Have any of you made the journey? What is the lay of the land down there? Is it worth the expense? I am planning for 3 weeks in August and looking to do something new (for me).
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South Africa / J Bay
- Thread starter SurfMission
- Start date
Yeah it's good.
Been a few times.
If you stay in Jbay you'll be prob bored out of your mind when it's flat.
You need to rent a car, surf some spots beyond there.
You will have great waves to yourself elsewhere.
If you worry about sharks stay home.
Cape Town is great.
Been a few times.
If you stay in Jbay you'll be prob bored out of your mind when it's flat.
You need to rent a car, surf some spots beyond there.
You will have great waves to yourself elsewhere.
If you worry about sharks stay home.
Cape Town is great.
Also, if you are there in August there is a rave called Freaky Forest in Tsitsikamma that goes on a few days out in the middle of nowhere. An easy drive from JBay.
Very enjoyable to spend a day/night there.
I really enjoy South African people.
Very enjoyable to spend a day/night there.
I really enjoy South African people.
Thanks for that. Will definitely check that out.
The internet searches I have done have the water in the low-mid 60's. It seems much colder than that when I watch the comp there every year. A 3/2 should be fine?
The internet searches I have done have the water in the low-mid 60's. It seems much colder than that when I watch the comp there every year. A 3/2 should be fine?
I read you n need more foam in your board because it pumps
I wanted to go to East London.
I don't know why
Like my dream of being a 60 something underwear model, I fear that my dream of going to SA may be just that, a dream.
I wanted to go to East London.
I don't know why
Like my dream of being a 60 something underwear model, I fear that my dream of going to SA may be just that, a dream.
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East London is nice. The weather was epic and the waves were fun when we were there. Someone had been attacked by a shark that same year and we kept hearing about it but otherwise it was pretty chill.
Cape town was cool. Definitely do the hike to cape point/cape of good hope if you are in the area. Table mountain is the other one to check out. We got rained out that day so didn't make it up. We didn't get amazing surf in the area but I saw the potential. Water was freezing.
I loved Durban and the surrounding area and would really like to go back and spend more time there. Warm water, super consistent surf. Great restaraunts.
As for Jbay it's the best wave I've ever surfed (Supers). The town itself is pretty boring so like casa said, get a car and explore around. There's some waves both directions. Just don't wander into the wrong area. That goes for the whole country. Be aware of your surroundings when out and about. Don't drive at night. I brought a 4/3 for cape town area and was glad for it when it got cold and windy at Jbay.
i've been to Durban/umhlanga area and Jbay awhile back. One of the mornings by the point/jbay I was there for an am surf, a 'dead' baby shark had washed up thru the channel in the reef. It was beached and was like 15' -looked like a baby whale, just freakn huuuuge. Pretty sure they used a tractor to move it
Same trip I met a friend from CO who was in Jbay with a young family. they were camping at one of the spots in town. He told me some of their stuff had been ripped off when they were out but otherwise it was no big deal.
good luck if you go. let us know how it goes...
such and intersting place, can get sketchy fast, mostly good people it seemed.
Same trip I met a friend from CO who was in Jbay with a young family. they were camping at one of the spots in town. He told me some of their stuff had been ripped off when they were out but otherwise it was no big deal.
good luck if you go. let us know how it goes...
such and intersting place, can get sketchy fast, mostly good people it seemed.
Water in Jbay is indeed low-mid 60s so a 3/2 will be fine, but in the event of a major cold snap and some wind action there's a good chance you'll need a 4/3.
I've never needed a 4/3 there but I wear good wetsuits with smoothskin so YMMV. There are lots of guys wearing 4/3s there when it's borderline springsuit temps.
Regardless if headed to Cape Town you will need a 4/3, I never found the water particularly cold there in August but it will be upper 50s and the offshores are strong.
Durban is warm, a springsuit is enough, you will be in that zone during the sardine run however. I got great waves there in August but it was short lived.
Do not be fooled into thinking you are safe in wealthy areas on the South Coast, Noordhoek, etc. as you are not. Violent robberies, some of them ending in death, are a fact of life so be vigilant and sleep someplace secure. Nighttime walks are not a thing in SA.
I got skunked in East London but I know there is great surf there and there is a place in that zone where you can score world class surf pretty much alone from what I'm told by a reliable source.
Here is your guidebook:
South African Surf: The Swell Seekers' Guide: Jarvis, Craig, Beatty, Daniel: 9781919938592: Amazon.com: Books
South African Surf: The Swell Seekers' Guide [Jarvis, Craig, Beatty, Daniel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. South African Surf: The Swell Seekers' Guide
www.amazon.com
Guy was attacked by a shark last at point shortly after sunrise while I was visiting last year, he survived. Was driving from an early surf check and saw they guy covered in aluminum foil and thought that can't be good, few clicks up the road EMT's rushing by in the opposite direction. I was spooked for the rest of the trip
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Totally worth it (but I'm biased).
All good intel mentioned above. Some other points to bear in mind:
The drive from Durban to Jeffreys Bay is pretty intense.
From Port Shepstone to Kokstad, it's windy uphill mountain passes frequented by logging trucks. You will get stuck behind one at some point. Don't try unsafe passing. There's probably a logging truck or an oncoming 'unsafe' passer.
From Kokstad onwards to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) you're travelling through one of the more rural areas of South Africa. Think winding roads through hills and mountainsides with lots of small villages. Assume that each blind rise/corner there is a lunatic on your side of the road or goats, pigs, horses, dogs etc in the road.
Don't drive this route at night.
The drive from Cape Town to Jeffreys Bay is more relaxed. Equally as scenic. Shorter (8hrs vs 13hrs). Less lunatics and livestock. More traffic cameras. OK for driving at night if you have to.
Pack a fish, twin pin/fin thingie. Great for when you want to change it up from your hpsb or if you're down at Point on a smaller day when Supers isn't working. Also, speedy highlines through sections into carves at J Bay is what those boards are made for.
Loads of new OTR/secondhand boards in Durban, slightly less in Cape Town, and non-existent in J-Bay.
All good intel mentioned above. Some other points to bear in mind:
The drive from Durban to Jeffreys Bay is pretty intense.
From Port Shepstone to Kokstad, it's windy uphill mountain passes frequented by logging trucks. You will get stuck behind one at some point. Don't try unsafe passing. There's probably a logging truck or an oncoming 'unsafe' passer.
From Kokstad onwards to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) you're travelling through one of the more rural areas of South Africa. Think winding roads through hills and mountainsides with lots of small villages. Assume that each blind rise/corner there is a lunatic on your side of the road or goats, pigs, horses, dogs etc in the road.
Don't drive this route at night.
The drive from Cape Town to Jeffreys Bay is more relaxed. Equally as scenic. Shorter (8hrs vs 13hrs). Less lunatics and livestock. More traffic cameras. OK for driving at night if you have to.
Pack a fish, twin pin/fin thingie. Great for when you want to change it up from your hpsb or if you're down at Point on a smaller day when Supers isn't working. Also, speedy highlines through sections into carves at J Bay is what those boards are made for.
Loads of new OTR/secondhand boards in Durban, slightly less in Cape Town, and non-existent in J-Bay.
Funny, the second half of the drive left such an impression on me I kinda forgot hazardous the first part until your post.
Yeah, the initial part of the drive is pretty intense and I was stuck doing it in intermittent rain, haha.
You want to be alert to say the least. I stayed the night in Port Shepstone and left early in the morning, ending in East London.
Make sure you have enough gas to get from Mthtata to East London. I don't remember there being many places to fuel up, and part of the drive is through barren, pretty uninhabited land with no cellphone service. Having vehicle issues would be inconvenient.
Not being African I think it is the most amazing little drive I've ever experienced... all kinds of stuff happens in a day, from the varying beautiful landscapes to driving your vehicle through seas of pedestrians in small African cities where old ways mix with modern ways in a peculiar manner. Pretty incredible stuff.
I think this sums up SA pretty well, at least my experience in Cape Town.
i thought the place was a total mindfuck, in an immersive cultural experience sense.
definitely take the opportunity to chat and meet some locals at the watering holes. fascinating perspectives.
I was there Dec-Feb 2022. Cape Town is fantastic and scenic but the water is very cold. J Bay had fun waves in their summer but I was a bit cool in a holey 3/2. Durban area was my favorite for surfing (goofy foot). Ballito/Umhlanga have beautiful coastlines warm ,clear water and had incredibly fun waves. From an earlier post, do not be fooled into thinking you are in a safe, rich area. Violence can happen at any time, anywhere. Showing your American accent can cause problems when in inner city areas like Cape Town or Durban. Be prepared to be robbed at any time. Great overall experience and the exchange rate will blow your mind.