SURFING: The perfect User-Friendly Small Wave - My July NEW Wave in the Overberg, South Africa!
Hello everyone, and especially the SurfHive Community! It's Jasper, the musical-surfer dad from Cape Town in South Africa.
On Thursday we drove down from the Garden Route (about 5-7 hours East of Cape Town) to the Overberg (about 2 hours East of Cape Town) to finish our holiday. We will be joined by my wife Julia's family this weekend.
On Friday morning I had a gap to go surfing, and thought it would be a great day to go searching for my #newwave of July. (I have made myself a New Year's Resolution to surf at least one new wave every month of 2023 - and I have been successful from January to June so far...)
The massive swell that we had seen earlier this week (https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-a-day-to-just) had dissipated to quite small. This area of the Overberg is dotted with villages with small fishing harbours, and there was one village with potential spots that I had never surfed before, about a 30 minute drive from the holiday house we were staying at... so based on the conditions I decided to head that way...
I was greeted by a welcoming site of a playground, a beautiful rivermouth at the carpark end of the beach, with the outflowing water digging the perfect deep channel to make paddling out next to the consistent little left super easy... now I just needed to brave the cold weather!
When I paddled out there was nobody to share the little lefts with me, even though it turned out to be more fun that it had originally looked - probably not rare for this secluded village to have totally empty waves!
The waves weren't big but they were consistent and getting better as the wind dropped - my first one arrived in minutes!
Turning to catch my first wave at this #newwave - this little village is as beautiful as its neighbours...
The small waves turned out to be long and fun - with a slightly brown colour from the river water...
One other person eventually showed up...
He can show how far the little waves could take us, breaking left along the channel, as I start paddling back from an earlier one...
The waves were small so I used my secret weapon - a soft board with extra volume - to give me extra flow and energy. A fish would have been another great choice. Of the new waves I have found this year, this has been the board to choose about half the time! Also great for shallow, small reefs if you're worried about dinging an ordinary board!
A couple of rocks at the end of the channel helped you know how deep you were at the back-line... this was one of my last waves before heading back on the 30 minute drive back to my family...
So yes please! The #newwave for July was a great, fun, and super user friendly surf spot that I would gladly visit again on a small, soft-wind kind of day!
The New Year's Resolution has been fulfilled for another month, and we have a few days left to just surf wherever I want until August starts! Where will I find a #newwave then?
THE END
Looks super dope! Been years since I surfed. Came short on a rock in Big Bay (Blouberg) and fractured my heel bone. Moved since then, but would love try hit some waves again! Thanks mate for sharing.
Didn't you tell Zak you are from the deep south of the peninsula? Lots of surf options on either side!
Hey mate.. I'm back with my folks now, in the South Peninsula - Fish Hoek. Yeah definitely options here, but have had a complex history, and surfing hasn't been realistic for me. Long story. But yeah, hoping one day to try a few waves again for sure! I sold my wetsuit though when I was hospitalized after the accident and my health also took a turn for the worse around the same time. Also had an unrelated spinal situation, emotional trauma etc.
That said, the waves this side have always freaked me out. I just feel like sharkbait here for some reason. Felt very safe in Big Bay. I was also far from a pro lol.. But I still miss it! Big time!