Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
But to get the best waves on your travels, you need to wait things out
if you had to be evacuated in an emergency.
Fortunately, our crew of seven escaped unscathed, barring a back spasm that preventing me surfing the last two days.
We are aboard Micah, a 50-foot catamaran owned by a South African couple from Durban, Brent and Sharyn Coetsee. Brent is the son of the legendary Dux Coetsee, a Springbok swimmer and surf lifesaver who was part of the pioneering Durban surfing days of the 1950s.
Our amicable travel agent Greg Bertish has excitedly told us about the main surf spot, Blue Bowls.
It’s a right-hand reef point, with several abutting reefs in slightly different configurations and angles that do slightly different things depending on how the swell comes in.
While we didn’t get the most perfect conditions, with a fair amount of cross-shore winds and a lot of south-east windswell coming straight onto the reef, we had a lot of waves because the area is uncrowded, with few surf boats around, particularly in August.
We have heard what deep energy groundswells from the south-west do at this spot, and a few waves we had ourselves when conditions improved saw some waves deliver the ultimate surfing stoke – a long winding wall racing across shallow reef sections that spits you out in a safe channel.
We got a taste, but like all surfers, those moments are fleeting. A surfer’s yearning for epic waves is seldom quenched. That’s the risk of travelling. To get the best of a place, you need to invest in longer periods of time there. If only.
Nuclear Plan
WE have just two days to comment on the potentially ruinous R1- trillion nuclear proposal that involves Duynefontein near Cape Town, and Thyspunt near Cape St Francis. According to the NGO Outa.co.za, Eskom slipped a critical step in the nuclear build programme – the public commentary phase – into a hidden notice in a provincial gazette. Go to www.outa.co.za.
The King is Back
AT the ripe old age of 44, Kelly Slater won the Billabong Pro Tahiti in epic 8-10 foot Teahupo’o this week.
He beat John John Florence in a remarkable final after an amazing day of surfing for the two stars, one in the twilight of his career and the other just beginning to peak. Between them, they rode 35 barrels on the finals day, an unbelievable stat.
SA Surfing Champs
GREAT surf at Long Beach has greeted 100 surfers from eight districts and three provinces at the 51st South African Surfing Championships for the first two days – Thursday and yesterday – but the swell has dropped for the weekend. Teams made up of Open Men and Women and under-20 boys and girls are representing defending champions eThekweni, hosts Cape Town, former champions Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay, Ugu, 2015 hosts uThungulu, Cape Winelands and Eden.
Weather Tip
AFTER our big wave spots fired this week in beautiful, clean late winter conditions, the swell has gone. Today looks 2-4’ easing to 3’ in nice light winds, with Muizenberg 1’ and mild onshore. Tomorrow looks even smaller, 1- 2’ in calm, glassy seas and the lightest of SW winds. Muizenberg 1’ to flat but very clean.