Sun, surf Mecca on our doorstep

Watersport personality and Bay businessman MICHAEL ZOETMULDER gives his family’s views on the best beaches

NELSON Mandela Bay has arguably some of the best beaches in the world and our city boasts 40km of magnificent golden sounds.

With our perfect combination of warm water, calm sea and fair breezes, Nelson Mandela Bay is considered one of the best sailing venues in the world and a Mecca for all beach and watersport enthusiasts.

It is also home of Iron Man South Africa, the SA National Surf Lifesaving Championships and host to Africa’s largest family beach event, the aQuellé Ocean Racing Series.

Expect water temperatures of between 18 and 21°C during your summer holiday and our beaches are patrolled by professional lifeguards during the holiday period to ensure a safe and enjoyable beach holiday.

Kings Beach is a magnificent 1.6km wide expanse of golden sand extending from the harbour wall to Humewood. The beach is ideal for swimming, body surfing, sunbathing and long beach walks, and includes facilities such as Supertubes, a snack bar, parking area, change-rooms, baby-pools, skate park and an awesome expanse of water and park areas with buskers and vendors.

The popular Hobie Beach is one of the city’s Blue Flag beaches and is a favourite for swimming, sunbathing and body surfing and offers sheltered rock pools with interesting inter-tidal sea life. Hobie Beach is also home to Prodive which hires out ocean kayaks and Sups (stand-up paddleboards). Fantastic open water swimming conditions are found with experienced swimmers enjoying the 800m swim between Hobie Beach and Humewood Beach.

Pollok Beach at Summerstrand offers great sunbathing and body surfing conditions with always a great wave running.

The famous Something Good Roadhouse and kids play area at Pollok Beach is a must for holiday makers whilst the “Pipe”, to the southern end of Pollok Beach is favoured by surfers.

A local family favourite is taking the kids along Marine Drive to the picturesque seaside village of Schoenmakerskop. Along the way there are numerous picnic spots, coves, rock pools and holiday resorts along the rocky section of the shore.

Pods of dolphins are frequently sighted in the area.

Access Sardinia Bay, between Schoenmakerskop and Sea View, by travelling along Sardinia Bay Road. This popular beach is regarded as one of the best walking and horse riding beaches with miles of unspoiled coastline.

On the northern side, Bluewater Bay has a magnificent stretch of beach. Facilities at Bluewater Bay include a car park, children's playground and ablution facilities, good swimming, fishing and surfing opportunities.

For those who prefer to be underwater, the diving sites in Nelson Mandela Bay are of world-class quality with beautiful reefs, shipwrecks, a variety of fish and colourful soft coral species.

Reefs and pinnacles range from depths of 10to 30m, especially round the Cape Recife area, and visibility of up to 30m has been recorded.