It takes a village to raise a child
New column highlights local delights
“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,” reads the first line in a poem by John Masefield.
I don’t know that the sea is necessarily lonely? One of the reasons I like to go to the beach is because of the friendships and likeminded people I meet there. I am convinced that it is a special privilege to live at the coast. What we have the whole year round, some people work an entire year just to get two weeks at the sea.
I do not find a lot of people who come down to the beach to be grumpy or angry. Quite the opposite. Share a smile, get a smile. Often I find the salty fresh air and pleasant sun a precursor to a warm attitude.
I had the special pleasure recently of hanging out with the Border Longboard surfing team at Seal Point, Cape St Francis. About 14 of us were booked into a divine thatch home just behind the first line of dunes about 20m away from the beach.
A quaint deluge of mist saw us joyfully homebound on a couple of occasions and the chilled down-time under the warm thatch was soul food and an antidote to the hustle life.
Along with the team and under the organic roof it was a pleasure to connect with Anthony Ridge and his surfing family.
Mom, Kim was along for the ride and Ant, Lauren and Tyler were all competing the SA Longboard surfing championships. It was easy to be a little bit jealous.
Very few dads get to surf on a regular basis with their children.
On one particular lazy morning, enjoying the sunrise and coffee at home, I noticed Ant and Lauren in a random moment of affection.
I got to thinking; if daughter is prepared to play footsie with dad while half asleep on the couch then clearly relationships in the Ridge household are in a pretty good place.
Lucky girl, lucky dad but perhaps this is just a small reward for having a family and living at the coast. An African proverb suggests that it takes a village to raise a child. I have always thought a beach might be a good place too.
If forecasts hold true, this afternoon is looking pretty sweet in East London.
Medium light east wind greets a good quality 14-second period swell of 1.4m.
High tide at 14h47 this afternoon is a good time to catch a few waves at Glen Eden or Gonubie in the bay especially if recent clean and warm water continue to oblige.
Saturday evening sunset is promising for braai enthusiasts.
If you are that “get out of bed early on Sunday morning” person, weather conditions are still and good for a walk, jog, run or cycle before a 16 to 20K west wind begins to puff a bit.
Low tide on Sunday morning is a 9.11am and a fine time to be surfing one of our point breaks before the west wind gets going.
Shad, bluefish and yellowtail have been faithful of late to those who persist with rod and line.
What more could you ask for? Living at the coast sure has its charms.