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Sandbank beach in Raa Atoll with a palm tree and a wooden dhoni boat beached on the shore

Raa Atoll · Maldives · Reef

Maafaru

Healthy coral and macro life on an easy reef from 2 m to 20 m

Area photo: Samee Shafeeg · CC BY 3.0

Maafaru is an easy reef on the north side of You & Me Maldives in Raa Atoll, 10 minutes by boat from the resort. The top reef starts at 2 m and the bottom is at 20 m, and the dive is a relaxed one over healthy coral with macro life to look for, which suits a first dive of the trip.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Maafaru: typical dive 2–20 m (7–66 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit2 m20 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

5.6737° N, 72.8608° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The boat ride is only 10 minutes north from You & Me. Descend over the top reef, which starts at just 2 m, and follow the reef down to its base at 20 m. This is a relaxed dive with no depth pressure: the whole site sits inside Open Water limits, so the pace is set by what you find on the coral rather than by the computer.

Work the base of the reef at 20 m first and then spend the bulk of the dive on the mid and upper reef, where the coral is healthy and the macro life lives. Go slowly and look closely at the coral rather than swimming over it, because the small subjects are the point here. The top reef at 2 m gives a long, easy end to the dive and a safety stop with something to look at.

Marine life and season

  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Maafaru
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeFairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrime

Season follows Raa Atoll: Dry December to May brings glassy seas and the clearest water; June can be too choppy for boats, and the windier months that follow bring plankton and mantas.

Questions divers ask

Is Maafaru suitable for beginners?+

Yes. It is described as an easy and relaxed dive, the reef runs from 2 m to 20 m, and it is 10 minutes by boat from You & Me Maldives.

Sources

  1. Maafaru — Scubago
  2. Uthurumaafaru, Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi — OpenStreetMap

More dive sites in Raa Atoll

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Vaadhoo Thila

Ocean thila in the middle of a channel, from 10 m to 40 m

10–40 madvanced

Wall

Koroshigiri Canyon

Overhang-cut wall to 30 m with a small thila rising from 33 m to 18 m up-current

3–30 m · max 33 madvanced

Drift

Fainu Corner

Two-tier drift: overhangs at 10-15 m for beginners, 25 m for the experienced

10–25 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Dheraha Thila

A broken rock in many blocks, with everything between 18 m and 30 m

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Pinnacle

You and Me Giri

Top reef at 1 m and a 25 m base with macro life, 8 minutes from the resort

1–25 mintermediate

Reef

Gaagandu Faru

Gentle coral slope with overhangs, 8 m to 20 m

8–20 mintermediate

Reef

Thiling Faru

Manta cleaning station on a sandy corner among coral blocks

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Reef

Madi Gaa

Two manta cleaning stations, at 13 m and 20 m, active December to April

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