My brother, Eric Rosen, has been surfing since he was a kid growing up in South Florida. Living in New York for the past 13 years has not stopped him from doing what he loves. He once called me on his cell phone on a freezing cold New Year’s Day, walking through the streets of Manhattan with his surfboard, wearing a wet suit and breaking icicles off his hair. Naturally people were staring. On another occasion, while he was surfing in California with a friend, he called me here in Florida and said, “Take down this search and rescue phone number. We’re going in the rough water now. If you don’t hear from us in 45 minutes, report us missing.”

My adventurous brother just returned from an extraordinary journey to the Maldives Islands, so naturally I bombarded him with questions about his travel experience. He was kind enough to share details of his experience along with some excellent photos taken with his Nikon D70 with a 300mm zoom lens and those from boat photographer, Navi, who used a Canon with 400mm zoom lens.

What made you choose a trip to the Maldives Islands?
A friend of mine had an interest in this unique destination, planned the trip and asked me to join him. Knowing it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I could not resist.

Aerial view of the islands. Public Domain.

That must have been quite a long flight!
From NYC, I flew to Dubai, which is about 13hrs, and then I took a 4.5 hour flight to the capital city of Male. The people on the trip from LA went through Singapore and had an even longer flight. As an aside, the airport in Dubai is very high tech and state of the art. Given my 6-hour layover, I seemed to have walked most of it.

Can you describe the islands for us?
The Maldives comprise of about 2000 islands, of which only two hundred are inhabited.  The population is around 400,000. The country is located about 435 miles southwest of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. Most islands are covered with dense palm trees and are surrounded by coral reefs, and the water is crystal clear and spectacular. Tourists come here for the tropical scenery and for pure relaxation; there is not whole lot to do and see outside of water sports.

Did you know that the highest land in the Maldives is just above seven feet above sea level? Problems from global warming and rising sea levels are a real threat to the habitability of this beautiful island nation.

Yes, I recently read about the panic the country is in and about their efforts to become the fist nation on earth to obtain carbon neutrality. Their goal is to accomplish this by the year 2020. It will be interesting to see what scientists come up with to deal with this global problem.

How was the weather while you were in the Maldives?
It was hot and humid as this is monsoon season. We were very lucky with the weather, because there were just occasional showers, and no thunderstorms. The water temperature was in the mid 80s and as crystal clear as you could ever imagine.

You were on the Four Seasons Explorer, a 128-foot catamaran for 7 days. What was that experience like? 
This was First Class travel all the way, with a staff of 18 people and only 10 guests. This kind of exotic, luxury travel opportunity is rare, and I felt so fortunate to be able to experience it. The guest suites onboard were ultra luxurious and comfortable. When you think of a boat trip, you generally picture a tiny room and a super single bed. Not on this boat! The accommodations were superior, the food was delicious and the staff was excellent. I highly recommend it for a surf or dive trip for those who have the budget.

For those who don’t want to be on the sea for 7 days, the Four Seasons Resort also has thatched-roof bungalow accommodations on the islands, where you can participate in both land and water sports and visit the marine conservation center.

Thatched bungalow resorts line the seashore on several islands
Photo by Eric Rosen

What amenities are available for passengers on the Four Seasons Explorer?
There are spa services, and guests can snorkel, dive, surf and fish.

Were there mostly Americans on the boat, or people from all over the world?
On my trip, all the other guests were Americans.  However, the people I met on the islands were generally from Australia, Europe and Asia. I believe it is a big destination for the Middle East as well. For Americans, the distance required to travel to this part of the world makes the journey both long and costly.

How was the food on the ship?
The food on the boat was exceptional. Also, I caught a lot of fish - Red Snapper, Wahoo, Grouper, Jack fish, barracuda… which were cooked or served as sashimi for the passengers and were all delicious. You can’t get fish fresher than that, and fish seems to taste better when you catch it yourself.

Eric shows off his catch - an 11-lb red snapper
Photo by Navi from Tropicsurf

In this picture, what kind of fish had you caught? It is so perfect, that it doesn’t even seem like it’s real! 
That is an 11 lb. red snapper, which was exciting to catch and fabulous to eat.

Did you have access to the outside world from way out there via phone or internet?
I used Skype to speak to my family; the boat had wireless internet access.

How much time did you spend surfing, and how good were the waves?
I surfed 7-8 hrs a day.  The waves were very good.

Eric surfing in the Indian Ocean
Photo by Navi, Tropicsurf

Wow, that’s a lot of exercise! Growing up in South Florida, you have been surfing for many years. What do you enjoy most about the sport?
The connection with nature and being in the water is phenomenal.  All you have with you on the water are a small surfboard and your athletic skills. It is a challenging sport, but so rewarding, and I always get a fabulous workout. I cannot wait until my kids are old enough to go with me. Surfing takes you on adventures like the one I just returned from in the Maldives, and I have memories to last a lifetime.

What other parts of the world have you been to surf?
I have surfed all over the US. I’ve spent a lot of time in Southern CA and have been to Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Barbados and Trinadad/Tobago.

Would you say you get better with age, or is it easier to surf as a teenager?
As is generally the case, you appreciate everything a little more with age. Often we don’t realize how much easier some things are and don’t appreciate things when we are in our youth. As you get older, you begin to understand that exotic traveling and surfing opportunities such as this one are rare, you and are more likely to be more grateful as a result. 

Have you ever been injured while surfing, had a near miss with a shark or any other type of scare?
I’ve experienced all of the above. Though I have surfed near many sharks over the years, fortunately I have never been threatened.  It is natural to feel uneasy when you see those fins passing by you though! But I have had a few injuries. On this trip, I fell on the shallow reef and scratched up my back and knee. Another surfer perforated his eardrum. The boat had folks from ages 40-50 on it. We all believe we are invincible, but clearly that was not the case. Sharks were not a problem on this trip. Shallow reefs, sea urchins and dehydration were bigger issues. There was talk of sea snakes, which are poisonous, but luckily I never saw one.

What advice do you have for someone who is considering taking up the sport?
Take lessons, be patient, know your limits and be a good swimmer. Also, be mindful of others in the water and respect the sea. It is extremely powerful and can get out of control quickly. Never be in the water alone.

Most of the islands are covered with palm trees
Photo by Eric Rosen

A bit of travel information: All visitors are granted a 30-day visa upon arrival to the Republic of the Maldives, so you do not need a prior visa to. Visitors arriving from malaria-infected countries are screened for health safety upon their arrival to the Maldives. There is a ferry service available from the airport island to the capital, making stops all day and night. There is also air transport to the various resorts on different islands.

Debbie Glade is the Geography Awareness Editor for Wandering Educators