Our signature trip’ is our scheduled coaching trip. It’s extraordinary to bring together different surfers from around the globe in paradise to improve your surfing. Our private surfing coaching trips are the best way to start the party. A boat filled with good friends and family is the best way to have a great time. Add elite-level coaching and pumping surf; you’ve got the recipe for fun!
We had a fantastic crew of fathers, sons, friends, and family for our first 2021 trip. The band was primarily Californian, with some in New York and Brazil. The crew had a variety of abilities. They ranged from being surfing for one year but eager to improve’ to being ‘grown up competing. This is the beauty of a private coaching trip: everyone is there to help you improve regardless of your ability.
When I first visited the Maldives, I was struck by the friendly and progressive waves. Warm water, lots of power, but not too much, lefts and right, point waves, hollow waves, tubes, turns, etc. So much so that 90% of surfers could find their perfect wave here.
We were heading south to the Central Atolls for this trip. While the Male Atolls provide consistency and convenience, people looking for empty lineups can find Shangri-La further to the south. Although it’s a long trip, the reward is worth it when you surf solo. We had fun on the trip and scored many conditions. Every day we had fun waves, and everyone felt great after the 11-day trip.
When I first visited the Maldives, I was struck by the friendly and progressive waves. Warm water, lots of power, but not too much, lefts and right, point waves, hollow waves, short waves, tubes, turns, you name it, they have it. So much so that 90% of surfers could find their perfect wave here.
We were heading south to the Central Atolls for this trip. While the Male Atolls provide consistency and convenience, people looking for empty lineups can find Shangri-La further to the south. Although it’s a long trip, the reward is worth it when you surf solo. We had fun on the trip and scored many conditions. Every day we had fun waves, and everyone felt great after the 11-day trip.
Warm-up sessions…
After clearing a few COVID-related hurdles, we headed to a steady left called Chickens to get rid of the jetlag and set sail for the Central Atolls. After a few fun sessions, everyone felt ready to take on the world and set their sights on brighter horizons. We set sail and made our way south to our first destination.
We parked our car next to two very different right-handers for three days. One was a rapid down-the-line wave that broke inside a bay with a beautiful tropical backdrop. The other was a gentler, more tranquil right that broke on an exposed corner reef. This was the ideal first stop. The crew could split up and surf different waves depending on the tide or mood. The wave count was high in these mostly empty lines, and everyone already showed signs of improvement, even though it was only days into the trip.
Keep your eyes on the prize.
After three days of fun waves, the SE swell began to die. But we were excited to see the perfect SW swell filling up on the forecast. It is always challenging to avoid fun waves. We knew the Renegade’s way was not for us, so we pulled our anchor and set sail to a less-known corner.
We were met with a somewhat disappointing sight upon our arrival. Empty, yes. Pumping, no. We stopped pumping, no. Some crew members were eager to surf after a long cruise, so they set out in the slight swell. The disappointment was short-lived, however. It didn’t take long before the first runners of an 18-second groundswell began to show. We were the only boat on the water, and we surfed alone for hours until the locals joined us just before sunset. It was one of those “pinch yourself” sessions, perfect waves not riding while we waited and waited for them to come.
