So I checked in with Seb Blunt after his 10 weeks surfing South Africa. I was keen to hear the experience from his point of view. This is what he had to say….
Having just finished my A-levels, I was as excited as could be to be free from the student life to do what I want and start my gap year off with a bang!
I had first heard about Ticket to Ride when my older sister mentioned what she would do if she could have her gap year again. Coming from a skateboarding and snowboarding background, I knew I’ve always wanted to try surfing. So I checked out their website and was instantly in love with the idea of surfing for 10 weeks in South Africa and, on top of a trip of a life time, getting a surf instructor qualification as part of the trip as an added bonus!
After a few months of hard work on the slopes, I was on a plane taking me as far away from home as I had ever been…..Africa! My first stop was Cape Town which is truly breathtaking and staying right on the beach made it the perfect location to have as many surf sessions as possible!
We had quite a large group of people of all ages and nationalities, which makes traveling and meeting new people. Not long, loads of great friendships were formed which, I am sure, will extend long after the trip ends. After a few weeks in the water and realizing surfing was a bit more challenging than anticipated, the surf bug had bitten me and I was hooked. All I wanted to do was be in the ocean as much as possible.
Moving to several different coastal spots, we all really enjoyed the different perks of each place and what it had to offer. Everyone in the group had such great energy and it certainly showed in and out of the water. On one of my favorite stops, Jeffrey’s Bay, offered some of the best waves on the trip; not to mention, the great evening festivities that came after each long day of surfing. I will most definitely be visiting J-bay again.
Another favorite place was without doubt Coffee Bay. Situated in the rural Transkei ,with good culture, waves and wildlife it really gave the “real African experience”. We were so stoked to score good waves for our whole stay. Surfing wasn’t the only activity that went down in Coffee Bay .We also enjoyed lots of other activities out of the water, like meeting locals (Xhosa people) in their village, visiting local schools and learning about their culture which encompasses Ubuntu. Quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity..
The Ticket to Ride leaders were brilliant throughout the trip and helped us not only in surfing but to learn a lot about ourselves too. Traveling and being away from home can be pretty daunting at times.
Lastly I couldn’t recommend it more to anyone, of any age, from anywhere, if they want to explore, learn about themselves while surfing the South African coastline, this is the adventure for you.
No need for captions. These pics speak for themselves…
Seb experienced South Africa on our flagship 10 week Surf Instructor Course. For more information on this epic trip, click here.