13 weeks for some is a very long time to spend away from home and stuck with the same group of people every day. Truth is, it’s bound to be the best 13 weeks, with the best group of people. The South Africa trip is broken into two parts, 10 weeks in South Africa and 3 weeks in Mozambique also known as, paradise. For our 10 weeks in South Africa, we had a total of 25 surfers which is the biggest group we have had on the South Africa trip. We started off our crazy adventure in Muizenberg which is a beach-side suburb of Cape Town. For some people entering this trip it was their first time surfing and for others, it was actually their second time adventuring with us on this trip.
Muizenberg, a beginner surfers bliss. It is an easy flowing, long riding dream of a wave. At times I wish I could go back to the start of it all just to see how far all of the guys have come. This was where it all started in a sense of surfing as well as in creating friendships that will come to last way after the trip has ended. Cape Town is on every tourist’s top 3 places to visit. It boasts amazing surf with so many different surf spots making it always possible to find a wave. It holds a pristine social side and an even better culture.
The second stop on our trip was Plettenberg Bay. This is a fast and steep wave and after surfing Muizenberg it can be a challenge for some, but all the less a very big step in ones surfing. I think personally it’s the place where everyone finds’s their feet a bit. After surfing effortless waves that carry you for long periods to surfing fast steep waves that are a lot more technical are what takes your surfing from beginner to intermediate. Here we also went bungy jumping off one of the highest bridges in the world. A massive accomplishment for most of the guys. Here I really saw the guys come together, if there was anyone scared there was bound to be someone by their side talking them through it, I even saw some crazy yoga zen happening before a few jumps.
We spent 2 weeks in Jeffrey’s Bay. J-bay is every surfer on the Garden Route’s dream. It is where every surfer, both goofy and regular can find just what they are searching for. J-bay holds both left and right breaking waves as well as one of the best right-hand breaks in the world known as the famous SuperTubes. Jeffrey’s was a favourite for all as the surfing was epic but the social life at the local hostel we stayed at, Island Vibe was even more epic. Beer pong was a must every night and we even had a few guys that became professionals very quickly. The guys spent hours in the water either free surfing or doing lessons with Ettiene who is a local legend as well as coach that coaches some of the best young surfers in South Africa and a few young surfers on the South Africa team. With one of the best coaches and some of the best waves what more could you want?
We then headed to the Wild Coast. First up was Cinsta. In Cinsta lessons were run by head coach and most stoked person out there, Jarred Veldhuis (I’d remember that name because I’ve got a feeling he’s going to be on the pro circuit for some time to come). This can be a very rippy wave and paddling becomes your best friend here. Cinsta was the calm after the crazy times in J-bay. So distant from everything, I think everyone got to know each other a little bit more here. It is such a beautiful place but one lesson that was learned is that you’re best not to leave your windows and doors open as the local monkeys here will take all you got as well as leave you some wonderful presents all over your books and floor.
Second on the Wild Coast was Coffee Bay another place beautifully away from most forms of civilization. Our hostel was a 5-minute walk away from the beach that was constantly occupied by cows, bulls, goats and dogs. This rural wonderland was the definition of the Wild Coast. The surf here was at times challenging or otherwise extremely fun. Dawny surfs became a favourite here as with nothing else much to do everyone’s surfing became their top priority. One thing that still has my mind blown is how one certain individual could have over, what was it? 57 shots of tequila on her tab in less than a week? Yes Coffee bay, you were something else.
Next was Durban, my place of birth as well as the legend that is Jordy Smiths place of birth. For our first start of the Durban’s leg, we stayed on the Bluff at a backpackers called Ansteys Beach Backpackers and our focused switched towards what most of the guys joined the trip for, getting their surf instructors qualification. Our first week in Durban was all swim tests, theory and getting their beach Lifeguard qualifications which is one of the qualifications you need in order to work as a surf instructor. We surfed most days at Addington Beach which is a long stretch of beach with so many different banks breaking making it perfect for us to surf as we could all sit on different banks and therefore get more waves. If we weren’t doing courses or surfing we were spending most of our time in Clayton Surfboards ordering new boards as everyone had now improved to different levels meaning smaller boards tailored to their surfing standards and abilities were needed and ordered.
The Secret Spot, a little backpackers in the middle of Ballito, but you could swear you were off the grid somewhere was our home for the last week of the South Africa trip. We still surfed mostly at Addington Beach and knowing for some this as the last leg of the trip we surfed as much as we could. On a day with no waves, we headed more inland to spend a day doing a safari and oh my, what a beautiful experience. We spent a whole day driving through this game park and saw Rhinos, Giraffes, Buffalos, Zebras and many more. At one point we were only a few meters from two massive Rhinos “huddling” under a tree.
We then found ourselves saying goodbye to some of the guys that weren’t doing the Mozambique leg of the trip, which was felt with much sadness. When you spend 10 weeks with the same people every day, even the people you weren’t the closest with, it hits you and it’s always sad saying your goodbyes. You’d be surprised how close you get with these people and personally I think you only feel it the most when your dorm room is no longer occupied by shouting at stupid hours in the morning because someone is almost certain that another person’s bag is a toilet or beautiful scenery down the side wall of your bed and many more unquestionable things that for now are nothing but unforgettable memories.
We then headed to Mozambique with Mr. Mozam himself AKA Ryan Ribbink who has taken some of the world’s best surfers to surf Mozambique. Two days of driving with some people who had the weakest bladders and few professional snorers and we were in a place that could only be described as one thing, PARADISE. Tofo in Mozambique is a palm tree wonderland with clear blue waters, coconuts and piping hot sand. This was the place I saw everyone excel the most. This was the spot on the trip that everyone surfed the most as there were a lot more free-surfing and less lesson structure. The best part of the Mozambique leg of the trip is, it’s all about being in holiday mode and surfing when you want and for how long you want.
We then spent the last 4 days of our time in Pomene. Pomene is literally in the middle of nowhere and is very much so, as we came to realize become deserted. To be completely honest we had a lack of food and water for the first two days but head trip Leader Luke Geldenhuys made sure that we still had the best time and he made a plan even though things were completely out of his control. I think when people travel a place like Africa they tend to forget that well, its Africa. Besides all that Luke made a plan and before you knew it we had lunches, water, and loads of good times. The surf was small but trust me, it was fun. I think Pomene was a good place to end the trip as heading back everyone learned to appreciate everything a little bit more and I think everyone at this point had fallen in love with Africa in some way.
As a whole, this 13-week trip was special in its own way. I think that any travel and surf trip you depart on is one you will never forget and cherish forever. Every single person on this trip added something to the group, with so many different personalities and people from different parts of the world it’s crazy to believe that we became more than just a couple of people on a surf trip, we became a family.
But for now it’s not goodbye, it’s see ya later!
