The week that was...

© Marcus Ducker

Has anyone informed the weather that it's February? And it's meant to be lekker. Not lekker windy! The week started out with the ou's arriving on the Queen Mary 2 agreeing with their guide books that they were visiting the Windy City.

© Thelma Nel

Surf checks meant getting sand-blasted whilst you stood on the boardwalk. I reckon the ou's that design glues should learn a bit from sand - cos that stuff can stick to you like nothing else. There was the odd small wave about, but nothing to write home about until the weekend.

Luc Hosten getting sand-blasted to get the shot

Swell picked up a bit Saturday and Sunday, so you could at least rinse the sand off you that had been stuck there since the beginning of the week.

© Mervyn Goddard

Still lotsa bait fish about which means the food chain is active close to shore. We generally aren't part of it, but sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time means we inadvertently enter is. So keep your toes up and your eyes peeled. 

Lotsa guys on this wave! © Deon Lategan

Also a bunch of seaweed hanging about. Always entertaining trying to surf through big clumps of it as it all catches round your leash and acts like a handbrake. It also gets stuck in your hair. No hair? No problem.

© Joey Nel

For all those who are struggling in the summer mush - remember foam is your friend. Head down to your local shaper to grab a fleshy stick. Unlike CPJ who has decided that a 5ft3, 17 inch flip chip is all that you need. 

The very first Salty Hour is taking place in Port Elizabeth this Saturday!!! Never surfed before but want to try? Pull in to Pipe this Saturday 3-4pm. Surfboards will be provided so you just need to pitch up. All ages welcome and totally FREE. 

Thanks to Mervyn Goddard and Dennis Ellis for starting up the PE branch of this awesome home grown surf community project initiated by EL's Jono Bruton. Ou's from the Oos Kaap rock. More deets here
www.facebook.com/events/341642939668682/

Summer days are all about wildside missions - cos at least there is always something surfable round the corner. Pity waves aren't like shadows - where if you just change your perspective they can become pretty big.

Wildside Walks © Colin McKenzie

Suffering from the summer doldrums is easily solved by some skateboard glide. We're blessed with a really cool boardwalk that is perfect for some sliding. Even the ou's out in Seals get up to bit of asphalt surfing.

© Gumby

Surfers love surf mags. Sometimes surfers love em so much they hang on to them. For a long, long time! Greg Heasley found this hanging around his dad's office. Barry has a bit of surfing gold - the very first issue of Zigzag - from way back in 1976. Princely sum of 50c. To put it into perspective it cost about five bucks to fill your car and a loaf of bread was 10c.

© Greg Heasley

Big-ass full moon last week. So if any of your mates were acting  a lil crazier than normal remember where the word lunatic comes from. Wednesday saw a rare lunar occasion - a full moon, a total lunar eclipse (not visible from South Africa unfortunately), a blue moon and a super-moon all at the same time! We got the big tides, but unfortunately the big swell forgot to arrive. Pity.

Seen in St Francis © Chris Scott

PE missed the moon event cos it was too cloudy in most places, but not to worry - we never miss the sun. And Schoenies does sunsets proper. 

© Luc Hosten

Nothing flash on the swell forecast for this week. But enough to keep everyone sane at least!