The week that was...

Supers looking super © Robbie Irlam

Yewee - finally some waves arrived. Unfortunately as per the usual we got the wind/wave combo deal so together with the main meal of some solid surf we got the side-order of gale force winds to accompany it. Ysss, why can't we just get lucky sometimes....and the wind gives us a break. But beggars can't be choosers, after 3 weeks of non-existent surf it was lekker to get something bigger than knee high - considerably bigger.

© Robbie Irlam

There were waves everywhere. Robbie Irlam snapped some smokers at Supers. For every smoker there was someone getting smoked. Ou's reckon if you mistimed the keyhole you ended up at Albatross, and had to walk up the point and try again. Rule of thumb - he who hesitates is lost! Like the poor ou below who got a free rinse-and-spin cycle for his efforts in the keyhole. We've all been there done that. He opted for Plan B after Plan A failed and got out further up at Boneyards - and proceeded to hook a bomb. His board paid the price later on though.... 

© Robbie Irlam

Discretion is the better part of valor goes the old saying. PE logger Dean Simpson and JBay shaping guru Mikey Meyer appreciated the one step forward, two steps back approach to getting out and succeeded in getting out back unscathed after doing the rock dance tango whilst waiting for a gap. Gotto respect the ocean when it's that size. It'll pick you up like a lil toothpick and clean it's teeth with ya if you give it half the chance...

Dylan Lightfoot slotted on the Supers freeway © Ryan Lightfoot

West of JBay had a few lekker waves as well. Seals local Andy Lenton took a drive down the road and found a left to his liking, whilst everyone else made merry on the rights. Including PE logger & Millers local Chris Sykes, who managed to survive the sesh with his longboard still intact and not transformed into 2 shortboards!

There are some lefts about if you look. Andy Lenton happy to go forehand © Shane Pyke

Chris Pyke © Shane Pyke

© Shane Pyke

The bay got some good sized swell, but some pumping wind to go with it. Made any sesh more a chop-hop than a surf, but still some fun to be had. Even the poor dawgs had it tough - try going for your Sunday walkies and you can't see bogger all cos the winds blowing your fur in your eye's....

The front garden looking nice from far but far from nice © Jamie Morris

Sunday beachwalk...bit windy for the wolf hound! © Lambi Paleochoritis

Seems to be waves all over at the moment. Local Gavin Rother is on a surf trip to the States with his son Any, and they've been scoring some good waves on the west coast - like this possie in San Diego. 

The wind claimed it's share of victims over the weekend. The NSRI were called out on Saturday after one of the huge container ships anchored off Coega lost 23 of it's containers overboard (check the stack just to the right of middle of the pic). Kak luck if you had some stuff arriving by container - go look for it on Woody Cape beach!

© Dirk Erasmus

OK, not everywhere had surf. The chicks down in CT to surf Long Beach for the Billabong Womens Summer Surf Challenge. Faye Zoetmulder made the most out of missing her home break firing and got the win - shot Faye! The event wasn't without controversy after some locals decided to surf right in the middle of the comp zone and drop in on the chicks during their heats.  I suppose they get PO'd cos there are lank contests at Long Beach during the year, but still, "manners maketh man" goes the saying...

The big swells have chowed away plenty of beaches - with rocks and reefes popping up all over PE's popular spots, and St Francis having bogger all sand left too. The shots were taken last weekend - Stan's at mid-tide, mine at low tide....so good luck finding a possie to pitch your brolley there this summer. Expect Seals beach to be packed. 

Which ain't gonna help matters in the corner - usually the only spot to be holding a good bank in the summer....as with the new Blue Flag status being awarded are we gonna see the lifeys getting super anal about chasing ou's away from the bathing flags - which they normally plonk up right in front of the peak?

Methinks they best get a sponsorship from Listerne, cos they gonna be blowing those whistles all day long whilst the guys give 'em the finger from the water. 

© Stan Blumberg

JBay's Dylan Lightfoot's recent PE's surfs stood him in good stead when he surfed a dam! Reckons it's about the same size as PE! Could be the answer to the flat summer season. Grab a mate's boat and head to North End lake for a bit of wake surfing.

Dylan Lightfoot dam surfing © Andrew Churchyard

Dane Cox has a good wave of keeping the surf neurons firing when it's flat. Pop your board on one of those exercise balls and see how long it takes before you eat grass. Keeps the core muscles working when the surfs flat as a pan.

© Christo Zietsmann

Quite a bunch of EP surfers in the various SA teams that'll be heading to China soon. Grant Beck, Margreet Wibbelink and Hannah Bing are in the SA Longboard team to surf World Longboard Champs, and Dylan Lightfoot and Faye Zoetmulder are representing SA in the shortboard ISA China Cup. Not a bad lil spot they'll be surfing, left point to keep the goofy's happy.

As if Cape Town doesn't have enough issues with sharks, here's an extra bitey thing to worry about in the line up...a huge Cape Cobra was spotted on the beach in Hout Bay.

Local surf club CYOH (which stands for Create Your Own Happening) are now on Instagram. Give them a follow if you'd like to stay in touch with local comp surfing. "cyohsurfclub"

Professional surfing says bye to Travis Logie after he announces his retirement. Trav is one helluva surfer, but had some rotten luck as far as injuries went this year and won't re-qualify for the CT, so he's made the call to retire. Sad to lose a Saffa from the tour.

Just so you know you don't have to be a pro surfer to make a living outta surfing. Seals locals Brad Beck and Hannah Bing are surf guiding in the Maldives to earn their coin, and have just moved resorts. Here's their new "office". Not too shabby.....