crowd would be better. I am sure some less visited or private spots would offer better options, I might hop on a cruise trip next year to only surf those uncrowded places and if I can’t fine them I ain’t coming back for life…

[@theodoreestienne5492]

Maldives is full of cooks

[@multisumi123]

thanks. I definitely will not be going

[@marcelguarachi]

Sounds like a bad experience

[@DanHarmon123]

Yeah, it definitely wasn't as dreamy as I thought!! But then again, I didn't get swell!

[@peterlmallard8963]

What a load of shit, work on $1000 per day PP and you'l be covered, but you got to get there.

[@varusmarkeskontosnamn347]

sunds horrible just horrible