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Surf Spots: Jeffreys bay for your first surf lesso...
Surf Vacation at Jeffreys Bay
Your imaging your first surf lesson is pristine water with small waves and wash that lap at your knees. You gently mount your board and with a quick paddle are up and away on your first wave. You’ve practiced your stand up technique a hundred times on the beach so this will be no problem. The muscle memory kicks in and Whala you’ve done it… Your catching your first wave.
So why am I telling you this AND including Jeffreys bay in the same breath?
The world knows Jeffreys bay, or J Bay because of its series of barrelling right handers from the point of Supertubes. J Bay is on the ASP tour, the J Bay Billabong PRO. The likes of Kelly Slater, Andy Irons and this years 2009 winner Joel Parkinson are regulars.
So why am I still talking about surf lessons? Have I gone completely mad or am I the type of guys that enjoys watching people get beaten within an inch of their life on the rocks learning to surf.
The last time I checked I wasn’t crazy, just don’t ask my wife.
Jefferys Bay Secrets
Surf Lesson Accommodation
Your closest majot airport is Port Elizabeth. From there your within a short drive to most lodges and surfing beaches. The majority of courses can include accommodation, meals, activities and all equipment hire.
J Bay as I have already mentioned has more than one surf break or beach to surf at. In fact that bay itself has eight.
Jeffreys Bay Water Temp & Swell Size
Jeffreys Bay Surf breaks
2. Tubes – this is a short, perfect and hollow wave. You’ll have to master this before you attempt Supertubes
3. Magna Tubes – A well kept secret. Almost devoid of surfers so you’ll have the waves to yourself. A powerful and well shaped wave, as good as anywhere else.
4. Kitchen Window – A peak that breaks both left and right. The perfect place to learn how to ride waves and ideal for your first surf lesson. This is near Main Beach Island accommodation.
5. Boneyards – You cant miss it. This is right next to Supertubes but with only one or two surfers out there. This is a locals only break and they take it very seriously. You have been warned.
6. Salad Bowl – Suitable for experienced surfers only as the water is shallow and the waves are short and hollow.
7. Point – the waves here tend to be smaller then Boneyard & Supertubes but are AWESOME. Plenty of sections for cutbacks and anything else you could possibly want to do on a wave. The main difference here is that you’ll have a much longer ride.
8. Albatross – in the same class as the Point but very few surfers.
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Surf Spots: Cornwall, the mecca of British surfing...
Surf Vacation at Cornwall
This morning I came accross and article that was very apt for me right about now in regards to a surf spot that I never really heard of Cornwall? I am leaving Australia on an extended, well there is no deadline to return, holiday/adventure through UK and Europe. I am extremely fortunate that I currently live extremely close to the beach so the choice of driving or walking to my favourite surf spot often comes to mind when I decide to hit the waves… and the winning choice usually depends on how lazy I feel.
The one thing that I am going to miss the most is the ability to have full access to my surfing within, at most, a 15minute drive to all my favourite surf spots. My starting location will be London, UK. I have already been warned that the closest to surfing I will get there is if the street ices over and I fall on my ass. Nonetheless I want to start my UK/European adventure in the big smoke.
I have been researching surf spots in the UK initially and came accross an article from Extreme Horizons Blog about the annual surfing pilgrimage to Cornwall.
The Cornwall Surfing Crush
Cornwall isn’t your Jeffreys Bay but is apparently one of the better surf locations in the UK which picks up considerable swell on both coasts. The beach at Cornwall likened to an overcrowded Tokyo subway at rush hour.. But yet the Brits still make their way down in the masses. There can be up to twenty surf school each with twenty plus students taking their first surf lesson vying for a piece of the action, and I haven’t even started to talk about the sub arctic water temperatures. You have to be half seal or have a very very good wetsuit to even get your toes in.
There are also the myriad of beginner surfers whose first experience is likely to be that of being run over by a surfer after they unknowingly drop in on them. The prevailing north coast winds are westerly which means alot of offshore. You do get the odd day when the conditions are perfect with onshore winds and great swell. This culminates in a few reef breaks, the odd point break plus some barrelling sandbars.
Surf Pilgrimage to Cornwall
I know I havent painted a fantastic picture of the place but its more than just a surf location. Its a pilgrimage. When you get back its not so much about the location but about the journey. Its the ability to recap the crowds, the traffic jams, the 12 year old on a softboard that you ran over while catching your first barrel. Its these memories that will last you the whole winter of dinner time discussions.
There still are uncrowded locations to surf at although you will have to search and get off the beaten track to find. There is much to do in the form of nightlife if your under 25 at Newquay and the water can be a beautiful green crystal colour.
Noone questions religious travels abroad to walk along some sandy tracks and hang out with thousands of other people in the overwroded blistering heat and neither should anyone judge yours if your that way inclined.
I’ll see you there.
Here is an article that you might enjoy:
- Surf and Fun in El Salvador – I’ve been back from my trip to El Salvador for a week and I am only starting to feel better. I had a great time there but I have felt awful for the last few days. My friends and I spent 7 days at Las Flores Surf Club, a 4 star surf resort located in El Cuco, a tiny village on the East side (note they call it East but if you look at a map, it’s actually South ).
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5 Ways to Make Your First Surf Lesson a Success
Surf Lesson
The most valuable piece of advice I would give someone who wants to learn how to surf is to get a surf lesson. Your first surf lesson will lay the foundation for many years of enjoyable surfing and will save you countless hours of frustration.
At your very first lesson don’t expect to spend all your time in the water catching barrels or hanging ten off your surf boards. More realistically you’ll spend approximately thirty to forty five minutes of your first lesson on the beach going through water safety and the stand up technique.
On the beach you’ll practice this stand up technique until your arms are sore. Its painful but a necessary evil. When your out in the ocean paddling and the wave is pushing you, your adrenalin will be pumping and there will be water in your face. At this point you’ll be thankful for every second of your practice.
I think that if you can stand up on the board at all you have made your first surf lesson a huge success. You can start getting more ambitious once you’ve set a good foundation for your basic techniques.
I advise you to consider the following when looking for your first surf lesson:
Tip #1 – Accredited Surf School Instructors
When it comes to a surf lesson it is no different than buying any other product. Always check to see if the business is accredited with a national/state training program. This way you will have more of a chance of obtaining a quality surf lesson from an instructor that has been taught how to train students rather than someone that just knows how to surf. A good surfer doesn’t always equal a good instructor.
Tip #2 – Package V’s Single Surf Lesson
It’s difficult to gauge how much you are going to enjoy surfing, if at all, before you have ever tried it. A single surf lesson will give you the taste of what the sport is like and it is from here that you will be able to decide whether you wish to pursue it any further.
A package on the other hand, usually five lessons, will be cheaper per lesson and also gives you the advantage of using the same board, learning from the same instructors who will get to know you and your level and be able to see your progress in order to give you better advice.
Most courses/packages have an outline of what students will be able to achieve by the end and this sometimes helps in making your mind up. However the disadvantage of a package is that if you don’t enjoy the first lesson or decide that surfing is not for you, you have wasted a lot of money for lessons that you are not going to use.
Tip #3 – Instructor to Student Ratio
I think the instructor to student ratio is vitally important in order to get good advice, correction and instruction and to achieve your goals in the quickest possible time. Adult classes should not have more than 8 to 10 students per instructor. Classes for children should not exceed 5 students per instructor due to the safety element.
The lower the ratio the better service and more attention you will receive. This in turn transforms itself into better feedback and quicker results. In short, a smaller group to instructor ratio will result in a more ideal class.
Tip #4 – Surfboards (size matters)
A misconception by most first surf lesson participants is that they will be jumping on a Kelly Slater 5 ft 10 inch fibreglass board and paddling off into the sunset. When making inquiries at surf schools it’s a good idea to ask them what size and type board you are going to be learning on. Make sure you mention that this is your first lesson and you have no experience.
I strongly recommend that you begin your surfing experience with a 9-10ft, foam board and about 3-4 inches thick with rubber fins. This large and thick board helps with buoyancy, balance and control. This size and style of board will make your first few sessions more enjoyable. With a foam board you should be able to pick up waves and ride them literally all the way to the car park.
Tip #5 – Rash shirt & Wetsuits
When booking a lesson check out what clothing they provide. Without a rash shirt and wetsuit your lesson will be far from enjoyable unless you live in Hawaii. If not I’d recommend finding another school that does offer this service. At this stage you don’t want to be spending a lot of money on equipment when your not really sure if you are going to like surfing and continue on in the future.
From experience I would recommend you bring these things along to your first surf lesson:
1. Water
2. Sunscreen (SPF 30+)
3. Boardshorts or swimmers
4. Towel
5. Change of clothes
6. Sense of humour and willingness to have a go.
Congratulations, your now well on your way to becoming a surfer dude (or dudette).
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