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18.11.09

In the line-up with enDo: Surfing Sultans



There are plenty of things one would commonly expect when spending two weeks surfing the Maldives. Sandy beaches and palm trees, mellow waves, coral reefs teeming with life, from the miniscule to the megafish. How refreshing it is then to know that even here, the unexpected does happen. Before the atolls south of Sri Lanka revealed their sundrenched beauty, we had to make do with a week of torrential rain and wind. It didn't stop us from surfing, and it didn't stop the occasional Manta from dropping by either.


A manta is not always as big as a car, but this one was.

The concept of enDo surf trips to the Maldives sounds as exotic as it is sensible: spend two weeks on a live-aboard ship that takes you directly to where the swell hits the reef. Surfing was never made more easy, efficient, or exclusive. Don't bother with braindead resort tourists or pay extra for expensive surf and snorkel trips. The dingy drops you within a paddle stroke of world-famous line-ups, the bathing tub-warm water guarentees you lengthy sessions that are eventually ended by exhaustion, a rumbling stomach, or heat-stroke, whatever comes first.

Yes, I know it doesn't look like a BIG wave from where you are standing, but it was still an awesome ride...

The minute you are out of the water, delicious food awaits. If you're surfed out for the day, why not chill on deck with a good book or a pair of binoculars – for there is plenty to see: Schools of spinner dolphins become such a common sight you barely look up, pilot whales occasionally stick their heads out, fruit bats may hover over you, barracuda make fish jump from their watery element in sprays of silver, and turtles gaze in baffled astonishment at the strange intruders that you are.

Also nice: blacktip reefshark enjoying the surf.
Even when there is no swell, time doesn't get too long. Grab the snorkel gear and explore the underwater world. Even though to my taste the coral reefs of the Red Sea are in much better shape, the sheer plenty of biomass makes your eyes bulge. The whole armada of tropical fish, from Nemo the clown to Bruce the shark, Napoleons, trigger and surgeon fish, puffer and snapper, grouper and moray, you name it, they are all there. And if you are very lucky, a manta might just come out of the deep blue and flap its wings in the line-up for an unforgetful experience.

Who says sunsets are for girls only? All the boys were stunned!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I like ;-)

Anonymous said...

Das ist doch der Steffen auf dem Foto. Mit Kippe im Sonnenuntergang.

Genießer! ;-)

Nils said...

hey ulf...
mir fällt grad auf, dass ich die letzte englisch-arbeit immer noch nicht habe...
die kurzgeschichte...
erinnerst du dich? Kurs E6?
has du noch meine arbeit oder willst mir zumindest meine Note sagen???
Wär echt nett!

Viele Grüße
Nils N.

Tobias said...

Geil,
schön, wieder von dir zu hören.

Lieschen said...

Hört sich super an...

Und schön, mal wieder von dir zu hören/lesen.

Liebe Grüße,
Lieschen