The Maldives' most famous wave: a long, hollow right-hander peeling over a reef pass in front of uninhabited Thamburudhoo island, reached by boat from surf-camp hub Thulusdhoo in North Male Atoll. First surfed by visiting Australian and South African sailors and surfers in the late 1970s-80s, it helped put the Maldives on the international surf map as boat-based and island-camp surf tourism grew through the 1990s-2000s. Best for advanced surfers; works across multiple tides, and the best season is March-October during the SW monsoon swells.
🌡️ ~28.9°C now · boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed
Beginner: not suitable for this level
Intermediate: not suitable for this level
Advanced: Jan, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
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New spots, best-month tips and the local crews at Sultans. Tag us in your clips and we'll share them.
Beginner: not suitable for this level
Intermediate: not suitable for this level
Advanced: Jan, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
All-time average wind & swell
Dashed line marks Sultans's known offshore direction. Bright arrow is the all-time average swell direction, colored arrow is the all-time average wind direction at 18 km/h — hover or tap either arrow for exact values.
Monthly avg wave height (ft)
Monthly avg wind speed (km/h)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 28° | 29° | 30° | 31° | 30° | 29° | 30° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° |
Averages from 3 years of daily wave, wind and water temperature data — what a typical year looks like, not a forecast.
Waves average 3.0 ft (0.9 m), with cross-offshore winds around 19 km/h from the NE. Water is ~28°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 2.7 ft (0.8 m), with cross-offshore winds around 20 km/h from the NE. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 2.1 ft (0.6 m), with offshore winds around 13 km/h from the NE. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 2.2 ft (0.7 m), with cross-offshore winds around 13 km/h from the W. Water is ~31°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 2.9 ft (0.9 m), with cross-onshore winds around 24 km/h from the W. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 3.2 ft (1.0 m), with cross-onshore winds around 22 km/h from the W. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 3.4 ft (1.0 m), with cross-onshore winds around 18 km/h from the W. Water is ~30°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 3.2 ft (1.0 m), with cross-offshore winds around 20 km/h from the W. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 2.9 ft (0.9 m), with cross-onshore winds around 19 km/h from the W. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 2.8 ft (0.9 m), with cross-onshore winds around 20 km/h from the SW. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. A best month for advanced surfers.
Waves average 2.2 ft (0.7 m), with cross-offshore winds around 13 km/h from the W. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
Waves average 2.7 ft (0.8 m), with offshore winds around 18 km/h from the N. Water is ~29°C: boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed. Not one of the standout months for any level.
For advanced surfers: Jan, May–Oct. The biggest waves come in July, averaging 3.4 ft (1.0 m), and the smallest in March, at 2.1 ft (0.6 m).
It ranges from ~28°C in January to ~31°C in April, averaged over 3 years of daily readings.
Year-round (~28-31°C): boardshorts or a rashguard, no wetsuit needed.
Not really: Sultans is best suited to advanced surfers.
The nearest airport is MLE, and the nearest town is Thulusdhoo, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives.
