Surf Jeffreys Bay

A thousand miles from land a storm starts brewing in the great Southern Ocean in between the untamed continent of Africa to the north and the unexplored wilderness of Antarctica to the south. The wind blows across the vast expanse of water and the surface becomes a cauldron of white horses. Eventually order appears out of the chaos. Long lines start marching across the sea to Africa.

The southern tip of Africa awaits the arrival of the swells. One place in particular is ideally positioned to ensure the swell will form the perfect wave. Jeffreys Bay: where dreams become reality! Known since the 1960’s as one of the best waves on the planet, not much has changed since surfers first discovered the point that creates rides of up to 800 m in length. The town has grown, the sand dunes have been flattened but each year the swell still arrives and is eagerly anticipated by local surfers who have dedicated their lives to riding the perfect wave. Surfers from all nations around the world who make the pilgrimage to the Mecca of surfing join them at one of the many surf breaks that give J’Bay the reputation it entirely deserves.

What can the travelling surfer expect when he or she gets to town? When is the best time of the year to score waves? Read on, and make your dream a reality.

Wave season in Jeffreys Bay is from June to August. However, the swell that comes out of the South or South West starts reaching the coast from as early as April each year and many times the season has run until the end of September. The prime time is crowded. Included in the schedule is the JBay Pro, a World Championship Tour event that closes off Supertubes for 10 days in July each year in conjunction with the J Bay Winterfest. It is however, an awesome experience to watch the top surfers in the world pit their skills against each other in one of the best waves in the world.

The best way to reach the town is to fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town and then catch a connecting flight to Port Elizabeth. Arrange for a airport surf shuttle pick up with JBay Cabs from Port Elizabeth and an hour after arrival you could be in styling accommodation and waiting in hungry anticipation for the waves to arrive.

In winter one can still surf with a 3mm wetsuit. Compared to prices elsewhere, if you are getting cold, you could purchase a top quality 4mm wetsuit for a steal. A hood is a bonus on the days when the South West wind is howling and booties can prevent your feet from being lacerated on the razor sharp rocks.

The wave size ranges from 2-3 ft up to 10 ft (Hawaiian size). Bring your boards or order them on arrival. The more organized travellers can even order boards that will be waiting for them on arrival! You need at least two boards in J’Bay. A 6”0’ – 6”6’ for the smaller fun days and then a 6”10 – 7”6’ for the more serious stuff.

All accessories are available in the town from the J Bay Surf Village, So don’t worry about leashes, wax, ding repairs etc. because all that can be taken care of in a town that genuinely caters for surfers.

Now that you are ready to surf, what breaks are there to surf? Here is the inside info on each surf break in town, Surf Spots Jeffreys Bay. Enjoy; just remember that you will meet many hospitable and friendly people but respect the local surfers. They can make your trip a memorable one and you could even make life long friends but if you are disrespectful it is almost guaranteed you won’t be getting many waves!