It’s been a few months since our last surfing adventure up the East Coast of South Africa and almost all of the January group had learned to surf with us, passed their ISA level 1 Surf Instructors qualification with us and have now gone on to complete their 20 hours mandatory training to graduate as Surf Instructors. They enjoyed 10 weeks of African summer and the change of season this time around has brought with it colder weather, though one could argue an African winter is hardly anything to cringe at at all, plus as we head up the coast the weather gets balmier and warmer along with the water so by the time we reach Durban we’ll be surfing in mid 20 degree weather in our boardshorts and bikini’s. One huge advantage of the season are the waves that come with it, Winter in South Africa is the best time for surfers as winds die down and consistent swells roll in from deep in the atlantic where low pressure systems work their magic. The perfect time for the J-Bay Open; a major event on the WSL calender currently taking place at one of the stops on our journey which is host to the worlds best right hand point break.
We got things underway with a few beers around the fire on the balcony over-looking our home in Muizenberg for the next 12 days. As is customary on our trips we got things started with a very popular South African tradition on the first night, a Braai (BBQ). Myself and Jarred got to introduce ourselves formally to the group as the Trip Leaders for our journey together, the ever popular Head of Operations Chris Bond gave a welcome speech and we all enjoyed each others company as the night wound down.
We have a mixed group of 4 guys and 1 girl on the trip, some with some surfing experience and others being complete novices. Learning to surf in Muizenberg is ideal as it is arguably the best beginner wave in the world and for the more experienced there are a variety of more challenging surf breaks nearby so its exciting as we’re able to cater to all skill levels. Friday morning was a beautiful winters day and the conditions were great to test everybody’s ability, regardless of skill level on the first day we do a full briefing on the basics of surfing as if we were introducing somebody who has never surfed a day in their life to the sport.
In the water the guys had a blast having just learnt all sorts of new things from paddling to pop-ups as they experienced their first taste of stoke with us. Over the weekend the progression was noticeable as the guys got a bit fitter and more accustomed to the demands of the sport. We as coaches were impressed and the potential for these riders going forward is very promising. It’s always great to see happy faces leaving the water and its not uncommon to hear things like “best day ever!” after a first day of surfing in Muizenberg and for us its a joy and privilege to be a part of it and to contribute positively to our riders lives.
Over the next 6 weeks myself, Jarred and the whole Ticket To Ride team aim to ensure everybody has the greatest experience possible on this surfing adventure and we’re honestly as excited as everybody else on the trip! With so much to look forward to I hope you stay tuned as I take you through our journey together. You can also follow our adventures on Instagram and Facebook or view some of our past experiences on our Youtube Channel. I’d also love to hear your views and answer any questions you may have so don’t hesitate to leave them below in the comments section.
Till next time 😀
Luke Geldenhuys