Addu Atoll
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Positives
- Virgin breaks
- Swell consistency, SE winds
- Overland surf access
- Direct int’l flights
- Equator Village deals
Negatives
- Lack of mellow waves
- Extra domestic flight
- Only 1 wind-exposed pass
- Expensive dhoni access
- Pricey Shangri-La resort
Addu Atoll surf travel guide
With 26 atolls, Maldives obviously has much more to offer than the crowded spots around Malé and the charter boat reefs of Gaafu Dhaalu. Directly below the Equator is the southernmost Addu Atoll where Gan island was used as a British Royal Air Force base until 1976. When tourism started to boom in the 80’s, many people from Gan and neighbouring Foammulah were recruited in the resorts because they could speak good English. The result now is a thriving population of 20,000, living in some of the biggest villages in the Maldives, connected by the second longest road system and causeways, linking the western shores of Addu. Best known for diving wrecks like British Loyalty, torpedoed by the Japanese in 1942, the Maldives is slowly unveiling it’s potential for surfing. First scoped by Tony Hussein in 1996, very few people have surfed Addu until recently. The Quiksilver Crossing briefly stopped there in 2003, Antony Colas scored in August 2004, meeting Welsh pilot, Andy Burr, who stayed there for a year, becoming the first “local”. The reality is that Addu Atoll doesn’t have Maldivian standard, perfectly shaped, soft-breaking waves. Beginner/improvers will struggle with the technical breaks that require speedy riding techniques and the sharky, shallow reefs can be intimidating.
Surf spots in Addu Atoll
Research the 9 surf breaks in Addu Atoll and discover what spots suit the current conditions.
Break lowdown
We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 9 breaks in Addu Atoll.
When to go
Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Addu Atoll
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Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 1,484,000
- Population
- 540,544
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- MVR
- Exchange rate
- $1 = 12.800 MVR MVR
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +960
- Dialing out
- 00
- Language
- Dhivehi, English, Arabic
Electricity
- Plug Type
- dg
Visas
Every country in the world gets a free 30 day tourist visa on arrival.
Getting There
Gan has a newly opened international airport terminal, but most visitors come through Malé (MLE) on Emirates, Qatar, Singapore or Sri Lankan. Island Aviations Dash-8 domestic flight (boardbag friendly) to Addu (GAN) for $270/rtn, usually twice daily, 1h15min flight. Direct charter flights from Europe have begun through Hotelplan and Thomas Cook and direct from Sri Lanka (CMB).
Getting Around
There are no live-aboard charter boats. Rent a van ($10/trip) for the western breaks. Stay in Equator Village and travel around by dhoni (Equator run one for $125/day for the boat). A dhoni takes 15min to get to the Viligili breaks, 5h to Foammulah or 1h by speedboat ($800/rtn).
Accommodation
Equator is a great hotel (not a self contained resort), popular with German divers. The all inclusive (with alcohol) price is $102/sgl, $136/dble and $160/triple. Turquoise Voyage sell surf packages. Buffet is usually generous with fish. Small local restaurants serve spicy food for around $10.
Activities
Being an old British RAF base and the site of Buddhist tombs before 1153, there is plenty of cultural heritage. The 16km road can be a good biking trip and diving is world-class with plenty of sharks, big pelagics like barracuda and WWII relics.
Hazards & hassles
Occasional small reef sharks at Gan and Viligili, but the main problem is the treacherous straight reef. Most spots are very shallow with deep water drop-offs. Beware when walking on garbage in Kottey. Shangri-la might ban free access to the Viligili breaks and cost $300-700/nt.
Handy Hints
As Addu Atoll is new and uncrowded, come with a group to share dhoni or van costs. Take a semi-gun as waves can get sizey. Only dhoni to Viligili when it’s clean. Take a van to Kottey for big stormy surf. Pack plenty of tropical wax and sunscreen.
Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.