Sweet sweet pain

I've persuaded a few friends of mine to join me in shark territory to learn this thing called 'bodyboarding'. C is from Pretoria, so its been something of a culture shock for him. Unfortunately he got a new girlfriend at about the same time, so he (gasp) has on occasion chosen her over surfing (gasp).

J is an old buddy with a bizarre tolerance for cold water. If you see someone on a shortie wetsuit (springsuit) out in the water just after a 5 day southeaster (brr), then it'll be him.

How well I remember the pain of fighting big waves that seem to push you back further every time. How well I remember how you always seem to miss the lulls and hit set after set after set, leaving you shattered and requiring a half hour rest should you actually make it.

There's no real shortcuts to this surfing business. Sure, a bodyboard is an easy introduction in the sense that you can be catching waves and having fun pretty much immediately, but gaining paddling fitness, reading waves, timing sets vs lulls and finding rips all takes time.

When C and J look longingly at the surfboards that seem to glide effortlessly through the water, and wish they could swap boards, I have to laugh. They don't seem to believe me that paddling a surfboard is hard, probably harder even than a bodyboard. You may be a bit more hydrodynamic on a surfboard, but you ain't got flippers! Its technique and fitness, nothing more.

Picture below is J and Chris at Derdesteen, in a not-at-all-photoshopped image.

Places to take the posse

So, 'derdes' (or 'steens' as I prefer to call it) is not happening these days. That's normal for this time of the year. Last year I spent my summer kitesurfing, but this year I have a posse of bodyboarding rookies to mentor, who are typically gagging to go surfing, so we've had to explore the other 'inferior' spots.

We've been to:

• table view/blouberg (or jetski junction as I prefer to call it) - this can, occasionally, be epic. Big swell and the right tide is required, but at times when the swell is too big for big bay and/or derdesteen, table view can be pumping. Unfortunately you typically find the best waves at the northern end, which has been designated as a jetski location, so expect an oily sheen on the water and a less than pure natural experience.
• kamers (Kamer van Sewentien) - a fancy name for a very unassuming surf spot. This is located to the immediate north of Big Bay, and is essentially on the other side of the rocks forming Big Bay. Worth checking out when there is swell from a local front, and Big Bay is too messy and frantic. There is usually a nice little rip helping the journey out as well.
• kreefte reef (crayfish factory) - not the REAL crayfish factory near Scarborough, but a small little reef in Melkbos that with the right swell and the low tide gives a nice little wave. Bit of a mission to get out there, especially with a surfboard, as there are lots of rocks and kelp to get past before a reasonable paddle out to the reef. This spot can be found at the car parking on 1st avenue at Melkbos, look to the left from the parking spot to see a breaking wave about 200m out to sea
• 22nd avenue in Melkbos - I've not been here myself, but J, one of the posse, finds it quite enjoyable when all else fails.
• silverstroomstrand - this is the main beach at silverstroom, which works well even in tiny swell, so is the place to go when its flat flat flat at derdesteen. Allegedly there is an even better 'secret' spot at Silverstroom, perhaps one day someone will take me.