Hi all.
Our time in Jeffrey's Bay is almost at a close but there has been no slowing down for our little crew.
On Wednesday morning we started the day with an early lesson with Etiene. The ocean definitely delivered for us and we had some awesome waves running over the reef at Kitchen Windows. The guys are really starting to look confident now and its almost time for everyone to be learning a few of the more intermediate skills. The on-shore wind held up just long enough for us to get in a good few waves and a good few rides before it was time to paddle in.
In the afternoon it was time to get our hands dirty. We met up with Alison from the Supertubes Foundation, an organization setup by one of the local surfers to help maintain and rescue the coastal vegetation in Jeffrey's Bay mainly caused by over-development. The foundation looks after many of the dunes which overlook the world famous surf spot Supertubes and has attracted support from many of the locals as well as businesses such as Billabong, who are the main contributors to the organization. Alison took us all on a tour of the base and showed us the various areas which are under the care of the foundation, then it was off to work.Today our job was to help Alison, Arno and Siya (who also work for the foundation) to uproot invasive grass species from the indigenous plant beds. It was tough work out in the sun, but the guys got stuck in and before long, our many hands had made light work of the task which was much appreciated by the guys from the foundation.
Back at the hostel and it was time for the guys to get stuck in again, this time putting our surfing skills to good use. Tom from the hostel, got the guys involved in the Joshua Project which is an organization aimed at coaching street kids how to surf. Poverty is quite a problem in South Africa and Jeffrey's Bay is no stranger to this plight, so it was great to for the guys to be involved in imparting a skill to these young guys who's lives would, ordinarily be caught up in the harsh realities of life on the streets.
Yesterday Etiene arrived at the hostel with the good news that the swell was angled just right for St Francis Bay. For those of you unfamiliar with Bruce Brown's surf movie, The Endless Summer, St Francis Bay was rated by him as the perfect wave and aptly named Bruces Beauties. So with that we got our bags packed and headed out, retracing the steps of Bruce's crew all those years ago. When we arrived the wind had not quite picked up just yet and so the sea was a bit of a mess from the previous day's on-shores, but it looked good enough for a paddle. The guys all managed to get out and into the line-up. As the wind began to pick up, so too did the waves and it soon became just a little too big for the guys to be out there, so the call was made to head back to the beach. Even though we didn't get to ride many of the waves, just seeing Bruce's Beauties breaking is worth the drive out.
Once back in J-Bay it was time to give all our tired bodies a rest and an afternoon nap. It's been good going so far and we're all smiles here in SA and the forecast tells us good things about the days ahead so I'll keep you all posted on how we're getting on.
Take Care
Bevan