SUP Surfing Maldives
As featured on Distressed Mullet:
Exit Strategy
It's all Fun and Games 'till Someone goes to the Hospital.
Then it's just fun.
It really was only a tiny split, there just happens to be tons of blood vessels in that area. They stitched me up with three tiny stitches, and took x-rays of my brain to make sure there was nothing wrong… Boy, where they surprised! There is A TON wrong in there! The hospital in Malé was very clean, the doctors were nice, and it was extremely cheap. I’ve decided that I’m going to get all of my injuries overseas… where I can actually afford them.
After the hospital, we caught the ferry to Thulusdoo, where we would be for the next week. The breaks there were named “Coke’s” and “Chickens.” Coke’s was the break right outside our doorstep, and was a great right. Named for the Coca-Cola factory that is on the island. A paddle across the inlet or a $5 boat ride to the neighboring island brought you to Chickens, a left named such because there used to be a chicken farm on the island.
Surfers are about as creative with break names as scientists are about naming animals…
Corey: Hey, April, what’s that coral called that’s shaped like a brain?
April: Brain coral.
SUP Surfing > Regular Surfing
After catching some great waves and learning a little more about surfing, I can still say that I love surfing my SUP as opposed to a surf board. (If only for all of the wildlife I get to see while waiting on waves). Furthermore, there’s no use in pretending to be something you’re not, I’m lazy and I’m goofy looking. My SUP catches waves with ease with no hard work on my part, and then I look funny when I surf those waves. Surfers may look way cooler than me when they catch the wave, I openly admit, but I’m having a blast being able to see fish and turtles, catching even the smallest waves, and looking awkward!
Maldivian tips from Lil’Spoon
2. Figure out where you’re staying and plan your activities in advance– traveling from island to island is either difficult or expensive. When we wanted to make SCUBA dives we had to time the local ferry (once a day) to go back to Male because there were no SCUBA charters on our island. If we wanted to go with a neighboring resort, it would have been insanely expensive to get to their private island and then use their gear.
3. Don’t show up with Indian Rupees… Indian and the Maldives don’t like each other. You can’t exchange rupees. If you go back through India, you can’t exchange Maldivian Rufiya either.
4. Bring surf booties. I prefer my Vibram five-figers (toe shoes). I still feel barefoot and I can spread out my toes, and I didn’t get stuck by sea urchins. Many of the surfers cut their feet on the reef or got stuck by urchins. Even the best surfer, whose leash broke, had to walk through craggy rocks to get his board. He spent the next two days with his feet in buckets of vinegar to ease the urchin-induced pain. Just wear shoes.
5. Ladies, bring your cover-ups and some boyish clothing for going into towns. It is not cool to go to a Muslim country where most of the women are in layer upon layer of clothes in the heat and walk around with your butt hanging out (as we saw a few other tourists do.) Not only will the women hate you, but also you will receive unwanted attention from men.