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====== KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Surfski ======

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[[:south_africa|Main South Africa Page]]

  * [[:western_cape|Western Cape]] Knysna, Witsand, False Bay, Fish Hoek, Cape Town, Langebaan…
  * [[:eastern_cape|Eastern Cape]] East London, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), Cape Recife, St. Francis Bay…

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===== Locales =====

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===== Durban Area =====

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==== "Durbs" ====

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**Durban vs. Cape Town**
  * **Robin Mousley**: "This kind of paddling (Durban downwinding) has a different flavour to the downwinds that we do over here in Cape Town. The runs tend to be bigger and longer and fast and the water's much warmer than ours. We tend to be nervous of the surf when we go to Durban; when they come here they always exclaim how cold the water is!"
**Durban Swell, Waves, and Surf**
  * **Barry Lewin: **"What people don't realise when they look at the weather reports from Durban is that it isn't the most windy town, well it doesn't have to blow hard to get cooking downwind if the swell is running. The swell and wind combined make for big technical downwinds and the perfect place to hold both the national champs this year and then **[[:races:races_south_africa#kwazulu-natal|world champs in 2025]]**  . What makes Durban paddlers a little different is the same swell that creates great downwind, also creates solid surf. Every entry and exit through breaking waves which most of the world would think are crazy, but to those from Durban, its not just the norm, its paying homage to the sports history, tradition and heritage, surf is part of surfski here, and we love it. "
**Durban Area Shorebreak**
  * **Kira Bester **commenting (paraphrased) on the shore break for the 2025 Durban area ICF world champs courses - "I'm a pretty good at catching waves but I got destroyed multiple times in my practice runs by the shore break, it gets pretty raunchy… and my saying that is something…you have to commit (to have a chance of success)"
  * …

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==== Downwinds ====

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  * **Ballito**
  * **Tiffs (Tiffany's Beach/Salt Rock)**
      * **Tiffs - Umdloti**  approx. 25 km [[https://youtu.be/OTbt6gCPRh8|video]], [[https://youtu.be/q-AU7LMxnRA|video2]], [[https://www.downwind.fun/courses/salt-rock-run|Downwindfun]]
      * **Zinkwasi - Tiffs**  30 km [[https://youtu.be/4vauyYzKCeM|video]]
  * **Durban Point Waterfront/Point Beach/Addington Beach **  at the southern end of the "Golden Mile" of Durban harbor beachfront there is a km or so where paddlers traditionally put in or take out for downwinders along the beach that is "protected" (we hear not completely - maybe the beach is not so bad, but farther out?) by a submerged reef.
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{{:locales:southafrica:pointbeach.jpg?direct&500x152|pointbeach.jpg}}

Point Beach - photo Kendall James for Google Maps

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The best known Durban waterfront gathering spots for laps and downwinders are "Marine" (Marine Lifesaving Club), "Vetchies" (Vetch's Pier & Beach) and "DUC" (Durban Undersea Club), but they all represent the same general beach area. Marine is at the south end of South Beach about 1 km northwest of the North Breakwater & LIghthouse. DUC and Vetch's "Pier" (just a rubble reef now) are at the south end of the beach close to that breakwater. The South to North direction of most of the following run listings is indicative of the more common SW wind for downwinders.

  * **Durban Undersea Club**
      * **DUC - Hawaan **18 km [[https://youtu.be/9lr_pWW2SzE|video]]
      * **DUC laps ** [[https://youtu.be/rLOD8XpIa6E|video]], [[https://youtu.be/ECUP4wpUQyA|paddling Durban harbor swell laps with little wind]]
  * **Marine Lifesaving Club**
      * **Marine - Umdloti **23.6 km [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKXEEVDFw|video]]
      * **Marine - Umhlanga**  16 km [[https://youtu.be/NoKIZsXa6Eo|video]] ([[https://downwindable.com/marine-to-durban-view|Downwindable.com]] Durban View Car Park is in Umhlanga), [[https://www.downwind.fun/courses/durban-to-umhlanga-downwind|Downwindfun]]
      * **Marine - La Mercy **28+ km?
      * **Marine - Salt Rock **45+ km [[https://youtu.be/a-KLv3xYYuU|video]]
      * **Marine - Toti (Amanzimtoti****) **32 km? (Toti to Marine or nearby? [[:best_race|Robin Mousley 2007 Surfski World Cup Story]])
  * **Vetch's Pier (and adjacent beach)**
      * **Vetchies - Westbrook **33 km [[https://youtu.be/2KmoriMiPts|video]], [[https://www.downwind.fun/courses/duc-to-westbrook-downwind|Downwindfun]]
      * **Umhlanga - Vetchies **18-19 km (counting several kms out into the bay to lineup for NE swell) [[https://youtu.be/JmqeX6fxa0k|video]]
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  * **Scottburgh - Winklespruit (Winkle)**  25 km
==== Surf ====

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  * **Scottburgh** [[https://youtu.be/VnYY4FRJbXQ?t=152|beach surf break video]] from **Scottburgh to Brighton Beach race**
  * **Durban**
      * **Addington Beach Area, Limestone Reef that transects Vetchies **  [[https://youtu.be/BCRpnsZ7Jxg|video]]
        * **Addington Beach/ Ushaka Beach ** [[https://youtu.be/dxWASvlqaDA|surf video]]
      * **The Mound **is a sand bank (artificial, caused by dredging) surf break a bit over 1km (? some sources say further out, but videos say the wave break is about this distance from shore) offshore from Durban which can produce steep, fast waves when the swell is big enough (when really big, the waves will continue to shore)  [[https://www.surfski.info/latest-news/story/79/surfing-the-mound-durban-south-africa.html|Surfski.info]]
        * [[https://youtu.be/SymqH2VZh3w|Surfing the Mound in a double]], [[https://youtu.be/vSsaVQ1VE-Y|Surfing the Mound in a V7]]
  * …

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===== Richards Bay =====

  * **Downwind**
      * **Richards Bay - Mtunzini **40 km (Course of the [[https://zkc.co.za/|Mouth to Mouth Race]])
  * **Surf**
      * [[https://youtu.be/YL1_Yc8uSCw|Long running waves]] into Pelican Island

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===== Conditions =====

  * [[https://www.seatemperature.org/africa/south-africa/durban.htm|Water temperature Durban]]
  * [[https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/durban_bay|Windfinder Forecast Durban Bay]]
  * [[https://www.windguru.cz/4865|Windguru Forecast Durban]]
  * **Webcams**
      * [[https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/webcams/durban_south-africa_1007311|Durban Area Webcams]]
      * [[https://www.outdooractive.com/en/webcams/kwazulu-natal/webcams-in-kwazulu-natal/227986375/|KwaZulu-Natal Webcams]]
      * [[https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/south-africa/kwazulu-natal.html|Skyline Webcams (just Ballito?)]]
  * **General**
      * [[https://www.wasaproject.info/docs/2_windclimatesafrica2010.pdf|Wind Patterns in South Africa]] (good for general knowledge but consult locals for critical details/variants/microclimates where you plan to paddle)
  * …

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===== Safety =====

  * Portuguese man-of-war - more common in beach areas in the summer with strong northeast winds and/or high tides, commonly known as "[[https://www.news24.com/parent/child_7-12/development/health_safety/blue-bottles-and-blue-bottle-stings-20120221|bluebottles]]"
  * Shore Break

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===== Injury and Recovery =====

  * [[https://www.facebook.com/oceanridersacademy/|Ocean Riders ]][[https://www.facebook.com/oceanridersacademy/|Academy]]**Durban**  technique, training, rehab

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===== Races =====

  * [[:races:races_south_africa#kwazulu-natal|KwaZulu-Natal Races ]]
  * …

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===== Videos =====

  * [[:south_africa_downwind_videos#kwazulu-natal|KwaZulu-Natal Videos]]
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===== Coaches =====

  * See [[:south_africa#coaching|South Africa Coaches]]
  * …

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===== Surfski Equipment =====

  * [[http://www.revokayaks.com/|Revo Kayaks]] formerly based in Durban - Bought and moved to Australia ([[https://www.facebook.com/revokayakaustralia|Revo Australia Facebook]])
  * [[https://durbansurfski.com/store/|Durban Surfski]]
  * See Also [[:south_africa#surfski_dealersmakersequipment|Main South Africa Page Listings]]

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