Steve Pike

THERE is nothing like a surf trip to a faraway land to rekindle your love of surfing. The southern atolls of the Maldives lie at the tip of a 900km chain of 1 200 coral reef and sand islands that fringe 26 atolls. The last atoll in the chain, named Addu, lies south of the equator, while the atoll we are visiting lies just north.

Huvadhu Atoll boasts the best waves in the Maldives, comprising a host of left and right- hand breaking waves, including the rollicking righthander Blue Bowls, as well as other spots with names like Five Islands and Love Charms.

As you can imagine, the weather is quite hot and sticky. The water is 28 degrees warm.

With big ocean swells rumbling thousands of kilometres northwards from the Roaring Forties during the Southern Hemisphere winter, there is a lot of swell at the surf spots, even when the forecasts don’t look that good.

Between surf sessions, there is remarkable snorkelling. You see sharks, manta rays, and a myriad reef fish, from Emperors to Trevally.

However, as romantic as it all sounds, tropical surf trips on a cramped boat are not for everyone.

You can get seasick, you often have to share cabins, and you’re usually a long way from proper medical help. You must have travel insurance. An injury on the razor sharp reefs could be quite expensive