Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi, home to one of the Maldives' best-known surf breaks, Lohis, recently hosted an all-female surf week that paired visiting international surfers with women from the local surf scene. The group from Surferelle, a women-focused surf media brand, spent seven days surfing alongside members of Surf Her Story, a Maldivian community initiative that gets girls into the water.
The point of the week went well beyond catching waves. Through shared sessions and conversations, participants compared notes on confidence, personal growth and the hurdles women face when chasing a passion — and found that, across very different cultures, those hurdles often look remarkably similar.
Surf Her Story was founded by former professional surfer Maju Freitas, backed by local surfers Aya Naseem and Rishtha Suja. Freitas came up with the idea on her first trip to the Maldives four years ago, when the country's famously good waves had one obvious gap: barely any local women riding them. Her programme now works to introduce girls across the Maldives to surfing, with an emphasis on confidence, self-expression and building a supportive community — not just technique. Her stated goal is simple: that every girl gets the chance to feel the freedom surfing gave her.
For the resort, the visit is part of a broader argument about surf tourism. Lohis draws travelling surfers from around the world, and the team there believes some of that value should flow back to the communities that live alongside those breaks. Hosting Surf Her Story gave local female surfers direct contact with an international network — new friendships, encouragement and visibility in a sport where they're still underrepresented. The resort says it plans to keep supporting women's surfing and community engagement going forward.
Why should this matter to travellers? If you're a surfer — or want to become one — the Maldives is increasingly a place where you can do more than just score perfect waves. Resorts like Hudhuranfushi are building a scene where female travellers can find local mentors, community events and a culture that's actively welcoming women into the line-up. And for anyone booking a surf trip, it's a good sign when the break you're paying to surf invests in the people who live next to it.
