Maldives...what a joke

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Oldschoolkook started the topic in Thursday, 19 Sep 2019 at 9:09pm

Just returned from an early sep boat trip to Maldives. My second trip (Only time I could go due to commitments). Oh my God. Oh my fucking god. The crowds. The crowds of European and South American kooks........were out of control. Counted 65 people, yes 65 out at sultans. Everywhere else jails chickens cokes etc much the same. Every wave saw a drop in of some type, be it a legit drop in, an over the falls drop in or a plain I see you but I'm gonna drop in anyway .Every bump on the horizon saw a frothing mess of whitewater and arms paddling to be top dog to get the best set wave only to be.....you guessed it, droped in on by some once a year Argentinian surfer, or I live 3hrs from the beach Spanish knob etc ect.
I managed to surf strike mission style 3 times a day after carefully watching and waiting for the crowds to head in for breakfast or lunch but still sharing the lineup with 20 or so people. I met only half a dozen Aussies who knew the ropes, ie respect sharing not snaking etc. but the rest.....they don't give a fuck. The worst of all I encountered.......drum roll........Basque Country surfers. These people have no respect for anybody. You name it they did it. Off the dhoni they jumped. Straight to the top of the point they went. No amount of Aussie abuse would change the way they operated. They even snaked and dropped in on local surfers. Fuckwits.
Well what do we do. Put up with it. Yeah maybe. Don't go to the Maldives. Possible. Yes no more nth male for me. It's all down south if......I go back. Tell the surfshops, tour operators, travel agents, shapers, world tour surfers, YouTube influencers, surf mags etc....to fucking tell your people 1. DONT DROP IN. 2. Teach them surf etiquette 3. Just because there is 50 people in the water, doesn't mean it's good. Look elsewhere.

Lessen learnt
Go back to indo next year

thermalben's picture
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thermalben Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 7:05am

Ouch. Sorry to hear.

FWIW, we've had quite a few Swellnet Travellers in the Maldives this season (with whom we've been providing forecasts for), split roughly equal between North/Central/South Atolls. There's been no mention of crowd issues across the Central and Southern Atolls, in fact it wasn't highlighted from those visiting the Northern Atolls either (not to say it wasn't crowded, just that it wasn't mentioned). Perhaps you scored an unseasonably bad week? I am not sure. I'd love to hear other feedback from other surfers who've been there this year.

Educating newcomers to the idea of surf etiquette is a fascinating topic (from a sociocultural point of view, otherwise it's a pain in the arse). As a self-regulating recreational sport, how do you tackle its interpretation across differing cultural personalities?

Of course, basic rules like "don't drop in" are obvious, but everyone's got their own take on how the dynamics of the lineup operate. When is it OK to paddle beyond another surfer? How many blown take-offs are acceptable, and in what circumstances, before a surfer is shunted to the end of the line? There are no hard and fast rules because each break can handles different kinds of approaches. 

Perhaps there's a opportunity here to produce a one-pager in a variety of languages, similar to the "Surfers Code" signs, that can be handed out to travelling surfers when they arrive. Unfortunately, I suspect the worst offenders may not be aware of just how bad they are, and probably don't give a shit anyway.

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Blowin Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 8:31am

The worst offenders know and do not give a rat’s arse. I know ....I’ve been that guy. But even I am polite to locals in their own country irrespective of their ability.

I’ve been out at a nice left in Australia with a couple of mates and sitting as far up the reef as was possible in the conditions , when a swarthy gentleman paddled dry haired from the rock jump , up the length of the reef and straight past us. Of course we quizzed him on his intentions, to which he replied that he “ didn’t care and that we could surf the waves he didn’t want”.

Yes , he was a Basque surfer.

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stunet Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 9:24am

This is gonna sound bad and no doubt reinforce a stereotype, but I met a Brazilian guy at Pohnpei years ago who had never heard of the drop in rule. Had absolutely zero knowledge of it, and had to be coached through it by the people also staying there - mainly Aussies and Americans.

It was his first time out of Brazil, he was mid-twenties yet not a super enthusiastic surfer, said he only surfed once or twice a week at home, never did roadtrips or went to other beaches, and the rules at his beach - near Sao Paulo from memory - were absolute dog-eat-dog.

'Twas funny listening to him ask basic questions ("What if they don't yell, can I take the wave then?"), but also seeing the revelation on his face when there was order in the lineup. Can't imagine it served him too well when he went back home tho'...

In his favour, he was travelling alone and he was fucken funny, playing up the Brazo stereotype when he could. Got fond memories of everyone in the lineup singing out to him, "This is your one, Roberto!"

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eel Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 9:43am

I stayed at one of the resorts that only allows guests with the surf pass to surf at the 'home break' in the Maldives in July this year. Crowds weren't an issue most days. And for the most part the etiquette was good.

I did however only surf the break out the front because I didn't want to deal with exactly what you have described at other breaks. 3 surfs a day and lots of fun.

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belly Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 12:31pm

Good intel, I've been slowly tapping away at taking the family to what I'm guessing is the same place in the future.

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Patrick Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 12:36pm

Just like to say that I surfed with two guys from the Basque region in the playgrounds area of the Ments last year. They were good surfers, cool & respectful and contributed to the order in the lineup. Until today I didn't know there was a negative Basque stereotype floating around.

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thermalben Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 1:06pm

Stayed at a house in Costa Rica for a month 'bout twenty years ago with a few blokes, one of whom was from Israel. Completely different from the stereotype I'd heard about (and never experienced). Really nice guy, respectful in the water and bloody good at cards too.

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Blowin Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 1:18pm

The worst people to share a line up with ( ranked in order of pestilence).

1/ France
2/ Brazil
3/ Gold Coast
4/ Me
5/ Russia
6/ Italy
7/Japan
8/ Korea
9/ Spain
10/ England

Note : My experiences with other nations have been limited by number but heavily skewed through particularly egregious individuals ( Israel , Basque) and I have not included Indonesians due to a strange and perhaps misguided feeling of sympathy with their plight. I have therefore not included them in the above list.

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Island Bay Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 1:31pm

Worst: Mix of foreign tourists at your home break. Generally clueless.
And Canary Island surfers at home. Faark!

Best: Most Aussies and Kiwis of above average skill.

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I focus Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 1:39pm

Ran into a boat load of Basque surfers in the Ments 6 or more years ago, big edgy blokes very much the tough don't mess with me vibe it was a solid day and they were powerful and excellent surfers comfortable with the size but not exactly sharing.

Tried to have a convo in English with little success so wheeled out my poor gringo Latin American Spanish broke the ice and the guys relaxed and we had a laugh in Spanish.

When one of the guys paddled for and missed a wave, he coped plenty and I was slotted in line for the next wave against lots of protest.

In the end language crossed the barrier......still wouldn't mess with them.

Blowin I would put the Gold Coast at the top if only for the fact the boys are stronger paddlers and excellent surfers.

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Blowin Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 1:54pm

Ever been stuck in a surf spot with a mob of Aussies ?

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AndyM Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 2:14pm

Reckon Germans are in that top 10.

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loungelizard Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 2:54pm

portugese hawaiians in the mix for pure agro (have also had the "what is a drop-in?" schtick from brazilians and almost believed it when they fight amongst themselves as much as everyone else)

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GuySmiley Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 3:51pm

Ha, I would hate to pay up what you have to do to get to the Maldives and get burnt like that, I would be so F annoyed. Over cooking the goose yet again FFS. Weren't Israeli solders on R and R behaving badly in prior years there?

More generally, the local crowd behaviour is ridiculous on days called as remotely good by the forecasting sites such as Swellnet. Adding sun into the mix just doubles the crowd all over. It was chaos and carnage big time yesterday, people being constantly dropped in on, boards and bodies run over and people paddling for set waves, realising they were too deep and then letting their boards fly off into the lineup in an effort to save themselves. I have surfed 7 of the last 10 days and yesterday was just so crazy. This morning it was just two of us out in very glassy conditions.

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stunet Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 3:57pm

I had a major run in with a Basque surfer, full blown yelling in the surf, sitting three feet from each other both with our eyeballs bulging and fists clenched, and all of it over a cultural mix up.

It's a long story, one I'll detail in full sometime, but the abridged version was simply that I rocked up on a veritable lonely tropical isle, where he and his mates had already set up camp.

I mistook our early exchanges as hostility - no doubt due to paranoia, I'd been awake for 36 hours straight - so retreated back into desert diplomacy: hang back in the shadows, dont say much, keep it low key. 

It all blew up in the surf with my Basque mate getting right up in my grill calling me an uncivilised pig, followed by a bilingual shouting match.

When the dust settled I found out he was insulted 'cos I didn't front up and say g'day. We were the only surfers on the island after all.

That preceded a tense but very epic session, and a great surf trip too. Once the ice was broken, apologies given etc, he and his mates were great company and I scored incredible waves.

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Sprout Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 4:40pm

1. When is it OK to paddle beyond another surfer?
-- When they're way off the take-off spot.
-- When they miss a wave.
-- When you want to sit where you lineup and you let them know you're not just snaking and you don't take the next wave.
-- When you're a local and they're clearly not
-- When they're a grom.

2. How many blown take-offs are acceptable, and in what circumstances, before a surfer is shunted to the end of the line?
-- Miss a wave, back of the queue.
-- See 1.

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mattlock Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 4:49pm

The worst crew I've ever had the displeasure of sharing a line up with are the "white shorts" at Tamarin Bay, although the Creole boys there are generally pretty cool.

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sypkan Friday, 20 Sep 2019 at 9:03pm

Fuck paying maldives dollars for that experiene. Surf tourism has become a joke. People used to pay big bucks to get away from that shit.

Now everyone is paying big bucks, but its crowded anyway. The result being, an attitude of I'm paying $400 bucks a day, so fuck the rules I'm gonna get my $400 bucks of waves.

Pretty funny seeing the telos and mentawai big buck operators trying to maintain some sort of rules to protect their business model. Whilst breaking the number one rule - crowding out line ups with 10-20 cashed up frothers at a time. The games up fellas, you are the problem!

The rules from sprout are generally ok, but I disagree with the local rule. Nothing worse than a grumpy local past his prime wasting waves. It just means everyone needs to wait around, getting grumpier and grumpier, until the order breaks down into total chaos. And it reeks if territorialism, which is the worst side of the surfer psyche. You do need some respect for the old boys and locals though, but the whole 'rules' thing is so so subjective as thermalben points out.

I do agree with sprout's one shot rule though, if you miss a wave or blow the take off, that's your wave, back of the line. It seems even some of the biggest sticklers for rules don't get this one. But then again, the line is so thick these days its almost impossible to follow through on. Everyone just slots back into maximum competition mode.

Nice attempt at a list by blowin, though I find some japanese surfers are very respectful, unless they're accompanied by a local guide that is.

Sydney should probably be in the list somewhere too. The 'order' and vibe clearly changes when a boatload of sydney or gold coasters paddle out. Though its understandable in a way, given what they are used to. Having said that, newcastle crew seem to manage to behave much better.

Maybe time for some new rules in not so critical conditions, because the old school ways aren't really holding up.

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P'tai Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 3:51pm

Newcastle crew behave much better....... Now that has to be tongue in cheek. When they invade the mid north coast area they are the most problematic in the line up. Just hassle the **** out of everyone, no matter what.

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uncle_leroy Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 4:58pm

Ha!
The Hunter boundary has gradually progressed over the years, first it was Palms, then Old bar, then Plomer, last I heard it was up around 1770!!!

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freeride76 Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 5:49pm

I don't mind the Newy boys in the surf but I don't even think of jewfish spots when they are around.
demons.

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uncle_leroy Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 6:12pm

FR, they don't mind shitting in their own back yard so to speak that's for sure, social media glory hunters

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freeride76 Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 6:14pm

I understand ratting out fishing spots even less than ratting out surf spots.

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sypkan Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 7:24pm

...all comes down to that very loaded word in the modern context...

'entitlement'

I guess...

and where u think you're more of a local

...or how much you paid for your bed near the tropical wave...

sadly

very sadly the second one...

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sypkan Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 7:25pm

Surfing used to be the great equaliser

not so much anymore

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tubeshooter Saturday, 21 Sep 2019 at 8:21pm

"Newy boys",, On the surrounding coastline they used to be called 'town clowns'.
They were easily recognized by their 'flamboyant' wetsuits and PD {pacific dreams] , Town and Country or Al Merrick badged boards , 6 to a car, with an Oakley factory pilot or Badboy sticker,, tuned into Tezzas' latest surf report on spots well outside the CBD..
Thank god the boogy boarding fad claimed many would be shredders fresh off the train from Maitland.

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Cripple52 Monday, 23 Sep 2019 at 8:04pm

Got to endorse your comments Oldschool, I thought I would go back to the Maldives after my last trip there 30 years ago . Stayed on the island near Lohis and which has its own break . A few Euros staying there and on this particular day wave sharing until a load of SUP's from a boat arrived . Out of the 14 SUP's , two were from Peru and the other 12 from Australia .

Apart from the the two Peruvians who would call us into a wave notso the bunch of selfish arsehole Australians who paddled in way out the back on every wave and that was it for two hours . In my opinion this selfishness is across all nations but these arseholes confirmed it .

Nah thats it for me , I could not believe the rampant development with the Chinese influence where it seems every island has got a resort of some kind. I sincerely hope the Maldivians have got some benefit out of all this massive increase in tourism and not economic hostages in their own country.

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freeride76 Monday, 23 Sep 2019 at 8:17pm

jeez 14 SUP's, that sounds fun.

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factotum Monday, 23 Sep 2019 at 8:42pm

Yeah, there's Israelis and Brazzos, even Germans, but the worst are fucking Queenslanders and Northern Beaches Sydneyites. Dead-set dead-shits. In the main. Hah!

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velocityjohnno Monday, 23 Sep 2019 at 10:24pm

You don't want anyone
You don't want anyone
Don't tell me this is paradise
Open your eyes up
You don't want anyone
You don't want anyone
Don't tell me this is paradise

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ringmaster Tuesday, 24 Sep 2019 at 10:24am

So summing up................everyone from everywhere can be cunts on their day/week/month at any location in the world.

*I lived in the Basque Country for 2 years in the early 90's and found the surf etiquette and vibe to be pretty good for the most part (being able to speak fluent Spanish was a definite bonus for me)

*Spent a month on Lanzarote (Canaries) during that time and localism was almost out of control there....in 93!!! Fuck knows how you'd go getting a wave there now.

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Spuddups Tuesday, 24 Sep 2019 at 10:37am

This is why I hate surfing off gaddamn boats. Everyone always seems to turn up at the same time. I much prefer land based. You can sit there sipping coconut water watching the surf then hit it when it gets uncrowded. Also you can get up super early, paddle out while it's still dark and get half an hour to an hour with fuck all people out. Works best in a location with a number of waves right out front like Lakeys.

Here's a funny story for ya though... I was surfing Ombak Tujuh in 97, which involved an hour long motorbike ride through the jungle. Anyway, we'd been out there for an hour or so when a boat load of Saffas turn up. The first thing this guy says to me when he paddles over is "Hey my bru, there's a wave in Cape Town that's just as good as this." Meanwhile I'd just found out that morning that the All Blacks had given the Springboks a right towelling. My answer to him was to tell him the score! Ha Ha, he was spewing. Then their boat broke down and they had to pay my motorbike guy through the nose to send a message back to the harbour for a tow. They're actually pretty decent blokes to surf with the Saffas so I don't know why it gave me such joy to see them suffer. I guess that whole apartheid thing was still pretty fresh back then.

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stunet Tuesday, 24 Sep 2019 at 11:03am

Nice one, Spud.

Years ago I took a boat into OT with a group of guys staying at Genteng. Was OK, not great, just not  enough size for it to tick over. I was travelling with a Seppo and we made a pact that if the waves out front were bigger the next day we'd ride in by ourselves.

Sure enough, it was bigger, and we slipped out quietly and surfed it all day with just two of us out.

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garyg1412 Tuesday, 24 Sep 2019 at 12:49pm

Spud 22 years later and they're still giving them a right towelling.

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Spuddups Wednesday, 25 Sep 2019 at 6:15am

Back in 97 there was no accomodation at Turtles. We were staying at a joint called Mamas which had a fairly sus wave right out front. It was sus till it got big... Once that happened a bommie style wave started breaking. Had a couple of fairly epic surfs out there. Turtles is a pretty B-Grade wave and I never really had a good sesh there. I'll never forget Ombak Tujuh though. The wave is pretty exciting, but the location is pristine since it's in a national park. One of the most beautiful spots in Indo.
The other wave we had was the Genteng harbour mouth, which used to be on one of those Rip-Curl search ads I believe. The place was absolutely deadly if you fell off in the wrong place. Ended up in a boiling keyhole of doom.
Overall that region is pretty average. Worth a trip to get away from the crowds, but mostly B-Grade waves. The trades are a problem.

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stunet Wednesday, 25 Sep 2019 at 8:12am

Might have had a surf with you Spud! I was at Muma's '95, '96, and '97. I like Turtles even though it's a bit too short and doesnt hold a lot of size. A B-Grade wave, as you say. Had a few good sessions out front and the harbour mouth, though I come a'gutser one afternoon trying to come in at low tide on the wave out front, riding the broken whitewash towards a wall of reef sticking four foot out of the ocean, trying somehow to get up and over it, only to get up and then dragged back down, back up and dragged back down again. All without booties or any wetsuit protection.

It's a bit of a drive from Genteng, easier from Cimaja, but I also had fun sessions at Loji during massive swells. Long perfect lefts, no barrels but a boatload of fun, and with rice paddies down to the shoreline it's a spectacular backdrop.

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Distracted Wednesday, 25 Sep 2019 at 8:57am

Following close behind the Newy crew in checking out the North Coast fishing spots are the Lebanese. Have a look at The Entrance channel on a Sunday morning for a taste of what is to come.

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jyoung Wednesday, 25 Sep 2019 at 4:06pm

After having some interesting experiences in South America over the last twenty years having travelled there extensively due to my ongoing domestic relationship with an Argentinian its a subject I've thought about at length.
Having been lucky enough to grow up in a working class surf town (was then not now) that dealt its own justice to an uppity grommet (me) including being held underwater for paddling inside and being tied to my neighbours fence who was the best surfer at a local reef that wasn't keen on being snaked. Ive come to the conclusion that the lack of elders, surf culture and history is the biggest contributor to no ettiquete in the line up. I first visited a place called Mar Del Plata in Argentina late 90s and there was a handful of locals surfers that were all really cool and welcoming. Twenty years later and now that surfing is a full on industry in the town the line up is a complete shitfight. Same as another South American country with warm water and pumping waves I visit regularly. Surfing is only about twenty years old, no elders, no culture and its as dangerous or more than the Pass.
Its one I always battle with as I think the more people in the ocean learning about its beauty the better but we need some old school respect and culture.

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Spuddups Wednesday, 25 Sep 2019 at 6:42pm

I think you're spot on with that JYoung.

Stu, I think it was in August 97. I eventually ended up tweaking my knee. I had bugger all cash so I decided to go local transport to Sumbawa in the hope the knee would get better. The trip took five days. Trains, ferries, busses, bimos... My first wave at 6ft Lakey Peak I got to the bottom and couldn't bottom turn due to my knee. Snapped my board. Got rubbed on the reef. Then I went back to Bali hoping to get on a flight to Perth. Spent three weeks moping around before I finally managed to get a flight to Darwin. Took a bus from Darwin to Perth, and then down to Dunsborough. Got a job driving taxis at night and as a short order cook during the day. The knee finally came right and I ended up spending six months there. Surfed some great waves. Oh to be young again!

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Blowin Thursday, 26 Sep 2019 at 6:06am

You’re only as old as you feel , Spuddups.

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garyg1412 Thursday, 26 Sep 2019 at 8:14am

Stayed at Pasta Point in 2001 when it was still quite mellow - 10 was a crowd at Sultans, Jails, etc. Only one Brazilian amongst the rest of the crew who were mostly Australians. He had a short board and mal and was consistent with his lack of etiquette on both even after repeated dressing downs. He just didn't give a rats. Can't remember his real name but someone gave him the nickname Dickcheese. Karma eventually caught up with him in the form of a fin (his own) to the head and a trip to Male for some stitches. That was my first experience with South American surfers. Unfortunately it never improved with subsequent trips to the Mentawais over the years.

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Pops Thursday, 26 Sep 2019 at 9:44am

Stayed at Lohis a couple of years back...
Managed to jag a couple of sessions with less than 5 guys out (the couple of times it was more than head high - go figure). Other sessions there could be 20-30 guys, half of them a group of mediocre brazos, but the brazos ended up paddling each other so far up the reef that they may as well have been surfing a different wave. No chance of making it through to the main takeoff zone. For the most part the rest of the mob were happy to take it in turns, including the one brazo who actually ripped.

Lohis was pretty good for most of the time, so I didn't really bother with the other spots other than one day at Sultans that was junky-sideshore (Lohis was onshore) and sectiony enough to spread the crowd (of 30+) out to a maneagable level.

I was there pretty late in the season, so maybe that explains the lighter crowds.

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frog Thursday, 26 Sep 2019 at 9:11pm

Surfed with basque guys for two days. Great vibe sharing perfection. Pumping swell though.

My boat trips were 6 to 12 in the water at peak times and just one or two at lunch time. Surfed by myself a bit. That is a peak life experience.

Personally 60 people out and 20 at lunch time would be a super frustrating experience.
Surf tourism is out of control.

Not a personal concern to me as i have my own niche solution.

But if you are not sure do your homework before you go and dont follow the obvious paths or times. A resort advertised a few years ago " maxium of 30 surfers at one time" as a benefit!

It is a long way to go to have a crap time.

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morg Thursday, 3 Oct 2019 at 10:47pm

A couple of years ago at Maldives in early July. First morning 14 surf yachts parked at Sultans and the crowd was massive. Pretty much the same story every day for a week at all the name breaks in that area. The guys from Israel and some of the Brazilians just didn’t care, they took every wave. The waves were epic. I got dropped in three times on a seven foot screamer at Sultans, managed the get past the first two but the a-hole who dropped in on me as I was trying to get out the tube as it curved around towards the end section snapped my board and abused me for wrecking his wave! As far as they were concerned every wave was there’s and they didn’t care. One session at Jails the waves were bloody perfect but it was so crowded we just didn’t bother. The surf travel industry has pretty much made the magic uncrowned surf a thing of the past, or at least very rare. When I got home I called up the surf travel agent and abused him for telling me it’s always un crowded and there’s never more than two surf yachts. His response was “we only have two surf yachts”.

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Robin Masters Thursday, 3 Oct 2019 at 11:05pm

That’s a real shame Oldschool.
The first year I went (2001) I surfed Sultans Honkeys and Cokes either by myself or with just a handful of guys. Shit it was good. I haven’t been back since 2012 but I’m guessing the party’s over now. Indo still has uncrowded waves . You just have to explore a bit.

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Ralph Friday, 4 Oct 2019 at 7:30am

I went there about ten years ago. A couple of American guys had this thing going where you stay in Male and jump on a dhoni early each morning and head out looking for waves. It was good. Had good waves at jails, sultans, honkeys, cokes and chickens. Not too crowded. Next couple of trips I stayed on Thulusdhoo. That was good too but starting to get a bit more crowded. Sounds like its really crowded now. Staying at Thulusdhoo I met some Israeli dudes who were actually pretty nice although their compatriots in the surf were not very cool.

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T.Edds Monday, 7 Oct 2019 at 6:27pm

The worst offence by far is taking off too far up the reef and not communicating to others to take the wave when it becomes apparent you are running a fools errand.

1) Brazilians and Gold Coasters.

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Booka78 Tuesday, 8 Oct 2019 at 2:18pm

Having learnt to surf on the Gold Coast & surfing there my whole life I would agree that Gold coasters are in the top 3. On a recent trip to Gland had to keep reminding myself that there was plenty of waves to share & majority of people actually respect the lineup. It is definitely a poor reflection on the coast as paddling to the inside etc is "the norm" if you want to ride a wave on the points at all.

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astrosurf69 Tuesday, 8 Oct 2019 at 3:15pm

I just returned from a trip to the Telo islands and witnessed several boats surfing the same break, two boats from one high level resort! claiming to be from near the equator, pretty disappointing being in the surf sharing sets amongst crew staying on the island and having 3 boats pull up with 8 surfers on each boat, just glad I didn’t pay $500 a day for the experience to go surfing with 7 others everywhere you go.

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Andybox Thursday, 14 Nov 2019 at 12:34pm

Crowds have forced me to look outside the square. There’s literally hundreds of islands within 3 hours of Sydney or Brisbane. Logistics can be a nightmare, but they were a nightmare in Indo in the early 80s. The cost of a week in the Maldives would stretch much further in the Pacific.