Lay Day Solutions

Lay days are for exploring, no doubt your dude will be surfing Supers or Boneyards trying to get close to and impress the Pros (boys will be boys) so this is your chance to skip down the main road, wallet in hand with a game plan.

J Bay is known best for three things; waves, bigger waves and Factory Shops.

Factory shops are to women what 6-8ft swell forecasts are to men ... a slice of heaven.

I poked around the Factory Shop mecca and checked out the merchandise before purchasing anything (like the pro shopper that I am) and drew some conclusions;

First off, the Roxy / Quiksilver store is BORING, mind-numbing to those who love fashion and have any sense of style. Essentially this brand still hasn't left the nineties and continues to envelop every item of clothing in their logos ensuring you look like a real Joburg poppie .

Billabong is packed from floor to ceiling with clothing, accessories and people scrambling for a sweet deal. This is the place for seriously discounted bikini's and picking up winter jackets for half the price.

RVCA is right next door and boasts a rather orderly set up considering its counterparts, RVCA is rather expensive so this is where you'll find this seasons must haves on the cheap. Their R99 rail overflows with everything from tops and shorts, to dresses and playsuits after all it's only four months to summer. Havaianas are on sale too at only R100 - R140 a pair at least R50 - R100 cheaper than in Cape Town.

By now you're probably ravenous, right across from Billabong is a lekker little eatery aptly named 'I Love Food' loads of options on the menu and baked goods, my favourite is the mince, mozzarella and tomato rye toastie for only R33 bucks, it's so big it counts as two meals!  

If you managed to drag your boyfriend along, make a stop at the Darcy board house and Country Feeling to peruse the beautiful boards and collection of surf memorabilia.

Tomorrow I plan on having breakfast at the little pancake van across from Spar, you know those  oumas whip up the best panekoek for only R5.00. If you're not already bored of collecting shells and poking starfish then  you must  see the Shell Shop where you'll find beautifully polished cowries and pansy shells, shell jewellery and art.

Now would be a great time to park off on the beach and work on your tan, there's nothing like rolling back into Kaapstad in the middle of winter with some colour!

J Bay may be a small town but there seems to be an endless list of things to do, places to explore and people to meet.