User Tools

Site Tools


south_africa

This is an old revision of the document!


South Africa

[Add information and links about your surfski community here. Look at Bellingham, WA, USA for a template, or create your own.]

South Africa is one of the places most responsible for the development and growth of modern surfski paddling. Like other countries with amazing ocean access, there has long been an ocean sport culture in South Africa where kids grow up participating in Life Saving programs and rescue skill related competitions. This culture has spawned famous surfski racers and shows every sign of continuing to foster new generations of skilled and fierce competitors.

Photo: Sharon Armstrong video - Wild Downwind Durban

sharona_durban.jpg


Safety

Please visit and absorb the lessons contained in the surfski.info safety reports posted by experienced South African paddler, Rob Mousley.

There are many extreme conditions that regularly occur in the ocean waters along South Africa's coastline. Most experienced local paddlers are familiar with the hazards in their back yard. But some risks can be deceptive, not visually apparent, and not always easy to anticipate or adequately gauge even for knowledgeable paddlers. One example is described by Rob (surfski.info post) in discussing the possible causes of a 2021 fatality in the waters off of Cape Town:

“The southeaster blows directly offshore on the Atlantic coastline, and it can appear deceptively calm in the lee of the shore, close to the rocks. But a few hundred meters out to sea, the wind, accelerating down the mountainside, can be lashing the water with squalls of 50kt or more. And of course, those howling squalls can arrive without warning, as the southeaster grows in strength.

So, it’s possible for a paddler to feel safe in the sheltered water close to the rocks, but in extreme danger from the maelstrom of wind and spray, just a few hundred meters offshore.

Adding to the risk is the water temperature. Strong southeasters cause upwellings of cold water: as the warmer surface layer is blown offshore, it’s replaced by frigid water flowing up from the deep.”

Rob's discussion in the above post goes on to remind readers about critically important communication equipment that can make a difference when paddlers are caught in conditions beyond their ability to paddle out of.


Downwinders

TCSurfski Podcast - Oscar Chalupsky does a guide of South Africa Downwind Runs

(Coastline East to West)

Kwa-Zulu-Natal


Durban Area


Dolphin Escort

.


Robin Mousley on Durban vs. Cape Town: “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!”

Downwinds

  • Tiffany's Beach (Salt Rock) - Umdloti approx. 25 km video, video2
  • 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 by a submerged reef. There are various get together sites such as “Marine” (Marine Lifesaving Club), “Vetchies” (Vetch's Pier) and “DUC” (Durban Undersea Club), but they all represent the same launch beach.

pointbeach.jpg

Point Beach - photo Kendall James for Google Maps

  • Marine Lifesaving Club
    • Marine - Durban View 16 km in either direction see Downwindable.com
    • Marine - Umdloti 23.6 km video
    • Marine - Umhlanga 15 km? video
    • Marine - La Mercy 28+ km?
    • Marine - Toti (Amanzimtoti) 32 km?
    • Marine - Salt Rock 45+ km video
  • Vetchies
    • Vetchies - Westbrook 33 km video
    • Umhlanga - Vetchies 18-19 km (counting several kms out into the bay to lineup for NE swell) video
  • Scottsburg - Winklespruit (Winkle) 25 km

Surf

Local Safety Concerns

  • Portuguese man-of-war - typically in the summer
  • Shore Break

Eastern Cape (Oos-Kaap)


Noordhoek to Bushy Park Downwinder


  • St. Francis Bay video
    • Aston Bay - Seekoei River Mouth
    • Canal Harbour - Walskipper Restaurant
  • Cape St. Francis surf video

Western Cape


Witsand

  • Breede (Breë) River Mouth video

Cape Town Area

  • 3 Anchor Bay to Barkers Rock
  • Milnerton
    • Lagoon Beach to Melkbos 21 km
    • Lagoon Beach to Big Bay 10 -11 km - The season for this run is best in the October-February months during South Africa's summer season. During these months the side shore winds tend to howl along the west coast of South Africa, making this a great spot for downwinders. Downwindable.comvideo
  • False Bay
    • Gordon's Bay - Strand ~8 km video
    • Full Bay Crossing
      • Pringle Beach - Muizeberg Beach 42 km Downwindable.com
      • Cape Hangklip - Fish Hoek 47.9 km

Cape Hangklip - Fish Hoek



Dawid & Jasper Mocke describe Miller's Run

You're off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters.” ― Hector Barbossa



check surfski.info article the wrong wind can make this a real no go. After Miller's Point, “Hurricane Alley”…


Langebaan

  • Langebaan - Saldanha ~10 km video

Surf


Downwind Videos


Injury and Recovery


Coaching


Groups & Clubs


Races


Surfski Dealers/Makers

Dealers

Used


Resources


Miller's Run Sight - photo D. Mocke video

millers_whale.jpg

south_africa.1631777298.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021/09/16 03:28 by preavley