The week that was...

Cokes, Maldives © Cokes Surf Camp

Pretty slow darn week out in the surf. Count yourself lucky if you hooked a few. If anyone knows the number for Winter - please give 'em a call and say "Oi, mate, we still want a coupla waves!" (we'll go with the colloquial usage of mate, cos who knows if Winter is a guy or a chick, and Mate is just a perfect apply-to-anyone term.)

Of course Maldives was (and still is) absolutely pumping off it's pip!

Cokes, Maldives © Cokes Surf Camp

PE, on the other hand. Nup, "pumping off it's pip" would not be a phrase we get to use with much regularity. We did win the rugger though. Will settle for what we get at this stage. 

Only ou to score good surf in the bay this week was the Grom Reaper, Andre Clarke's lil doodle man cartoon. Just another of our talented local surfers - need any design work done, Andre's your man.

© James Jones

All together now...Eina!!!! Looks pretty miff hey!? Local booger James Jones is over in Bali scoring some good waves but had a howzit with the reef after a kook dropped in on him at solid Padang Padang.  Gotto pay to play. Looked worth it!

© James Jones

Millers Local Shane Pyke also had a bit of "pay to play" action in Mauritius last week. Tore a rib cartilage and some rib muscles after getting slammed into the reef. To add to the fun n games then took a few 6ft sets to the head whilst standing in thigh deep water on the reef. Always the opposite of fun when that happens. 

​Maybe karma was getting them back for stacking the rental car to the hilt! Shane's hidden in the back of the car somewhere!

Winter was around - just not the waves that should come with it. In the absence of anything exciting happening in the ocean - locals Mark and Chaim Simmons took a trip inland to check out the snow. In typical Stompi-style he-who-feels-no-cold was in shorts. Which kinda explains why you never see him in a wetsuit. 

The whale carcass washed up near Schoenies is still attracting plenty of interest (and flies). Take a set of nose plugs along if you want to go check it out. Wouldn't advise surfing anywhere in the vicinity. Lots of finned friends will be hanging around just off the backline.

© Luc Hosten

Enough sharks on land without having to worry about those in the water. Luc Hosten was shooting at the Wedge in Plett, and just after chatting to some tourists they got mugged about 30m away from him. Apparently negotiations were successful and they retained their passports. So safest place to be at Central Beach is in the barrel!

Despite winter not throwing out any waves this week it didn't disappoint in the sunrise/sunset department.

© Andrew Garai

© Thelma Nel

Looks like some swell this week - just the wind might make it tricky for the bay. Just load up with a tank of fuel though and you sorted. Am tempted to go one step further and load up with a plane ticket and chase it north of the equator...