Pressure

Well, there we were, six early-morning hopefuls. The swell wasn't great, the temperature freezing. Who was going to crack first? (It's always better if someone else is out there, it's much easier to judge the size and quality of the waves if someone is riding them.)

Ah well, I was determined to surf this morning, so under the watchful gaze of fellow surfers, I put on the wetsuit (brrr), got the board, and wondered off down to the water. This time, however, as I swam out, I was intensely aware of being watched. I'd have to watch my form very carefully. No more taking breaks between sets on the way out. I'd have to purposefully gather speed and dive under the waves, briskly paddling all the time. Once out I'd have to pick my waves well and catch them first time.

An odd experience at 9 a.m. on wintry Sunday morning. I got out past the break remarkably swiftly and caught some fine waves. 10 minutes later there were 5 other surfers in the water.

Surfing in the Wind

With Ben being around for a short while, I'm currently surfing in conditions I wouldn't normally surf. On Sunday (18 July 2004) we went out to Derdesteen. The waves were admittedly pretty big, but there was quite a stiff cross-off shore wind blowing.
 
Now off-shore winds are not always a bad thing - they tend to hold up the wave nicely and often make for a better break. They also tend to keep the waves more "honest" - they break more consistently at a predictable place, you don't get cheeky waves trying to break too quickly.
 
However (and it's a big however) if it's even a little cross-shore, then it's another story. When you're on a boogie board (as I was on Sunday), surfing into the wind is a complete nightmare. The spray effectively renders you blind. It may be quite exhilarating, but ultimately its impossible to ride the wave properly if you can't see what it's doing. So you have to pick waves that are breaking with the wind.
 
Fortunately, at Derdesteen, with its A-framing breaks, that isn't too hard. Obviously you're somewhat limited in your choices, but at least you can still surf.
 
Although I've gotten rather used to my glassy Derdesteen surfs, I have to admit that on Sunday, with it's big waves and rough conditions, there was a certain elemental thrill to the whole experience.

Surf Buddies

Way back when I started surfing, I read the "Surfing FAQ" - apart from various long forgotten tips on how to judge wave size and the difference between point breaks and beach breaks, what I remember most vividly was the importance of having a "surf buddy". As my memory recalls, a true surf buddy would be able to tell you if "your butt crack was showing."
 
Sadly, a look at the surfing FAQ today reveals no such gem (and is poorer for the lack of it).
 
Anyway, this last weekend, I had a surf buddy again. Ben, my cousin-in-law, is in Cape Town again for a few weeks. Ben is too polite to make any comments on my butt crack visibility, but he's still a damn useful source of information. I promptly took him to my favourite spot (where else), and he was able to provide me with a few useful snippets.
 
For instance, when the surf is big, getting out at Derdesteen can be a challenge. I've learnt to look out for what I call "channels", gaps where breaks from the left and right end at the same place. Ben, on the other hand, says I should look out for "rips" which he says you can spot by looking for the sandy water. These rips, which are very localized offshore currents, will swiftly propel you out beyond the break.

Also of interest this weekend was that while Derdesteen often suffers from a stiff northbound current, by finding a rip and staying south of it, you can sometimes avoid that current (OK, you may no choice if you want better waves, but its useful information all the same).
 
 

Shark Repellant ?

I recently read about a shark repellant device for surfers that relies on creating an electro-magnetic field around the user, that apparently sharks find irritating and unpleasant. Researched here in South Africa and South Australia, its available on the market to purchase. Some information about it is available here.

My suspicion is that surfers resent even having to put on a wetsuit. Putting on an extra device like this for a miniscule (but admittedly very real) threat is probably going to be too much trouble, especially as a sufficiently upset shark is hardly going to be troubled by a small electrical current. Perhaps the designers should find something that can rather be attached to the board (and is thus easier for surfers to ignore).

9 Mar 2005: Update: The link above has died from linkrot. Try the following link

9 Mar 2005: 2nd Update:

I've been reluctant to mention this, but about two weeks ago, I spotted a great white shark for the first time in natural conditions...at Derdesteen. Not sure what else to say. Naturally I got out the water asap (but went back in after half an hour). I've been in about four times since then, but its not been quite the same.

I'd always tried to convince myself that the sharks stayed away from Table Bay because of the nearby harbour (hoping that the electromagnetic radiation from the boats etc would drive them off). But the regular presence of seals meant I knew I was kidding myself. And now I know for sure I was.

I checked out the prices of these products, at about 500 US dollars they are very very pricy. Tough call...

A-frames - What's That?

I keep referring to Derdesteen as an "A-frame"ing spot. What is that? Well, the picture below is an example of it (note that this picture is not from Derdesteen, although I hope to rectify that at some stage)



It's essentially a wave that is breaking to the left and the right - it rises to a peak at some point, and you can basically choose to go left or right, although your choice might be limited by your exact position (and the power of the wave).

The picture was borrowed from this site

Ode to Derdesteen

Why Derdesteen?

• fantastic setting, under the gaze of Table Mountain
  
• big (even when crowded there's enough space for everyone)
• excellent A-framing breaks in most conditions (i.e. where the swell is between 2 and 5 foot)
• waves are fast and exciting

To those who say it lacks facilities, we say "Big Bay"; to those who say rides are too short, we say "the Atlantic isn't for sissies."

Webcam

OK, it's not of Derdesteen itself, but this webcam is at Big Bay, which is about one mile south of Derdesteen and is an excellent indicator of what's happening in the area. In my experience, you can normally add 1 to 2 feet to the Big Bay swell to get an idea of what to expect at Derdesteen. This only applies in small to moderate swell, for swell > 6 foot all bets are off.

Is it Derdesteen or Derde Steen?

OK, so I got some today. Came into work early, saw the sun was shining, surf report was favourable. Got there at about 4:30pm. I think most of the ferocity of the weekend was gone, but there was still some energy in the waves.

Now its not my intention to bore you with a catalog of my hits and misses, but rather to talk about derdesteen, west coast surfing, and surfing in general. To that end, a brief word about the spelling of the place.

A google search indicates that "Derde Steen" is more prevalent than "Derdesteen". I'm convinced, however, that my spelling is correct. Afrikaans place names that are made up of two or more words are invariably joined into one, such as "Tafelbaai" (Table Bay), "Riviersonderend" (River Without End) and Putsonderwater (Well Without Water). "Derde Steen" translates as "Third Stone" (referring to the third set of rocks north of Big Bay), so I think I'm safe in assuming it should be spelt without the space.

Coming up: why Derdesteen is so special for surfing

Sunday 4th of July

An inauspicious start! Despite putting in the hard work on Saturday (I looked after the kids *all* day), Sunday didn't turn out like it was supposed to. The surf report made grandiose claims of epic conditions, but I got nothing. I know Steens doesn't work in swell greater than about five foot (this was probably closer to ten), but I drove around and did the "should I or shouldn't I" thing at about three different spots. The swell was just too local, I guess, with waves coming thick and fast. That's just not fun.

Also, I should mention that it was something of a "comeback surf" - I've just recovered from a cold, and was really hoping for something a little less hectic. There were plenty of guys trying their luck in Big Bay, but it was breaking all over the place, and looked horrible.



Although it's hard to tell from this small picture, take it from me, there wasn't a soul in the water at Derdesteen.