Hi all - planning a surf trip to Hudhuranfushi . Just wondering , if anyone else has been ? I'm planning on taking my 8'7 SUP along with a SB . Apparently , they have capped the number of surfers at the resort , only allowing 45 surfers to stay ( non surfers make up the rest of the resort numbers ) . Therefore , 45 is the maximum number of registered surfers who can surf Lohis each day , no one else . Unfortunately though , SUP can't be taken , to the other breaks by the resorts dhoni boats . Only allowing them to be used at Lohis or to paddle across the bay to Ninjas right . That's the only small negative I can see .

Any advice would be appreciated , for a first time OS traveller

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stm said..
Hi all - planning a surf trip to Hudhuranfushi . Just wondering , if anyone else has been ? I'm planning on taking my 8'7 SUP along with a SB . Apparently , they have capped the number of surfers at the resort , only allowing 45 surfers to stay ( non surfers make up the rest of the resort numbers ) . Therefore , 45 is the maximum number of registered surfers who can surf Lohis each day , no one else . Unfortunately though , SUP can't be taken , to the other breaks by the resorts dhoni boats . Only allowing them to be used at Lohis or to paddle across the bay to Ninjas right . That's the only small negative I can see .

Any advice would be appreciated , for a first time OS traveller

I read this article a few months back. It really stuck in my mind. Not really that it concerns you...but regarding the Maldives and privatization of beaches and breaks. I feel for the locals like the guy mentioned in the article. Anyway.. it might give you some background for your trip at least..... http://www.surfermag.com/features/maldives-private-paradise/

Thanks LordKuz but that's for another thread . I'm after people's experience of the resort , travel , surf , etc . Not the politics of the place !

Harden had a post last week in general discussion on kani which is next door and has ninjas on it. Maybe pm him,I was on kani in 96 so can't help much
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I haven't stayed there but lived on a nearby island for a year a few years back (before SUP was as popular as it is now). I tried to surf that break a few times but the resort staff come and chase you away and got a bit aggro with the guys in the boat that took me there so they do fiercely protect the break for resort guests which would be great if you are staying there. I could imagine surfing that break every day and not needing to go to other breaks, as it always looked good. I only found one other left in that area that was as consistently good and it was a good 40 minute boat ride away from there. There are a few decent rights in the area - I preferred jailbreaks as it was a longer ride but would get pretty crowded on good days.

I am pretty sure you can book a boat to take you to other breaks and can probably book that when you get to the resort. If the resort won't do it you may find the watersports operators on the island will take you somewhere in their ski boat - that is what I used to do on the island I was at, and they took me to some really cool breaks a bit further out away from the resort islands and we had those breaks to ourselves. Depending on how fit you are, you could paddle down the protected side of the islands to jailbreaks and the other breaks but would be a hard slog on a surfing SUP and probably no fun coming back, after a few hours of surfing.

I was in lohis years ago, and down south the last 2 years. a lot of crew were either off to lohis the following week or had come fromt there, and I heard no mention of no sups on the boats. I can't see how they could do that anyway, when someone is taking a 9ft mal on the boat and you have a shorter sup.

happy to talk about it if you want to pm me.

Thanks Ricey1 . I reckon I'll be pretty happy just surfing Lohi's , looks like fun .

This year will be my third year to the Maldives as a surf coach (which means i'll be working...cof, cof).First year I went to North and South Male Atolls, second year to Laamu, Thaa and Dhaalu and this year i'll be going to the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. Always have taken my SUP boards with me and never heard anyone complaining, either the boat crews or the other surfers.

I'd say if you're going somewhere which is not SUP friendly, just go somewhere else!!!

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stm said..
Thanks Ricey1 . I reckon I'll be pretty happy just surfing Lohi's , looks like fun .

Stayed at Lohi's back in 2002 when it was called Lohifushi, booked a normal package deal through the travel agent, took my boards and surfed Lohi's everyday, ranging from 3 ft up to 8ft the whole 2 weeks I was there- mechanical as..........

Paid the hotel $9 a day for the surf boat to take me to the other breaks (didn't need to be booked with a surf tour company back then, cheaper), Cokes, Jails, Chickens, Sultans.

All great waves, had a blast, but if I went again (and hopefully I do), I'll surf Lohi's most of the time! The gem is right there on your doorstep, sure it's not as long as some, but it's sooo much fun, and empties out after the boats have left for some of the other breaks, leaving it to you and more time surfing! You can walk straight to the break from your bungalow, come in for chow, paddle back out, repeat and repeat again.

No SUP's back then, but those dhoni's are pretty big, more than enough room for SUP's, and to be honest some of those islands in the north atoll have other waves wrapping round them you'll be able to paddle to if the other waves are rammed, (the surfers won't be able to make it cos of the current).

Stayed on a boat last year and just surfed the main breaks in the Northern Atolls. I estimated there were 300 surfers in the area, up to ten boats per break at the main right hand breaks (Sultans and Jails). Cokes and Jails have a surf camp and unless you are on one of the exclusive resorts the crowds were at saturation level. The locals are starting to hassle now as well. I think you'd be hard pressed to squeeze a SUP between the shortboarders. Good luck!