Week two in South Africa saw us take to the road a bit more in search of waves around Cape Towns extensive coastline. One of the coolest things about being a surfer in Cape Town is that no matter the wind direction you can always find a spot thats offshore, sometimes it may be a bit too offshore but offshore none the less. All you need is swell.
Cape Town is also pretty easy on the eyes but as Nathan says “It’s not quite Scotland” (Scotland recently beat South Africa and Canada in a recent poll to claim the title of most beautiful country)
We ended up being regulars in the line-up at Long Beach and even ventured as far as Big Bay in our search. The conditions were tricky at times and quite outside of the comfort zone for a few of the riders but being outside of that zone is where the magic happens, it’s where you test your abilities and push for progress. The perfect way to prepare for the rest of our trip up the East Coast where the comfort of beginner friendly Muizenberg Beach becomes a distant memory. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just part of the process of growing and becoming a confident, independent surfer who’s been tried and tested and who’m through experience, is better for it.
In South Africa you get to see plenty of fauna but a truly unique and special experience is being able to go and see African Penguins in their actual colony. Boulders Beach is situated amidst the residence of Simons Town and it’s home to many African Penguins who just waddle about and go about their business as if it were the wild, free to come and go as they please. You can in fact swim and sunbathe with them on their beautiful beaches if you’d like. The weather was a bit nippy so we decided to just go and see them instead.
While surfing was changing our lives we were able to go and visit a few new friends who were experiencing something similar with the Waves for Change program where we were able to share in the stoke and inspire one another. There are few programs I’ve been to where you can immediately tell the positive impact of their endeavors but with this particular program it was evident in abundance at their basecamp in Monwabisi near Khayelitsha. It’s written on the face of every kid there, the release of having a safe place to learn, share, create and experience something new and exciting is everything every child deserves and we commend the fantastic work they’re doing there with them through ‘Surf Therapy’. We got involved in a surf session with the kids which for us was an incredible opportunity to share in a human connection that transcends all else, while doing what we’ve all come to love.
The weeks to come will see us on the road up the East Coast with a few incredible stops and waves waiting for us. It’s bound to be an unforgettable experience so keep checking in weekly to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Plettenberg Bay awaits 🙂
Till then
Luke