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World's Best/Bucket List Downwinders
Great Downwind Runs
Although a run is considered to be a classic it may have days or specific sets of conditions that are appropriate to paddle only for experts or for no one at all. And many great runs can contain sections which even on regular days will be challenging for many paddlers.
Miller's Run
- Nikki Mocke's Iconic Miller's Run article in Paddle Magazine September 30, 2020
“How does The Miller’s Run compare with other popular downwind courses around the world?
Jasper Mocke on Miller's Run and Rating Downwinders:
“When rating downwinds, I think there are 3 main considerations:
- the quality of the conditions
- logistical ease
- consistency throughout the season/year
Beside the fact that you can do a Miller’s Run on most days of the year, when its pumping like it was on Monday, the runs are the finest I have ridden anywhere. Big days can get pretty scary and technical. Reverse Miller’s Runs, when the wind blows North West are easy and great to learn in.”
(Ed. Note - when the wind is blowing NNW or NW it is blowing pretty much parallel to shore (or somewhat offshore) for a Reverse Miller's, but be careful, the local mountains interact with the winds and can sometimes cause the wind to change to more W and on higher wind days may start blowing so hard offshore it can be difficult or impossible to paddle toward shore)
Epic Kayaks Bucket List
Somebody at Epic Kayaks (Kenny Howell?) weighed in (Feb, 2023) with this list of 5 downwinders to put in your bucket list. Their five are:
- Millers Run (see description above) (Fish Hoek, Safr)
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Additional Bucket List Runs?
Keeping Jasper's criteria in mind, here are some additional runs you may find worthy of making a trip for (although for all we know you may have a run in your own backyard that is equally world class to these - email us (surfski.wiki email) your suggestions and how they rate on Jasper's 3 main criteria):
(Editor's note: One might also add another possible qualifier for greatness for some downwind runs as: variety within a run and/or variability with different conditions. In terms of Jasper's criterion of consistency, think of this as ”consistently changing or interesting“ - what do you think?)
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Some candidates for world class runs may have some additional risk and/or seasonal curtailment due to more extreme and/or sustained cold air and water temperatures. But they may otherwise be right up there in quality with other more temperate runs listed on this page.
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Bucket List Downwind/Surf Laps?
Some of these (particularly some tidal races) are going to be more difficult to dial-in than downwinders if for no other reason than lower frequency of good conditions. Where they combine cold water and a bit of remoteness they can be particularly challenging to get a handle on. Tidal races can require that a number of factors coincide in order to produce good wave surfing, but part of the charm of such places can be their great variability. Living nearby can be quite an advantage and good fortune.
- Tidal Races
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