It's Wednesday (10th April) here in Mozambique. There is not a breath of wind and the sun is out. The waves were very fun today – small but very consistent (and of course the water is a boiling 28°C as usual). The water was blue and crystal clear and we could see fish jumping and swimming everywhere. As the tides play a big role in how the waves form in Tofo, we surf the point break on the low tide and the beach breaks at high tide. This is great as it gives everyone a variety of different waves and locations to surf during the day. We came home this evening and had prawns for dinner which everyone loved as they were freshly caught that day. The seafood in Mozambique is incredible, better than any 5* restaurant and no-one who has been here will argue this fact.
Nikita and I go down to the beach early every morning to see how the waves are so we can plan the day ahead. On Thursday we went down to the point and saw that the waves had picked up a lot. There was a rip going down the point, which had the guys working hard to stay on the peak. There were lots of waves for everyone, however, and George W and Will were trading off waves the whole session. Charlie ended his surf with a big wave from the top of the point all the way to the bottom. We had a few scratches on the rocks but nothing too bad. It definitely had the group on their toes and they learnt a few lessons such as “Never turn your back on the ocean!” We surfed that afternoon at Dino's beach break; it was super fun and got better and better as the afternoon progressed.
On Friday we had an early surf at Tofino Point. It was clean and a decent size and this enabled the group to get some good turns in. Will, Lucy and Matt had a few good long rides all the way down the point – well done guys! We had the Tofino Point all to ourselves on this day, so we all surfed for hours and only got out just before we had lunch. It was a scorcher of a day so we stayed out of the sun as much as possible before heading down to Dino's beach break for an afternoon surf. It was a great day of good waves, sun and fun for everyone and we ended it off with a few drinks and dinner at Turtle cove.
We were blessed by the wave God's again on Saturday. It was 3ft and running down the point. Seb started his surf off with a long ride all the way to the beach. When he got to the end of his ride, he was so stoked that he just ran around the point, jumped off the rocks and was back out within a few seconds. George L celebrated his 21st birthday today and he got so many epic waves – an awesome birthday present indeed! I was properly jealous. After the surf we relaxed at Turtle Cove – a well needed and deserved rest. That afternoon, a few of us went to Inhambane to get some basic snacks and withdraw money. Inhambane is the nearest main town in this area and is about a 30 minute drive from Tofo. That evening we celebrated George's birthday with a massive peppermint tart and a pig on a spit. The peppermint tarts are really good at turtle cove and are always on high demand – it is said that some people even return to Turtle Cove just for the amazing peppermint tarts! The spit was a great way to start an evening off. After a couple of drinks at a bar the group then got down and did some more exercise – this time the land-based ritual of dancing.
The surf has been really fun the last few days and on Sunday we woke up to great conditions once again. It was a beautiful day and the boys and girls got some really fun waves. We surfed Tofino point in the morning and Dino's beach break that afternoon. George W finished his surf at Dino's with a great turn and was very happy to end a good day off well. Dave has also been enjoying his stay in Tofo and has been surfing loads.
We were waiting for a little more swell that was approaching on Monday. It didn’t disappoint and arrived on time. It was a good 4 feet in size and running along the point perfectly. A couple of the guys got some good rides and a few had a harder time coping with the increased size. Ronan got a sick wave that he had been waiting for the entire day – super stoked for you Ronan! Patience always pays off. That evening we packed the two 4×4 for our journey to Pomene. We don’t normally do this trip on the Mozambique leg of the trip as it much further North than Tofo, but we decided to give it a go. As it needs some in depth local knowledge to get there, we were lucky to have Ryan to guide us along the unmarked sandy tracks.
On Tuesday we left Turtle Cove at 4am and headed to Pomene Lodge. As soon as we arrived in Pomene, everyone got super excited and thankful that they came. The lodges have a tropical-themed architecture with thatched roofs and wooden walls. The pool is situated on the lagoons edge, giving you the feeling that you are in the wild. There were flamingos frolicking in the lagoon while we had breakfast. We hit the point at Pomene mid-morning and got out at 3:30 pm. The waves there were some of the longest and best waves that I have seen on the whole trip. The set-up is unreal. We were blessed with great winds and swell on this side trip to Pomene – luck was definitely on our side. The sunset was an African sunset at its best, and everyone was amazed at how beautiful everything was. It was truly a mesmerizing experience for all. The next morning we woke up at sunrise and had breakfast. The fact we had come here for one day, had such a great time and then had to leave, wasn't the best feeling. We all wanted to stay longer. Pomene was just so beautiful it was all I could think about on the drive back to Tofo.
We have only two full days left in Tofo and then we are off to Ponta D'Ouro for more surfing adventures. Ponto D’Ouro is also known for its resident pack of bottlenose dolphins, which we hope will make an appearance when we are there. We plan to make the most of our last few days in Mozambique and are hoping for more epic conditions in Ponta.
Till next time
Klee Strachan