Starting off our trip in Cape Town is incredible, It’s easily one of the most beautiful cities in the world and blessed with great weather and surf. The down side is that we only have two weeks here and there is literally so much to see and do, too much in fact. We do our best to experience as much as possible and this keeps us very busy and makes the time fly! We’re a week in now and I’m left wondering where all the time went? So here’s an update on some of what we’ve been up to so far as we settle in to our new adventure together.
Being a South African surf adventure we prioritise time in the water, especially in the beginning stages by taking advantage of the beginner friendly Muizenberg Beach in order to get everybody as best conditioned as possible in preparation for our travels up the coast as we tackle new waves and the challenges that lay therein. Away from the waves we’ve explored quite a bit of Cape Towns extensive coastline which offers some of the most incredible views spanning over two oceans, the Indian and Atlantic respectively. On the Indian Ocean side we enjoyed a trip down to Boulders Beach, home of the African Penguin where we got to spend some time with these adorable animals in their natural environment. This is no Zoo either, this is just a natural beach humans and Penguins share.
One of the most incredible coastal roads in the country and probably the world is Chapmans Peak, overlooking Hout Bay and the Sentinal this is a truly special experience for anybody and if you’re ever in Cape Town it should be one of the first things you set out to do, you won’t be dissapointed. I overheard somebody in the group saying that its the most beautiful place they’ve ever been!
Muizenberg Beach is based on the Indian Ocean side of our coastline and 95% of all our lessons in the first week have taken place there, and for good reason. We reckon it is the best beginner wave in the world! Right on the doorstep of our accommodation we’re able to enjoy a coffee on the balcony whilst watching what the ocean has in store for us each morning. We’ve had a bit of everything condition wise and it hasn’t always been perfect but it still remains the most practical for learning the fundamentals of surfing which are so important for us early on. All the hard work in the onshore paid off for us when the wind did switch and everybody has managed to catch a wave showing control whilst traversing across the open face. This is one of the requirements later on for attaining the ISA level 1 Surf instructor certificate and bodes well for everybody on the trip who will be partaking in the course.
After a few days of hard work in the water at Muizenberg we decided to make our way around the coast to the Atlantic. Known to be colder, heavier and more exposed to the raw energy that comes from our main source of swell deep in the SW we thought we’d go and try our hand at Long Beach in Kommetjie, the home of trip leader and head coach Jarred Veldhuis.
Frequent flyer miles? Jarred has plenty
Strong offshore winds and a growing swell awaited us and by the time we arrived the conditions were excellent, a solid 3-4ft. Granted this session wasn’t for everybody as it was a large swell and not everybody ended up paddling out but those that did wore a few sets on the head and learnt a lot in the process. A few of the more experienced surfers in the group managed to get a few waves off of the weekend crowd and there was an all around stoke for everybody in the group, spectators and surfers alike. To witness waves of this quality is something special and to test your abilities in conditions of more ‘consequence’ is an opportunity to learn and grow as a surfer and the opportunity every surfer aspires to.
So we’re getting the hang of surfing and submersing ourselves into the culture, everyday it seems the guys are learning something new whether it be in the water, out the water, local knowledge, about the environment, local slang, surf slang or just surfing South Africa in general. The whole crew seem to be settling in nicely and forging friendships with one another as they embark on this life changing experience that I’m so very fortunate to be a part of.
Keep checking in for more updates on this trip through my blogs here and follow us on Instagram for extra insight and live feed from our trip.
Till next time 🙂
Luke