The week that was...

Pipe had some surf © Dirk Erasmus

Finally we got a few waves! Had to wait the whole week for them to arrive, but at least they did. As usual the wind came along with them, although only later on during the day. Some winners, some losers. Winners were Gino Fabbri who scored a big, slurpy sucky barrel and was so frothed up afterwards that he lost his bearings and paddled back to the line-up via Outer Mongolia. Lifeguards nearly launched a jetski to go fetch him! Brett Hoppe also stuck himself into a few throaty one's. 

Taz unfortunately had a bit of a 'mare. Walking back in after his surf he cut his foot on the rocks, and whilst investigating the cut, lost his balance, stuck his other foot into a crevice - and got about 20 urchin spines in that one. Double blind. I managed to land on my board and knock one of the fins out, so anyone finding a Hanalai red fin at the bottom end of Millers reef (near the drain I think??), there's a R150 waiting for you if you hand it in at Surf Centre. Bummed, lost favourite fin, bruised ass and big ding in my favourite board where the fin pressed into the deck before popping out. 

A picture...

.... says a thousand words © Dirk Erasmus

It was the early birds who got the worms earlier during the week, but had to be up and at it to score. Things disappear quickly in the summer wind swells, so Alex Van Rijswijck did the dawnie to make sure he got a couple. Not that much long to go before dawnies become 7am instead of 5am affairs. Winter marches slowly towards us, and not a moment too soon. 

© Kody McGregor

Remember the fog bank that came over on Saturday morning. Luc Hosten was going walkabout at Cape Recife when he came across a strange colourless bow in the sky. Intrigued, he looked it up on Wikipedia  - it's called a fogbow - "Fogbows form in the same way as rainbows, but they are formed by much smaller cloud and fog droplets that diffract light extensively. They are almost white with faint reds on the outside and blues inside. The colours are dim because the bow in each colour is very broad and the colours overlap." Thanks Luc for always finding something weird to shoot that ends up enlightening us!

Fogbow © Luc HOsten

Yip, we're the Windy City for sure. Blew so much out at Sards recently that this ou had to hang on to stop himself getting blown off the old lifesaving clubhouse! Great shot by Craig Anderson Photography. No photoshop involved - that's one strong ou. Didn't look like any waves at Sards that day.

© Craig Anderson Photography

JBay local Deon Lategan is known for his amazing line-up shots of the town's iconic breaks. Here's yet another of his great captures - dawn patrol time, always the best time of day. If you like to keep up with Deon's super snaps then give him a Like on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DeonLateganPhotographics

Groundhog day with week after week of flatness. Maybe it should be ground dog day? Stoked bulldog at the recent RVCA Retro event held in Llandudno. Looks like he thinks the rails are a bit boxy though?

This shots being doing the rounds of social media lately. Of course it's photoshopped ou's! Easiest way to tell if a supposed big wave you see on social media is legit? Just check to see if it's entered into the Billabong XXL comp. Cos anyone crazy enough to ride a moving monster would surely wanna win himself $100k for doing so now wouldn't he! So if it ain't entered in there, chances are it's phony.

All sorts of weird stuff comes ashore at Jbay. Like this bottle that Deon Lategan picked up. Funny water. Has to be at exactly 596ml!? Wahaha Bottled Water ain't so funny after all - it tops the list of eight bottled water brands that are unsafe to drink, according to the Beijing Bureau for Food and Drug Inspection. The unfit bottled water has problems with excess amounts of bacteria and yeast. Maybe that's why the ou's turfed it?

Plastic ain't fantastic - remember to pick up a coupla pieces of trash as you make your way back to the car after every surf. Every lil bit helps. It's your beach, look after it.

You know it's lank flat when the best "set" that rolls through all sesh is thanks to the Jester going past and a bit of boat wake throwing up a lil wedge. At this rate we'll have to get 'em to cruise up and down the beachfront all day til the swell finally arrives. C'mon winter, c'mon.....

Chris the car guard at Pipe has upgraded his pirate's attire to now include a blunderbuss - the fancy-ass name for a pirate's gun. Hopefully would-be car thieves will be terrified at the prospect of getting sprayed by his deadly water pistol. In case that isn't sufficient deterrent, the knife in the right jacket pocket might suffice. Plastic as well, fear not.  

We might need Chris to start extending his beat down to Millers. Dodgy ou tried to nick a ladies bag who was sitting on the beach watching her lightie surf. Luckily both Kevin & Wayne spotted the guy casually walk past and lift the bag without her noticing and yelled to raise the alarm. The muppet had continued to walk along nonchalantly holding the bag until he realised an ou was after him, then he dropped it and bolted over the dune. Ou's like that need a good bliksem.

© Mervyn Goddard

JBay says goodbye to one of it's iconic locals. Clive Barber, South African surfing legend and all round nice guy died peacefully in Humansdorp near to Jeffreys Bay Saturday before last. He was a remarkably talented and creative surfer, craftsman, filmmaker and non-conformist. A paddle-out was held at the Point in his honour. RIP.

© Garth Robinson

© Garth Robinson