(PORT ALFRED to KEI MOUTH)
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The Eastern Cape is often regarded as the most consistent surfing coastline in South Africa. It has the best of everything.
The Eastern Cape gets the westerly swell from the southern cold fronts,
but also enjoys the benefits of the easterly swells that run in KZN in
summer. The east swell comes from two sources - tropical cyclones and
High pressure cells in the Indian Ocean to the East and off the southern
coast of Madagascar.
The climate is dominated by the Agulhas and Mozambique currents, which flow down the coast
the latter directly out of the tropical zones of the Mozambique Channel.
This keeps water temperatures temperate: cool in winter and warm in summer, often reaching more than 22 degrees Celsius.
Summers can be hot and humid from Port Alfred northwards into the East London and Transkei area, while the winters can cold
snaps when fierce fronts lash the coast. However, temperate conditions mostly apply
and stormy conditions are intermittent, interspersed with mild warm days. The winters are mostly mild, especially the autumn months between March and May. The weather is warm, with more sunshine than further south, because the fronts have often faded before they reach this coast, but the swell hasn't
- in fact, the west swell is a lot cleaner, because it has travelled
longer distances, with longer peak periods. Also, the west swell has to
refract into the shore, which makes it lined it up, especially for the
many classic righthand pointbreaks that dominate the coast.
The steeply dropping continental shelf, which runs near the shore in
the Transkei, combined with the fast south-flowing currents and upcoming SW swell and wind
is known to create major churn out to sea, with huge freak waves
forming, up to 50' +.
A common winter cycle
Chilly in the morning with no wind. As the sun climbs, it warms up. The sea is like glass,
with a clean 4' - 6' groundswell running. A warm berg wind begins to blow in the late
morning, feathering the waves into perfect offshore textures, and pushing the temperature
to 26 deg C. The next day, it's still warm but slightly cloudy. The breeze swings from
northwest to west or southwest and picks up to a moderate wind, which cools down the air
temperature. The swell gets bigger. By the next day, the southwesterly is a stiff breeze
and its cold, the clouds are scudding across the sky and the swell is grinding away at 10'
+. For the next two or three days, the weather stays the same, with intermittent rain and
patches of sun. The swell peaks and begins to drop off again. The cycle starts again soon
after, unless it's a back-to-back front. |
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Port Alfred
Kelly's Beach
The surf rats of Port Alfred cut their teeth on this wave,
building their skills to the level required to tackle the East Pier. It's a reform that
offers little in the way of juice, but lots of fun and sun-filled summer days. Jagged
rocks jut from the sand in a line out to sea on the right, almost like shale. A right
peaks to the left of these. Further over to the left, one can ride a few little lefthand
peaks. Best when the overall swell is 4-6', which translates to about 3' on the inside
at Kellys. Fairly sensitive to the wind, Kellys' prefers a light northwesterly or
westerly. ***
West Pier
On the other side of the East Pier is a long beach.
Alongside the pier breaks a lefthander that occasionally offers an excellent peak that
wedges up from refracting swell that has bounced off the base of the pier and rejoins
swell wrapping around the pier. This wave somehow works in an onshore northeasterly,
sheltered by the five-metre concrete pier. ***
East Pier (Port Alfred)
A hidden jewel. Be prepared to co-operate. You won't get it firing straight off, unless you arrive during one of those epic glassy groundswells. This spot has many faces. Rugged and uncompromising, oily and smooth, or just pure barrelling filth. When the tide is low enough, the waves bowl into the mouth of the Kowie river between the two piers, East and West Pier. The West Pier is the longer of the two. The tip of the East Pier is rounded by a sandbank. The result is a barrelling spitting beast that hurls a thick wedgey peak into the mouth, before grinding its way past the East Pier sandbank. If the banks are lined up, the last section freight-trains across a long sandbank on the way to the beach. In optimum conditions, this wave is absolute world class. The wedge in the mouth gets so square, Pythagoras would be agog. In smaller swell (and different swell direction), the waves break off the East Pier. Kowie, as its known, works best in a clean, moderate groundswell (4-6') in light NW to W winds. *****
Riet River
On the way out of Port Alfred, Riet River is a point with a
good bowl section on the outside. However, it tends to back off down the point and can be
frustrating. Westerly winds and a clean 6' swell are optimum. Strong rip can pull you into
the middle of the beach where you get the unpleasant feeling of being shark bait.
***
Kleinmond
A sectiony right point and mediocre beachbreak. Gets quite
good occasionally. ***
Mtati
In sight of Mpekweni casino, Mtati is tucked away on the
east side of a vast beach. Some fun peaks all along the beach,
especially near the mouth of the Mtati river. It's privately owned
though, so you'll have to walk from the hotel for about 2-3 km.
***
Hamburg
A long beach with a point setup in the right corner. Works on a
small swell, less than 3' and runs fairly fat to the beach. When the
swell gets bigger, it pushes wide and you get wide peaks breaking the
length of the beach, and the rip pushes you down towards the river
mouth. In the Ciskei, that means trouble! The water was an unsettling
murky green-brown when we were there. ***
Kidds Beach
Beachbreak that looks like it has potential, but never quite
does it. Moving further away from East London towards Port Alfred, this is a coastal
resort where many East London families have holiday homes, where they hang out during the
holiday season. ***
Igoda
This sharky spot has seen a fair number of bites, bumps and other scary moments, but delivers some epic barrels. The best wave breaks near the rocks. Picks up a lot of swell, and is the spot everyone heads for when the East London breaks are bordering on too small. Happier in Northerly winds, from NW to NE, and a medium East or South swell. **** |
East London
Eastern Beach
This spot has been known to have absolutely epic waves.
However, those superlative moments are dependent on the sand banks, which build up off
boulder and pebbles along the shore. It's quite fickle. You're lucky if it turns on the
juice for you. Likes a clean 3-5' swell and light to moderate westerly winds. Lots of
locals hang out here. Easterns is near the Holiday Inn. ****
Nahoon Reef
A world class righthand reef. It works in a variety of
conditions and delivers a whole repertoire of different surfing combinations, depending on
the size of the swell, the wind and the tide. However, at its best, the swell is
4-6',
the wind is light northwest and the tide is low, and starting to push.
*****
Bonza Bay
Mediocre beachbreak in front of Quinera river mouth. ***
Black Rock
Black rock is a powerful reef break that really cooks
according to locals. It picks up more swell than most other spots in the area, including
Nahoon Reef. It very rarely doesn't break, says local surfer Dave. From 4' up, he reckons,
"hold on to your board cause you might just lose it ****
Gonubie bay
There are a series of spots in the bay at Gonubie. In order,
they are the Point, Middle Rock, Rock Wave, Tidals, River Mouth and the Lefts.
The Point: this wave is a cooker. Hit it on the low tide and you will be
hooked for life. It's a long rounded point break that peaks out at the back and halfway
down. When the two waves join up, it offers the squarest tube around.
*****
Middle Rock is basically a secret wave, that is extremely dangerous and
hollow. Works on bigger swell. ***
Rock Wave is a nice little right hander wich runs along a mini
point and ends in front of a tidal pool. It's very easy to ride but can get nasty when
there is swell and the tide is high. ***
Tidals this is a short barrelly body boarder wave, offering steep drops
and hollow tubes ***
River mouth. Classic beachbreak. Works on any
swell direction and any wind direction best time to hit it is the low tide when the swell
is running. If offers long right handers and left handers easy to ride, although the
inside gets hairy at times ****
The lefts (Gonubie reef): This wave is a classic. Works
when the swell is big or small and handles most swell direction and size. It offers one of
the longest rides around with a nice consistent wall. ****
There are two waves in Gonubie proper, one off the rocks right in front of
the town, and the other a series of big lefts breaking off a point / reef on the other
side of the bay, called aptly Gonubie Lefts. Both spots need a biggish
swell. The lefts are more consistent. Although the waves occasionally spark, quality and
consistency are not the best at these breaks. ***
Yellowsands
One of the better spots in the Eastern Cape, after the obvious choices of course! Yellows
comprises a point and inside beachbreak area that breaks into a small river mouth. The
beachbreak has lefts and rights, depending on the way the river has deposited the sand
around its mouth. The point needs specific conditions in terms of swell direction and
size, and is fickle. However, it cooks sometimes. Wedgy peaks and a barrelling inside
section over the rocks when the tide is high and the swell is a clean groundswell in the
6-8' region, coming from the southeast or east. Getting caught on the inside can be a bit
tricky. The beachbreak copes with a stiff southwesterly wind. Some epic hollow beachbreak
peaks are common in winter. *****
Glen Eden / Glengariff
Charging righthander. It is one of few spots along this coast that work in
the northeaster, the onshore that plagues the coast in summer. It needs only a small swell
to break. ***
Queensberry Bay
This is "The Berries", one of the choicest, juiciest waves around.
It's a classic point setup, but the inside fades. However, the relatively short ride is
made up by the sheer quality of the wave. Can handle a pretty big swell, in the 10' +
category. The swell walls up along a shallow rock shelf around the corner of the point. In
glassy conditions this is an absolute classic. The rides tend to get a bit longer, the
bigger the swell. An easterly push to the swell also helps. Needs a light northwest wind.
Doesn't like the southwesterly wind, unless it's a gentle breeze. Follow the signs after
heading north on the East Coast Resorts road. Nice place to stay with caravan park,
camping sites and bungalows. Quiet during the week. ***** |
Cintsa West
Average point break with steep take off, but fades fairly quickly. Needs a solid swell and
winter offshores. ***
Cintsa East
Another below-par beachbreak. However, it's been known to spark occasionally. Best during
clean winter swells and light offshore, westerly, winds. Follow signs from East Coast
resorts. Keep heading northeast, parallel to the coast. **
Haga Haga
Not great for surfing. There is a left point in front of the hotel. Bit
rippy. There is also a reef break in the bay to the left of the hotel that allegedly has a
few waves. It's a pity about the waves though. Haga haga is a classic little spot, perhaps
the first proper Wild Coast resort. The hotel is really quaint, friendly and right on the
beach. It's advantage is proximity to the city of East London and the range of great surf
spots in the area. ***
Double Mouth
A righthand reef break just to the south of Morgan's Bay. It breaks into a channel. Best
on moderate south swells with a light northwesterly. Good camping area. Check it out from
the top of the hill. ***
Morgans Bay
Another quaint resort that comes alive in the season over Christmas. The Eastern Cape is
peppered with these small towns that are basically dead offseason, but cook when all the
townies, from as far afield as Gauteng, arrive for the summer holidays. Unfortunately,
most of them don't offer really excellent surf, apart from a few notable exceptions!
Morgans Bay is an exposed beach break that works in small swell and light offshores.
**
Barbel Point
Another right point. Offers more juice than the spots to it's immediate north. There's a
more defined lineup, although the sections only connect when the swell is big enough and
coming from the right direction. Needs a large, clean south swell and southwesterly winds.
Best when a coastal low pulls into the area. ***
Whacky Point
Righthand point break and
beach that is fairly fickle but when it works it could be compared to some of the best waves in the
country. It is not a spot that is surfed too often by the East London locals
due to the condition of the road to Kei Mouth. Can get perfect. At least
2 barrel sections on the wave - If you are natural. Backhand- not so easy.
****
Whispering Waves
Right point break to the west of Kei Mouth. Another marginal wave. Tends to be a bit
"pap", lacking in power. Best on small swells with a southwest wind. Lots of seaweed in the lineup.
***
Periwinkles
One of the best spots in the
area, says local Forbzy. It breaks on easterly and south easterly swells
in NW winds. It needs a low tide, otherwise it becomes a rocky
shorebreak. It's close to the small town of town of Weymouth. Forbzy reckons it's worth a
*****
Kei Mouth
A marginal wave at this small resort, which marks the old border between South Africa and
Transkei. It's a left and right peaking beachbreak. Best on east swell and a warm
northwest wind. Not great, but Kei Mouth is not a bad place to hang out for a while.
Plenty of surf further south. **
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