South Africa Spring Break Surfing Guide

South Africa is surrounded on three sides by oceans and gets currents coming up from Antarctica. It's 3,000 km coastline is swept by two major ocean currents, the warm south-flowing Mozambique-Agulhas Current and the cold Benguela. These factors make South Africa one of the best places in the world for surfing year round, but especially in the spring months because the weather is so perfect. With so much coastline to choose from, it can be tough to choose just where to hang ten.

The weather in South Africa can be a bit rainy in certain times of the year. As far as that perfect surfing weather, you probably won't be able to get it unless you travel during the months of April and May. The peak of the waves are in July and August when the winter rainy season is just beginning, but the waves are pretty strong during the Spring Break period too and the weather is unbeatable.

wavescape.co.za provides an excellent resource for those interested in surfing in South Africa. It gives in depth weather and wave forecasts which can really help you make your decision as far as which spot in South Africa to visit. With such a large coastline, there are a lot of great surfing spots to visit, but there are three main ones that every surfer should experience at least once in their lives.

Cape Town

As the second most populous city in South Africa and great center of culture, Cape Town is a great place to start for your surfing vacation. With its hotels, restaurants, and great surf spots you may want, in fact, to stay there your entire trip. There are a few different surf spots outside of Cape Town that surfers always remember. One of them is Kalk Bay, a small fishing village just outside of Cape Town. This is a very popular surfing spot, so the worst you'll encounter will be a lot of other surfers trying to get a wave in. The crowded atmosphere may be well worth it, however, because these are some great waves recommended only for experts. The place is a left hand reef break over rocks. It has some really hollow bowling which quickly rockets into nice barrels. It's a short one, but you'll be satisfied after just one ride.

Durban

The third largest city in South Africa, Durban is a city famous for its architecture and welcoming nature to tourists. The city is famous for The Golden Mile, a stretch of beachfront designed for tourists to enjoy. If you want to vacation in style, this is where you'll stay. With a gorgeous view of the water, you'll soon be itching to get out there and try some waves. About a thirty minutes' drive south of Durban and you will find yourself at Warner Beach, another great surfing location. This beach features intermediate level barreling waves going both left and right. There are a moderate amount of people around, but it shouldn't be as crowded as Kalk Bay was. The waves will give you a much longer ride too: about 100 to 200 meters in length. As always, there are jellyfish to look out for in this area, but besides that it is a perfect surfing haven.

Eastern Cape

This part of South Africa is famous among tourists for being remarkably diverse in landscape. The western interior is dry Karoo (a semi-desert in South Africa) while its east is well watered. The area also includes a popular Elephant National Park, a ski resort, and an arts festival in Grahamstown. There is a lot to see if you have a mind to, but there is also some surfing to do if you're not yet tired from the first two cities on your trip. Viewpoint Mdumbi Beach is a great place to relax and just do some gentle surfing after the intense rides at Cape Town and Durban. In between Durban and Grahamstown, Mdumbi is while away from everywhere, making it an almost perfectly empty beach. The waves are a left and right pointbreak over sand, 100 to 200 meters in length with occasional barreling. Its a great place for beginners or surfers who just want to wind down after a long, successful vacation tearing up the waves.

Great Resources:

http://www.globalsurfers.com

http://www.sunshine-coast.co.za/

Wikipedia.org