Full moon turns the surfers crazy

A night paddle and a wave back in provides plenty of thrills and memories

leash and bounded off before any naysaying could scupper our grand plan, which was in essence an excellent one.

Off the end of the pier I sat on the longboard, bobbing in the water. It was so cool. The experience, not the wind, which some how kept its distance out there.

I squinted into the night. Dark shapes played tricks on my eyes. Was that a swell, or a patch of darkness? Looking to shore, the view was unique. Instead of sandy beach, high rises and blue sky, the city bristled with lights, a kaleidoscopic layer on a black canvas.

To sea, it was hard to see. There were no hues to denote texture or detail. Black swells broke, turning instantly to white foam. It was all in black and white, with nothing in between.

The eerie and unique sensation muffled the effects of the wind. In the distance, I could see the two figures of my friends Shani and John, who had finally got their act together to come out.

Half an hour before that, we had been sitting in Cool Runnings, the reggae bar in Durban that nestles among the ding repairers, the shapers, and the surf shops in a run down industrial part of town.

We were treated to a special impromptu session by a friendly Ard Mathews, playing with great heart to a small motley crew of maybe 30 people. He had sung his new song Ubuntu, and covers by Rodrigues. He had also plied us with shots of Jagermeister. Friendly fellow.

John said we needed to go surfing. Shani and I, in Durban to run our surf film festival, said, of course we should. Why not?

The full moon sat high in the sky. Through the dark soot of the night, more black shapes came and went. As one approached, I turned and paddled and somehow, perhaps because I had triangulated from memory where the sand bar lay according to the distance and angle from the end of the pier, I caught the wave. I was up and riding, gliding through the night towards the lights of the city.

That’s one for the memory banks when in my rocking chair.

Still a few more to collect though. end below the bridal path switchbacks. Apparently the matter is being discussed with Table Mountain National Parks. Time to get a new, and bigger, pepper spray. storm swell and fresh onshores buckling the ocean. Muizenberg looks fun. A solid 3’ or more with clean offshores. Tomorrow the swell goes more west, but still packs plenty of punch, although it has eased off to a bit to 10’ or so. However, a pity about the fresh west onshore that keeps blowing.

GALLO IMAGES WHITE OUT: South African surfer Jordy Smith of Durban shows off his skills at the Mr Price Pro Ballito event at Willards Beach earlier this month.