Surfing in Cape Town

With around forty-nine estab­lished surf spots all within an hour’s drive and the choice of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town is some­what of a haven for surfers from around the world. Cape Town has a very act­ive surf­ing com­munity and the vari­ety of surf­spots means that every­body can be accomodated.

If you’re look­ing for a beginner’s wave, one of the best beaches to start off is Muizenberg beach. Muizenberg offers gentle waves, but they are fun and just keep on com­ing all day long. Not really the right kind of beach if you’re look­ing to carve your name or ride bar­rels. But if you’re into the soul­ride of long­board­ing then Muizenberg is pure magic. This is the beach to take someone who has never surfed before. It’s eas­ily access­ible and there are boards avail­able to rent on the beach.

If you’re look­ing for some­thing a little more chal­len­ging, then Long Beach near Kommetjie is a good bet. It offers a decent-sized shorebreak and is per­fect for show­ing off a little. Travel a little fur­ther round and you come to Boneyards, a wave that’s per­fect when it’s glassy. It’s quite a paddle, so make sure you’ve got the fit­ness and stam­ina before you try this one. Outer Kom is a point break that can get really big and an epic spot for pad­dling out and get­ting some big­ger wave action.

Llandudno is one of the most beau­ti­ful beaches to surf here in Cape Town. The water is clear and the pure white sand is laced with some of our most beau­ti­ful nat­ural her­it­age lying tan­ning, soak­ing up the sun and watch­ing the surf. The best time to hit this spot is in spring and sum­mer, because dur­ing this time the banks cre­ate a hol­low beach break with some mad bar­rels. If you fol­low the loc­als you’ll see the best spot is to the right, near the rocks.

But if it’s the huge waves that give you but­ter­flies in your stom­ach that you’re in search of then two spots stand out; Dungeons and the Crayfish Factory. Just the name ‘Dungeons’ says it all. Forming part of the inter­na­tional big wave cir­cuit, this right hander starts break­ing at about eight feet and you need to know what you are doing.

If eight foot not big enough for you then give your mother one last kiss and make your way to the Crayfish Factory. Named because it breaks just off a reef near a local cray­fish fact­ory, this spot is reserved for those surfers who are will­ing to risk everything for the ulti­mate ride and rush. Although the con­di­tions are not always good, when the time is right you’ll find your­self at the top of a massive twelve foot wave. Good luck my friend.

Useful Contacts: If you’re not to sure what the con­di­tions may be like at the beach you’re head­ing to, there are a num­ber of ways to get the scoop. Local radio sta­tion 5FM offers a surf report at vari­ous times through­out the day, but for the most com­pre­hens­ive report that is updated reg­u­larly, call Tich Paul on 082 2346 340 and find out exactly what you’re in for.

Useful Links:
See more des­tin­a­tion inform­a­tion at:
Cape Town Beaches
Cape Town Attractions
Cape Town Accommodation
Surfing in South Africa