Maldives - Rip Tides

On the other side of the island I stayed on was a surf spot called Rip Tides. You could get to this spot by wading through a lagoon, walking over coral, and then paddling across a channel (which took a bit of time)... or you could take a 10  minute ride. I chose to take the boat.

Rip Tides is not that powerful of a wave (there were a few random barrel sections), but it is super playful. The wave breaks over a reef that feels like it is in the middle of the ocean. The first time I surfed here, it was a bit difficult to figure out where to sit (especially since there were long lulls between sets). However, when I did manage to glide into my first wave, I was all smiles. The wave "wedges up"when it hits the outer reef... and then wraps around to the inside section. After surfing the barreling right at Kandooma, it was nice to sit back and relax at this spot.

Maldives - Kandooma Right

Situated directly in front of my beach front villa (at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma) was a surf spot called "Kandooma Right". Kandooma Right is a fast/barreling reef break and offers adrenaline pumping rides. When I first arrived at the resort, I was mentally preparing myself for some beatings (the wave had quite a bit of power). However, after gliding into my first few waves, I was surprised at how easy the takeoff was. It helps having perfect waves to ride... but I think the lack of people and warm water were a bigger boost to my surfing ability. For some reason, waves are just easier to surf in warm water.

The Perfect Wave set me up with this amazing villa. However, as much as I loved the view, it was difficult to relax. Watching perfect/empty waves go unridden made me a bit restless (and caused me to surf 3-4 times per day). Luckily, there was a talented massage therapist at the spa!

Sunset at C Street

California Street (aka C Street or Ventura Point or Surfers Point) is one of my favorite (and most consistent) surf spots around Santa Barbara. C Street is a series of point breaks that offer a variety of waves depending on your ability level. Apparently, this spot used to be heavily "localized" and outsiders were not welcome. However, after the city built a parking lot and boardwalk, it became a lot easier to access... and you will see many different types of characters in and out of the water. It's a fun place to hang out on a summer afternoon... and the surf can get epic on a long period northwest swell. I took these photos after an evening surf session (waves were rather small). The tide was very low this day (during high tide, the rocks will be completely covered).

Malolo Lailai - "The Island"

Being on the island of Malolo Lailai made me feel like I was in an episode of "Lost"... as soon as you left the confines of the resort, you were in the wilderness. The only sounds were the wind blowing and the birds chirping. It felt like "Others" were going to jump out of the bushes and attack me.

Malolo Lailai is a beautiful and mountainous island surrounded by amazing coral reefs. Hiking trails cover the island and there are many hidden coves and beaches that you can journey to. There is also a relatively large local population that lives on the bigger island (which you see in the distance in picture 2). In this case, the "Others" were extremely friendly and helpful. Hope to come back some day!

My Fijian Adventure - Wandering Around at Low Tide

In another 30 minutes, that boat would be on dry reef

I decided to wander around Musket Cove Resort during low tide... and these images represent some of the things that I saw (need to be careful where you step during low tide... lots of coral sticking out). Has anyone ever seen a blue starfish? 

Has anyone ever seen a blue starfish? 

Careful where you step!

Wedding... "Fiji Style"

As I was paddling around the lagoon between two islands in Fiji, I noticed boats carrying supplies back and forth from a sandbar in the middle of the ocean. After watching them for a little bit, I realized that they were setting up for a wedding. Imagine having or going to a wedding in the middle of the ocean... I think it would be pretty incredible. I thought about sticking around to watch the ceremony, but I had already gotten a lot of sun and decided to cruise back to the shade of some palm trees. However, before I bailed, I decided to take a few photos.

My Fijian Adventure - "My Slice of Paradise"

My Fijian Adventure - Exploring the Ocean

About a mile out to sea (from Malolo Lailai Island in Fiji), a sandbar forms between two reefs at low tide. I decided to take a kayak, my camera, some snorkel gear, water, and A LOT of sunscreen with me to this amazing spot. I started my journey around medium tide... so the sandbar had not shown yet. However, I scouted out the spot the day prior (when I was passing by on a boat to go surfing) and had a pretty good idea where it would form. A mile paddle on a kayak is relatively easy in calm seas... but I had a lingering fear that my camera would fall out and get destroyed. Therefore, I went a bit slower than I otherwise would have (and wrapped my camera up in several plastic bags, a camera case, and a backpack).

When I floated up to the spot, a sliver of sand had started to show (as seen in the top image). It was incredible to be in the middle of the ocean with no one else around me... and no sounds other than the ocean and an occasional boat. As the tide continued to drop, the sandbar continued to grow... at its biggest, it's about a half mile in length. However, like anything in the ocean, it's constantly changing... and by the day I left, it had shifted a couple hundred meters to the south.

Surrounding the sandbar are coral reefs... and just outside the reefs, the ocean depth drops rather significantly. This made for some incredible snorkeling! (which is why I brought the snorkel gear) I did some free dives down to the ocean floor and was surrounded by hundreds of colorful fish. It was a pretty rad experience.

In the second image (with sailboat), you can see how shallow the ocean is in this area. During low tide, boats coming to/from the island had to take a much longer route to avoid the reefs. If I had wanted to, I could have walked all the way to where that sailboat was.

September 26- October 5, 2010

Days 67 to 76. Some of my favorite pictures from the Maldives... I wasn't in the Maldives for this entire time, but I needed more than 7 days to show my favorite pictures. 

The Maldives are a magical place... it's one of the top 101 places to go before you die. It's also one of the only countries in the world that has more boats than cars.