Hi everyone
Welcome back to Plettenberg Bay!!
In my previous video blog I mentioned that we were holding thumbs for clean, offshore conditions. Well…we got them!!
On Saturday the swell was still a little big for us to get started with lessons, so instead we went to a protected cove in the Robberg Bay to practice some body surfing. Body surfing is the simple art of swimming yourself onto a wave. Unlike surfing, there are no boards involved. Just you and the wave. Needless to say it takes a little getting used to, but it wasn’t long before our guys had it tapped.
In the afternoon the swell dropped off substantially and so we all paddled out for our first surf in Plettenberg Bay!! And what a surf is was. The waves in Plett are a lot different to the ones in Muizenberg. But with offshore conditions and clean waves, our guys managed to make the transition just fine, with some very good rides being had.
On Sunday we got stuck into lessons with our coaches John and Donna Henry. The swell had dropped off even more which meant that our guys had some great waves to practice their new exercises on. We surfed for most of the afternoon, until our arms just wouldn’t paddle anymore! What a great day! But it wasn’t over just yet. We headed back home to enjoy a true, South African style, Potjie before hitting the sack.
On Monday we decided to get our and about and explore a few of the wildlife centres in the area. First off we stopped at the Tenikwa Small cats reserve to visit some of the injured and rehabilitated cat that the park look after. The best part of the trip had to be getting into the cheetah enclosure and getting to see these majestic creatures up close.
From there we made our way to the Elephant sanctuary to get up close and personal with another of Africa’s bushveld residents. It was a morning full of excitement, but we needed to get back to town to meet up with John and Donna for another surf lesson. The conditions were very similar to the day before, so our guys made the most of it and pulled into some classic rides!!
Yesterday we went to the local pools to continue with our swim training. As part of the course, riders are required to swim 400m in under 9 minutes. To get this right one needs good stamina and technique, which is what we worked on. After the swim it was off to the beach for a little South African touch rugby!! It took a while for everyone to learn the rules, but it wasn’t very long before we had a proper game on our hands!
In the afternoon we met up with John and Donna one last time for a lesson at Robberg beach. The conditions had deteriorated a little from the day before, but there were still loads of waves on offer.
So lots of exploring, lots of training and, most of all, lots of surfing for our guys out here in Plett. 2 more days to go before J-Bay, so we’re going to see what other little gems are hiding around this town.
Till next time
Take care,
Bevan and Byron