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The most epic beach break on earth Place: Yzerfontein, South Africa Tags: surf, surfing, beach break, schaap eiland |
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Schaap Eiland is a little known surf spot on the west coast of South Africa. It's not that well known because most of the time it's big and blown out. But when it gets good it's probably the best wave in the country.
It doesn't get good often because it needs a North East wind or Berg wind which blows only a few days each year. But when a Berg wind does blow on the west coast you'll know because it's a warm dry wind from the inland and it usually blows consistently for a whole day, sometimes several, so you have a good shot at catching a wave here.
You can also try this spot when the wind is light and variable or light Northwest which is onshore for most of this coastline, but the peaks don't form on the same spot as consistently as when you have a northeaster.
The sand banks are shallow on the outside and because of the direction the beach faces and the position of the beach it gets some very strong ocean swell. So you get solid 6 to 8 foot waves hitting these shallow banks and pitching forward in 3 to 4ft deep water for the most un-f'ing-believable tubes.
There was this one EPIC day when I was in my late teens at this spot where myself and two friends came down to the beach and it was perfectly glassy with a northeaster blowing. The only other guys out were 3 guys from a local surf team and two photographers taking shots.
I have this clear memory of catching a perfect left on my bodyboard, pulling into a perfectly glassy tube with this thundering lip crashing down next to my right side, and having the sense that if I don't keep my rail on a perfect line I'm going get eaten alive. And right then a photographer popped up in front of me and snapped a shot.
To this day I don't know who he was or if he actually got a good shot - what I'd give to get that photo.
That was the most epic surfing day in the history of my life. :)
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Hey, Marco here, one of the two mates that was there that day. I remember having most of the best sessions of my life body boarding here with Mark and Bruno, and I remember this day clearly.
I have been going up to Yzerfontein regularly in the last year and have had some awesome sessions. On Christmas day I paddled out into what looked like 3 to 4 foot sets only to find out they were more like a solid 6 foot. This break is super powerful and always looks small from the beach. I was the only person out and had a fun time trying to judge where the banks were. Had a great session though, with some monster barrels.
I have been going up to Yzerfontein regularly in the last year and have had some awesome sessions. On Christmas day I paddled out into what looked like 3 to 4 foot sets only to find out they were more like a solid 6 foot. This break is super powerful and always looks small from the beach. I was the only person out and had a fun time trying to judge where the banks were. Had a great session though, with some monster barrels.
Posted by: marco_rdb | Sat Feb 3 @ 3:46 AM