We have slabs too!

The Kappies are always on about Dungeons and Sunset and all these kiff big-wave spots they have. Well, guess what: PE has some slabs of it's own too. Maybe spots that only very few ou's have actually ridden, but they are there. You just have to be brave (or stupid) enough to take them on. 

The obvious one stares us right in the face. We've all seen the Bell Bouy throw some pretty massive peaks when the swell is running. I remember ex-PE charger Jason van Greunen paddling out there on a huge day. First he had to punch through some massive shore-pounds at Pollock, and then make the 2.4km paddle all the way out there in wild sea's. All this before even trying to hook a wave. Out there alone. In the middle of the ocean. No support craft, no buddies, no nothing. Crazy ou!

The Bell Bouy marks a submerged reef north of Cape Recife that was originally named Dispatch Rock. NOt a bad name considering it could dispatch you to your maker if you got caught out there! It lies only 3m below the surface at low tide.  In 1843 the buoy was placed on it, and the notice alerting mariners to it was placed in the Government Gazette naming it Roman Rock.

This reef is also known as Roman Rocks due to the large number of red roman fish that are found here. But surfers have always just called it Bell Bouy.

Duncan Scott and crew have towed into it a coupla times, but as far as I know there isn't any shots of anyone on a wave out there. Anyone volunteering? That huge WSW swell pulling past the bay on Sunday might just light it up!?

Maybe this is why it has no takers - cos when Bell Buoy breaks - this is what Clubhouse looks like. Josh Saunders dropping in back in 2007.

The other slab will remain a lil more secretive. Not that there should be too much concern about exposing it. It's a bitch to get to, and the locals are kinda nasty. Pity - cos it's a really legit looking slab. It's on the opposite side of the bay to the Bell Bouy and prefers an easterly swell. Offering up clean left walls in a west wind that barrel off for 50-100m after the peak. The only barrel in Algoa Bay that spits.....properly.

Taken from 300m away. Image Gavin Rishworth

Swells come out of deep deep water and unload on a shallow rock shelf about 300m from shore. You're out there as part of the food chain, and there's plenty of water moving about due to some gnarly currents. But if you can dodge the locals, and scratch yourself into a peak....it's game on!

Has anyone surfed it yet? Not likely, although a coupla peeps have had the good fortune to sit on the shore and mind surf it. Let's hope some mad crew decide to have a stab at it some time in the future!

Inviting. Until you see the locals. Image Gavin Rishworth