With the sun rising over the distant hills of the winelands, my mate and I dashed off down the highway to surf the morning glass. The wind had been pumping for days and reports were calling for a light Easterly-so the western side of the Peninsula seemed like a good call…however, I got so excited about the wind report that I overlooked the swell report. 25 mins later we were greeted with sheet glass but only a mere ripple of swell! Venturing farther up the coast in the hope we’d find a surfable wave we discovered (or maybe imagined?) a 1-2ft right-hand peak. I paddled out on one of the surf school 9ft boards and managed to sneak onto a few long rides. As we waited for the ‘sets’ we chatted and laughed as the morning sun warmed our skin-a welcomed heat when submerged in the frigid Atlantic. So the waves were not all that. But the time shared with friends, heading up the coast with good tunes blazing-that’s what counts at the end of the day. After the surf we dashed back into town so I could collect my students for the morning surf trip.
Back up the coast for a fun lesson in crystal clear waters and small, fun waves for the first time surfers. All four students grasped surfing so quickly that for the first time ever in a beginners class, I was able to grab my board and join them. The lesson was extended to 3 hours as coach was able to share the waves with her students. What a treat! As it turns out, one of the students, Viviene, from Germany, was on her way to visit a good family friend-who happened to be one of my father’s good friends. Small world. Love those kind of moments. Dropped the morning students off at 3pm and collected the girls for the afternoon class at 3:30pm.
By this time, the city was a sweltering 37 degrees-so back up the coast to find reprieve from the heat in the icy Atlantic. Leen, Taylor, Naomi and Aurelia were all on their 4th lesson of the ‘Uber-Stoked’ package, so once again, I could take out my board and surf with my students. By this stage the swell had picked up a little so the girls were treated to some 2-3ft Big Bay closeouts. I showed them how to paddle through the surf and do the surfer’s swivvle and then hooted them onto some of the bigger waves. Now and then they would miraculously make the perilous drop on their 9ft soft tops, but mostly all four of them would go over the falls and explode into a yellow firework of flying boards- leaving me quietly chuckling under my breath. And just when I thought they had had enough, they would paddle out for more. That’s my girls-going for it!
And as we surfed until the sun smudged into the horizon behind Robben Island igniting the sky into luminescent brush strokes of pink and orange, I could only smile thinking how blessed I am to call this my job…and how much fun spreading the stoke actually is. Sunrise to sunset in the ocean-what a wonderful way to spend a day in what we as Capetonians can only refer to as paradise…
