Perfection in paradise

Island time is a reality. Once you’ve been floating around the tropics on a boat for a while it’s hard to keep track of what day it is. Life revolves around surf, eat, sleep, repeat. With maybe a bit of fishing and island exploring thrown in just to mix things up a bit.

Into week 2 of our trip and the waves keep delivering. Clocking in 6-8 hours in the water each day, and as a consequence thereof can barely move my arms. Quite a bizarre feeling to actually have to motivate yourself to get back out there cos you just so buggered....but the waves are so good you just have to!

Our little corner of paradise is no longer a secret unfortunately, thanks to a surf guide book to the Maldives letting the cat out the bag. We'd come here for the last 7 years and hardly ever saw anyone else here, but now days it's pretty busy with other surfari boats. Thankfully the surf has just kept pumping through, so despite a few peeps in the water we've still been getting tons of waves. We did get a coupla days to ourselves before the crowds arrived, so happy for that.

Interesting to watch the dynamics of a multi-national line-up. Aussies of course have little respect for the concept of a line-up. And I’m not sure Israeli’s even know what that is. Luckily they’re so busy hassling the hell outta each other that they often end up too deep and plenty of waves come through to those watching the snake-a-thon with amusement.

Turns out that as bad as they are in the line-up, they’re even worse to share a surfari boat with. Coupla Poms were bemoaning the fact that they had 4 of them on board, and that when it came to discussions of where to go surf next there wasn’t much in the way of compromise or negotiation. Israeli way or the high-way. The one guy summed it up perfectly – said now he understands why there’ll never be peace in the Middle East!

Cool to have hooked up with our Maldivian mate again. Ramadan finished so there was the big Eid celebration and all the locals boated across to the island we’re anchored off for a day filled with festivities. Stoked that my 6’1 Des Sawyer I left with them last year is still in good nick and being well-used. Such a cool crew to surf with as they’re so stoked to be in the water and cheer everyone’s waves, and make sure everyone gets a turn. Pity how more established surf nations seem to have lost that aloha.

We brought a body board over for our crew, so they could get into the water with us and see why we spend hours out there all day. Our chef paddled out - pretty solid day, and first time ever out in the surf - and he stroked into this lil nugget. Also provided some entertainment when he got sucked over with the lip in a duckdive gone bad and ended up flying over the head of a guy slotted in the barrel - too funny to watch.

Unfortunately didn't get any shots of the big day - solid double overhead....cos was in the water the whole day. Plenty of time dodging bombs, and some of the time snagging them. 

Cos the charts looked flat the other boats up'ed anchored and left us alone in the anchorage. As luck would have it, after a flat morning the surf picked up on the pushing tide into perfect head high sheet-glass peelers. Just the two of us in the water trading waves. After a few hours a speedboat arrived from a resort further up the atoll - and out paddle Dave Rastovich (Rasta) and his girlfriend. Had a great arvo's surf with them, such super cool people. I struggle to hold my GoPro and surf - but Rasta managed to grab waves whilst holding his big water housing. Sure he musta got some beauts.

Only a few more days left in paradise, then have to swap summer sun for winter chill, boardies for a wettie, and epic waves for very ordinary one's. So thankful to be able to spend time in one of my favourite corners of the world.

No more freshly baked chocolate doughnuts and french pastries for brekkie, no more Maldivian energy drinks (aka coconuts - free from the tree) and no more 2 bite banana's. Gonna miss this place....