I got a text message asking if I’d heard about the whales…Â I stepped outside and found Chaos on the beach. I commend all the people that got in the water with their wetsuits to try and rescue the whales. (50 or so Pilot whales had beached themselves early in the morning). By the time I got to the beach an air of hysteria had swept in. I don’t understand why people would bring their families and their dogs on the beach… Didn’t know death was such a show. Anyway, here are the pictures I took.
Woke up with the beating rain against my window and the temperature down by more than a bit. The buzz was out amongst the tow in crew… 9m swell. And to get 9 meter swell you need wind!
The Saturday delivered a squally bit intense session (Small kite) and look out for the gusts. Here is a picture of Long beach
Riding the storm
The waves started pounding last night… Unfortunatly today, the wind is on the light side and from experience, I avoid being out in large surf with dodgy winds. This what the beach looked like this morning:
Long Beach is one of Cape Town’s most renowned surfing spot. Just off it you can see the mighty Sunset reef. During the summer months it is invaded by all the gromits and “I’m so cool” surfers, and has an offshore wind blowing. In Winter, it’s a little more hardcore. The wind comes Onshore, with the frontal storms, then the swell starts picking up and then the rain comes. Once the wind drops, the swell remains and one can watch the big wave tow in crew getting slotted either at Sunset or Dungeons.
But in that sequence of events is a window for a potential kiting session. Today was that window.
Synergy 8, headgear to keep the head warm, full suit armour, and 3 hours of blasting fun. It’s pretty scarry stuff as the swell picks up and the beach break becomes treacherous. You also have to contend with floating Kelp (Large cold water Algae)Â The water is always cold and the clouds roll in like an unstoppable army of darkness. Sometimes the wind is super gusty, today it was nice and steady. Synergy 8 fully powered riding waves and getting some hang time too. Not the right place to practice the unhooked stuff, waves and fast approaching beach make it a little hard.
But 3 hours of wind and waves definitly put a smile on my face…
