Seaborne WaveCatcher GMT Ultimate Surfing Destinations: Sultans

January 03, 2025

Sultans, Maldives: A World-Class Right in the Indian Ocean

By Brian Costello, Founder of Seaborne Trading Company

Some surf destinations announce themselves with cliffs, crowds, beach towns and neon signs.

Sultans is a little different.

Sitting in the turquoise water of North Malé Atoll in the Maldives, Sultans is a long right-hand reef break known for clean walls, warm water and the kind of tropical setting that looks almost suspiciously perfect.

It is also one of the surf destinations that inspired the Seaborne WaveCatcher GMT — a watch built around the idea that even when you're nowhere near the ocean, part of your brain can still be somewhere else.

Maybe today, that somewhere is the Maldives.

Sultans at a Glance

Location: North Malé Atoll, Maldives
Break: Right-hand reef break
Best suited for: Intermediate to advanced surfers
Known for: Long right-hand walls, warm water and consistent surf
Primary surf season: Roughly April through October
Coordinates: Approximately 4.33° N, 73.59° E

Sultans receives swell generated far out in the Indian Ocean and is considered one of the best-known right-hand breaks in the Maldives. Surf guides generally describe it as more approachable than some of the world's heavier reef breaks, but this is still a powerful reef wave that demands experience and respect.

Where Is Sultans?

Sultans breaks off Thanburudhoo Island in North Malé Atoll, not far from the Maldivian capital of Malé.

On the opposite side of the island is Honkeys, a well-known left-hander. Together, the two breaks make this small patch of the Indian Ocean a serious destination for traveling surfers.

And getting there is part of the experience.

There is no pulling into a beach parking lot, tossing a board under your arm and walking down the sand. Surfing in the Maldives often means traveling by boat between islands and reef breaks — which feels particularly appropriate for Seaborne.

Image Credit: Badruddeen License

The Wave

Sultans is a right-hand reef break with long, workable walls and sections that can become hollow as the wave progresses.

When the swell lines up, it offers plenty of room for turns before moving into faster sections farther down the reef. Surfline classifies the break primarily for intermediate to advanced surfers and notes that it can hold substantial swell.

That combination helps explain Sultans' popularity.

It can deliver serious surf without having quite the same reputation for punishment as some of the world's most intimidating reef breaks.

That does not make it a beginner wave.

There's reef underneath you, other surfers around you and a powerful Indian Ocean swell doing what it wants to do.

Know your limits.

When Is the Best Time to Surf Sultans?

The main Maldives surf season generally runs from April through October, when the southwest monsoon brings more consistent Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean swell into the islands. Peak consistency generally occurs during the middle of that period.

Conditions at Sultans depend on the combination of swell direction, wind and tide, so anyone actually planning a surf trip should check current local forecasts rather than relying on a calendar alone.

That's part of surfing.

The ocean has never cared very much about your reservation.

Warm Water Changes Everything

One of the defining features of surfing in the Maldives is something New England surfers can particularly appreciate:

You can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

The Maldives offers warm tropical water, coral reefs and the sort of clear blue conditions that feel almost absurd if you're accustomed to pulling on neoprene next to a truck on a cold Massachusetts morning.

That contrast is part of what makes faraway surf destinations so appealing.

Sometimes adventure means rugged coastlines, cold water and gray skies.

Sometimes it means stepping off a boat into warm Indian Ocean water and wondering exactly why you live somewhere that owns snowplows.

Both count.

More Than Just a Surf Trip

The Maldives is made up of 26 natural atolls and more than a thousand islands, with surfing forming only one part of a much larger ocean culture. Diving, snorkeling, fishing and island-hopping all revolve around the water.

And that's really what attracts us to places like this.

Seaborne isn't built around the idea that everyone has to be an expert surfer.

It's built around the idea that some places pull at you.

A harbor.
A beach.
An island.
A stretch of coastline.
A place you've been — or a place you've spent years imagining.

Those places have a funny way of becoming part of us.

Why Sultans Is on the WaveCatcher GMT

When we designed the Seaborne Surfer WaveCatcher GMT, we didn't want to put the usual list of international cities around the bezel.

London.

Tokyo.

New York.

Useful? Sure.

Interesting?

Not enough.

So instead, we marked the bezel with legendary surf destinations around the world.

Pipeline. Cloudbreak. Maverick's. Supertubes. Montañita. Sultans.

Places that make you look at a map.

Places that give you something to daydream about when you're sitting at your desk instead of standing on a beach.

And because the WaveCatcher uses a true GMT movement, you can use its additional hand to track another time zone.

Set it for home while traveling.

Set it for somewhere you're headed.

Or set it for somewhere you'd rather be.

We won't judge.

Sultans and the Seaborne Idea

Sultans represents something we keep coming back to at Seaborne:

Adventure doesn't necessarily mean conquering something.

Sometimes it's simply going.

Taking the boat.

Trying the wave.

Visiting the place you've stared at on maps for years.

Or wearing something on your wrist that reminds you there is a considerably larger world beyond your daily routine.

That's why Sultans earned its place on the WaveCatcher.

Not because everyone who owns the watch will surf it.

Most won't.

But maybe that's not the point.

Sometimes knowing it's out there is enough to make an ordinary Tuesday a little more interesting.

Carry Your Adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sultans

Where is Sultans surf break?

Sultans is located in North Malé Atoll in the Maldives, near Thanburudhoo Island. It is reached by water rather than directly from a conventional beach access point.

Is Sultans a left or right-hand wave?

Sultans is a right-hand reef break. Honkeys, a well-known left-hand break, is located on the opposite side of Thanburudhoo Island.

Is Sultans good for beginner surfers?

Sultans is generally considered more appropriate for intermediate to advanced surfers. Although it can be more approachable than some extremely heavy reef breaks, surfers still need to contend with reef, powerful swell and crowds.

When is the best time to surf in the Maldives?

The primary Maldives surf season generally runs from approximately April through October, with strong consistency during the southwest monsoon season. Exact conditions vary by atoll, swell, wind and individual break.

Why is Sultans on the Seaborne WaveCatcher GMT?

We designed the WaveCatcher GMT bezel around famous surf destinations instead of traditional world cities. Sultans represents the Maldives and the Indian Ocean — one of those faraway places that captures exactly what the WaveCatcher was designed around: keeping a little adventure on your wrist, wherever you happen to be.

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