Since our Elands Bay trip last year Jordy Talbot, Ian Thurtell and myself have been dreaming of another surf mission. This time up the East coast of South Africa. After a less than exciting summer season and a couple of beers, the Jeffreys Bay Trip was put into motion, we nailed down the dates and kept an eye on the charts.
May is somewhat premature for Jbay but still good for those early swells. As luck would have it, the first three days into our trip, the swell was just right. The excitement levels were through the roof. The perfect Supers barrels playing out in our minds eye.
Departure day arrived, wet and rainy. Our journey veered off course when we got a call from @Glendarcy - legendary homegrown surfboard shaper. The swell was on the rise, no time for other planned stops, we arrived in Jbay before sunset to witness it lining up.
There is no better feeling rising to Supers at 4-6 ft. Running up to the key hole I watched Jordy fly by on his first wave high lining and barrel riding down the point. We spent two hours trading waves followed by a recharge breakfast while watching the midmorning crowd get their share.
The following three days were surf, eat, surf, eat, sleep, repeat.
With the next swell a day or two away it gave us some time to recharge and explore the iconic surfers paradise. An early lunch was had at @ninasrealfoodjbay surrounded by surf memorabilia. Here you will find almost every South African surfboard shapers board from the 60’s to present day adorning the walls.
After our refuel we headed to #bloukraansbridge bungee, luckily strong winds spared me the terrifying jump. Back in the car and a wrong turn later we found a less intimidating waterfall to jump off, that is, until we got to the top. A few jumps and another wayward journey later, we found ourselves at an impromptu shooting range, a total Endless Summer moment. In the end concluding that Jordy is more inclined to surfing than sharp shooting. Back in JBay we were met by the evening glass off and some four footers peeling down the point.
The next morning we awoke to perfect lines, a sparse line up (thanks Covid), a picturesque sunrise and a school of dolphins at the back line. The morning saw a nonstop 2 hour barrel fest with Jordy pulling out all the stops.
That day stands as the best surfing day of my life. And the highlight, a 40th birthday dinner at @atsupersjbay hosted by Glen and his wife Lauren. The evening was marked by JBay tales from the 70’s filled with characters like Shaun Thompson and Mikki Dora.
The next morning started a little later and slower, but still a good way to end the trip. Packing the car felt like shuffling through treacle. But the ten hour homeward journey was filled with nostalgic ramblings reliving our experience at the renowned South African surf Mecca.
I really don’t know how our next trip will top this one…..
By @iammiloman
