Half past nine doesn't qualify as a dawnie does it? Well that's the time we had our first surf this morning all thanks to last nights braai and Louis Wulff insisting that we have yet another of his black sambucca favourites...
After a latish wakeup we made a few phone calls and it was decided that due to the conditions Kidd's beach was going to be on. We drove off down there and boy were we wrong, the tide was way too low and the swell a little too small, but luckily we had a knowledgeable Slummies surfer like Royden in on the trip as he told us that we should go take a look around the corner at one of his childhood favourite haunts where he insisted we would find a few fun little beachbreak peaks. So off we went down yet another dirst road, I actually can't believe how you have to drive down dirt side roads to get to almost every spot here in East London, it's not like back home in Durban where you just turn off the N2 and go park in the carpark at one of your favourite spots, it's a mission, but it's lekker at the same time.
We arrived at the spot and Royden was right, fun little lefts were reeling off in the corner of this epic little bay, we were on it. Royden owned that spot, his lightfooted surfing was perfect for that spot and he busted airs at will. The water was unbelievably cold for Slummies though, so the Durban crew of Frankie and Davey Weare froze up a little while the Slummies boys, Royden and Greg Emslie went to town on the lefthanders.
After the beachbreak the boys were thirsty and the boys reckoned that going to surf the next spot without stopping off at Frieslands to grab a milkshake was out of the question, so off we drove to that haven of a milk bar.
All milked up and grinning we jumped back into our vehicles and headed to a spot that Greg knew would be cranking on the incoming tide. Down yet another dirt road we sped and when we arrived the spot was cooking. The crew hurried into their wetsuits and made their way out there. One other thing I have noticed about surfing in Slummies is that getting in and out of the water is a mission because you are always having to do the rock jump. Well the locals have it wired and make it look easy, but my sorry Durban ass got handed to me paddling out and coming in, eish the waves would wash straight into the boulders and wash your feet from straight underneath you...but it was worth it, what a sick wave...
Davey made up for freezing up in the morning by getting not just one, but three of the best tubes of the day out there. Greg Emslie got an epic shack and was belting the lip incredibly hard thanks to his local knowledge of the spot. Royden was blasting vert on his backhand and Frankie was his usual controlled and stylish self, making things look effortless. He even effortlessly got in Greg Emslie way on a sick one and ended with a nice deep cut in the sole of his foot after Greg rode over him whilst sitting nicely in the tube. Not one to hang around chumming the water in a shark infested spot Frankie headed in, with Greg shouting apologies and promising Frankie a quart for the pain. Our crew headed in a little while after that, shared a couple stories at the local pub over a few beers then headed home.
The reports for tomorrow are looking epic for a certain secret reef break, so we are hitting the sack early so we don't have a repeat of this mornings 9:30 dawnie. Let's hope it's worth the early rise...
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