Best of the Maldives: Night Kite Surfing – Kuredu

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Kuredu - night kite surfing

“Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars…” – Frank Sinatra

Kuredu takes watersports to new heights and times with its Ocean Water Sport “Night Kite Surfing”:

  • “The full moon comes around only 12 times a year, or on rare occasions, sometimes 13. To have a full moon as well as the wind in Maldives, is quite special, so when the two combined recently we made the best of it and hit the water at night. Safety first, a couple of LED lights and a few dive glow sticks (don’t tell the dive centre) were attached to the kites, a short briefing was held and we were ready. With only a slight cloud cover the full moon made its appearance and eight kiters enjoyed perfect conditions in the Kuredu lagoon, right in front of the Ocean WaterSport centre.”

I have to say that soaring above the moonlight seas (which are often especially calm at night) would be quite the experience.

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Best of the Maldives: Surf Photographer – Nautilus

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Rad Raws! Surf photographer Erick Proost will capture your bitch’ carves at Nautilus resort during a 3 month residency there. The property is also host to its very own Vodi surf break which is especially accessible.

Erick will also conduct mermaid photoshoots (which other resorts feature) which includes swimming lessons in the pool learning how to use the monofin as well as posing tips.

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Surfin Cine

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While the summer winds down in the Northern Hemisphere, Maldives remains an Endless Summer. The dramatic photos capture some gnarly moments on the board, the year round Maldives really comes to life in video.

  1. “Billabong Girls” – Courtney Conlogue (USA), Catherine Clark (USA), Alessa Quizon (USA),  Felicity Palmateer (Australia), Ellie-jean Coffey (Australia), Paige Hareb (New Zealand), Justine Dupont (France) – Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
  2. “Nobody Surf” – Monyca Eleogram (USA), Stephanie Gilmore (Australia), Kelia Moniz (USA), Zoe Cros (Australia)

    A post shared by NobodySurf (@nobody_surf) on

  3. “KALOEA Surfer Girls” – Eve Riviere (Australia) – Adaaran Hudhuranfushi
  4. Angelika Timanina (Russia)

  5. “Roxy Surf Team” –   Kassia Meador (USA), Sally Fitzgibbons (Australia), Rosy Hodge (South Africa), Monyca Byrne-Wickey (USA), Kelia Moniz (USA), Bruna Schmitz (Brazil)
    6.  “Beautiful Maldives from Above” – Yoni Klein and Caity Griffin (Israel / USA) – Cokes Surf Point
    7.  “Sally Fitz in the Maldives” – Sally Fitzgibbons (Australia) – Cokes Surf Point

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Best of the Maldives: Children Surfing– Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

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Four Seasons Kuda Huraa - kids surfing

Probably the two most unsung appeals to the Maldives – children and surfing.

A number of the items from my last recent “Haven’t Seen” came from a Sunday Times Travel feature “Tantrums and tasting menus: meet the minigarchs” (eg. swim with a mermaid, 8-course child’s tasting menu). Before I even had a chance to include “surfing for kids” in the latest list, Four Seasons Kuda Huraa announces its own mini-Malibu offering…

“The Maldives has a reputation for mirror-calm waters, but is also home to some thrilling surf. Little Keanus can sign up for lessons at the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, where even if they prove rubbish at it, they won’t miss out on the ride. Instructors will paddle out with the child on the front of their board and, as a big one breaks, pick them up and hold them in surfing stance so they can ride the wave back to shore.”

Going off for gidgets and dude-inos.

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Surfaris, Spacations, and Snorkelooza

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Sustainable Tourism Buzzword Bingo

 

In the growing world of travel options, the holiday industry is getting more and more specialised in its offerings and positioning. This trend was one of my motivations to starting Maldives Complete in order to help people navigate the growing range of resort options and styles. Maldives has long been a destination for (a) honeymooners, and (b) divers, but in recent years, it has been also established a worldwide reputation for (c) snorkelling, and (d) surfing. It is also an outstanding destination for families which was one of my earliest inspirations for building the website.

The Maldives has been renowned for indolent seclusion and lazing about in the sunshine with the counter downside perception of there being “nothing to do”. But now many resorts offer extensive water sports centers, underwater features and a range of creative activities and events tailored for the most esoteric interests.

As a result, many of the emerging “travel buzzwords” enumerated in the Telegraph’s recent article “The most irritating travel buzzwords” are on offer in the Maldives…

  • Spacation – spa trip
  • Floatel – a hotel on water
  • Voluntourism – combining a holiday with charity work
  • Spafari – safaris combined with "wellness"
  • Flightseeing – viewing an attraction, the Grand Canyon, for example, from an aircraft
  • Digital detox – a holiday without your mobile, tablet or laptop
  • Twixmas – a short break between Christmas and New Year

The Maldives is also a center for another term – the “Surfari” – as described in the recent Newswire piece “The Rise of the 'Surfari' Highlights the Maldives' Potential to Appeal to Active Holidaymakers”. I think that the Maldives’ biggest world-leading activity of Snorkeling also needs its own buzzword. “Reefcation”? “Snorkelooza”?

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Best of the Maldives: Surfer Island – Coke’s Island

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Cokes Island 2

Okay, maybe not a ‘resort’, but to many surfers, still absolute luxury in paradise.

‘Coke Island’ is one of the first local island guest properties and has a special focus on surfing.

I read about it in the Maldivian Air Taxi in-flight magazine piece by Donna Richardson. I tend to keep the focus of Maldives Complete, especially the ‘Best of the Maldives’ section focused on the official resort islands. I have added a few of the Male hotels that do have a fair amount tourists (eg. Traders, Hulhule, Nasandhura). Recently, the government opened up the option for non-resort islands to host visitors in guest house as way to offer more possibilities to guests, generate direct income to local islands, and to provide more low-cost budget options. The Maldives heritage was actually in low cost diving lodges. Also, I see the Maldives becoming a more and more prominent surfing destination and I am trying to document many of the surf features. Richardson describes it…

“Just two hours dhoni ride from Male or 45 minutes by speedboat, this charming island offers a different experience to laid-back resort life. It gives backpackers the chance to live as the locals do. To boot you can get to grips with one of the best surf breaks in the country – ‘Cokes’ which too is named after the [nearby] fizzy drink factory. The first port of call for weary travellers is a new guest house specifically aimed at European backpackers called Surfers World. The camp itself features a five bedroom hostel with comfortable and clean beds with sleeps between two and four people per room.”

 

Cokes Island 1

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Best of the Maldives: Kite Surfing School – Olhuveli

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Olhuveli - kite surfing

Kite flying is no longer kids stuff. And today marks the opening of the Kite Surfing World Cup at The Hague. May always has been prime kite flying weather and it’s as good as any time to start learning the sport of kite surfing. As I’ve noted before, the Maldives is starting to establish as strong a wordwide profile for surfing as it has for snorkelling and honeymooning. And if you want to add the kite dimension to your boarding (or the boarding dimension to you kite flying for that matter), then Olhuveli’s Watersport World has established a specialised training facilitiy dedicated to the sport…

“Olhuveli houses the first certified kite surfing school in Maldives with impressive equipment, courses and lessons…The Team: Watersports World is an international certificated watersports school. Enrolled in the VDWS association…The Lagoon: There is a huge sandy bottom lagoon surrounding Olhuveli. That is unique in the Maldives and this is even one of the best watersports area in the world!! The wave point: It takes about 10 minutes by the speed boat from Olhuveli to get to ‘Guraidhoo’. The wave/swell season is from May to October with the South West monsoon wind. This spot is still uncrowded comparing with the North Male Atoll wave spots. Mostly, the waves are only for you! Wave beginners are not recommended.”

As you can see from their commentary, May marks the onset of prime Kite Boarding season in the Maldives as well.

Olhuveli’s equipment includes kites from size 3.5 to 17 from North Kiteboarding (Buzz, Evo, Rhino, Rebel) and Cabrinha Kite (Convert IDS 2009 / Contra 08). Their boards include North Kiteboarding (Phantom 143/154, Gonzales 151) XRide 141/129, Mallory 129, Jaime S, Freestylefish 5’0″, Sumo, M2, and Cabrinha Board (Custom, Imperial).

Surf’s *way* up, up, up…

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Best of the Maldives: Nearby Surf Break – Kandooma

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Kandooma surf break

Maldives caters to all types of surfers from beginner to expert, from innovative to impatient. For the lattermost, yet another resort shines in the surfing haven, Kandooma, which offers the closest surf break.

Most surf breaks are a good distance from shore separated from the resort beach by the extensive lagoons prevalent in the Maldives especially on big plateaus where the longest reefs are creating the longest ‘surf breaks’. While such distance is great for creating a aquarium-like swimming haven on the beach, it means a bit of a swim/paddle for those keen to get to reef’s edge. Or a logistics intensive boat ride.

Kandooma’s house reef is far away, surfing is a mere 50 yards at most from beach on the east side. And the Beach Villas on that side are a water-hugging 20 yards from ocean. Especially with 2-story structures there, you can wake up and check out the surf (see photo above). If ‘surfs up’, then in minutes you can be riding the waves.

Kandooma has two surf instructors, Mark Quarrell and Richie Lindfield from Perfect Wave, who can provide gear and assistance for all levels. Their own website comments…

“With a surf break, Kandooma Right at your front door you will be able to surf awesome waves at your leisure. But with another 6 quality breaks between 5 and 45 minutes of the resort our resident surf guide will take you up to twice daily via Dhoni to these top spots.”

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Best of the Maldives: Beginner Break – Anantara

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Anantara Prewitts Break Left

You don’t have to be a pro to ride the surf in the Maldives. One of the big appeals there is their long, gentle breaks. One of the best beginner breaks is ‘Prewitts Left’ near Anantara. Resident surf instructor Kym Everett explains that it has an “Easy take off and easy ending in a soft area that finishes in deep water…ideal for a someone just starting out.” Like the young lad on the video above taken at Prewitts Left. Unfortunately, the cameraman/instructor needs a bit more practice!

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