SURFING: My 2023 #NEW WAVE CHALLENGE SUMMARY - A NEW WAVE EVERY MONTH IN BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AFRICA!
Hello everyone, and especially the SurfHive Community! It's Jasper, the musical-surfer dad from Cape Town in South Africa.
2023 was a great year for me to explore surfing in South Africa. I don’t get to go to the beach as much as I used to, because I have a full time job and I am now the father to a toddler daughter. So, as 2023 began, I made a New Year’s Resolution to surf a new spot at least once every month. Considering I had already surfed many of the established spots around Cape Town, this was going to be a challenge, but I ultimately pulled it off!
Here's a summary of the new spots and the HIVE posts that accompanied them:
JANUARY
New Wave 1
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-new-year-new-surf
Background – I started the challenge off quite easily, as I was on holiday in a small coastal village I come to quite often, about 7 hours from Cape Town, so I was able to discover a reef break just around the corner on the morning of 1 January!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Good take-offs but short rides on this day. Looks like it can break for longer in bigger conditions. Quite scary coming in on the rocks.
Consistency: I think quite often in medium swell and low tide!
Crowds: Nobody. I’ve heard that other people surf it, but I’ve never seen anybody else in the many years I have walked past this place!
Would I surf it again?: Yes, the exposed beach break needs small swell and the other waves in the area need big swell, so this is going to be a good option on medium sized days.
New Wave 2
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-dolphins-novelty-spots-and
Background – A few days later in the same village, I found that tiny waves were breaking along a series of shallow rocks in an otherwise deep and sheltered bay – a little novelty left!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Always small and powerless. Shallow rocks suited to a soft-top surfboard. However, you can catch a wave every two minutes for the fun of it while the rest of the family plays on the beach and swims in deep water right next to you.
Consistency: Just needs a big enough swell for left-over energy to wrap into the sheltered bay.
Crowds: Nobody. I think everyone looks at me like I’m taking the piss as they walk past, wondering why I’m not surfing the much bigger crunching waves closing out on the main stretch of beach.
Would I surf it again?: Yes, I already have the next time I visited the village!
FEBRUARY
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-discovering-february-s-brand
Background – We were spending the weekend at a house my in-laws' family has in a coastal town about 2 hours from Cape Town. A massive swell was breaking, and it caused this wave to break inside a usually kelpy, sheltered bay in the next village 10 minutes away!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Surprisingly good
Consistency: Quite uncommon as it needs a massive swell to get into the sheltered bay. There are other much more consistent spots nearby.
Crowds: Nobody. One other person came to surf it when I was already finished.
Would I surf it again?: Yes, but I'm unlikely to be there at the right time. There is a reef further out that is more consistent that I must try one day apparently.
MARCH
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-discovering-march-s-new
Background – This time I was in Cape Town, looking around the False Bay area closest to my house and where I thought I had tried just about everything. To my surprise I saw two kids surfing a tiny wave that looked like it broke over a single slab of rock.
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Felt like the most gentle reef in the whole bay and could break left or right for a short ride.
Consistency: Pretty fickle - any bigger and the waves break further out than this.
Crowds: Just the two kids and this weird older dude with a soft-top and a GoPro (me).
Would I surf it again?: Maybe... perhaps even with my mini-mal! Hahaha!
APRIL
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-april-s-new-wave
Background – Our friend Rhonwyn invited us to her family's holiday house in a beautiful village just about an hour from Cape Town. I was running out of month and realized that the next village had a second beach besides the main one with quite a popular shorebreak (that I visited the following day)...
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: A bit fadey, but the wind was a bit onshore. I'd like to try it in offshore conditions.
Consistency: I'm not sure!
Crowds: Just me... two other surfers were finishing much further down this quite long beach. You have to walk over the dunes to check the waves, and perhaps most people are too lazy when there is another good beach in town?
Would I surf it again?: Absolutely - the main beach in this village is a shorebreak that can offer good barrels, but can also just be closing out and dishing out beatings... this second beach was far better for long rides and performance surfing.
MAY
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-finding-my-new-wave
Background – Back in Cape Town and the False Bay section closest to home, I was shocked to see a reef I thought was only a right, breaking left on the other side. I had never seen this before... when I paddled out I realized it was the same two local kids from March's fickle wave!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Short, but really fun! Probably better than the more established right I already had surfed a few times.
Consistency: Pretty fickle I think...
Crowds: Just me and the two local kids!
Would I surf it again?: Yes, when I see it work again!
JUNE
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-a-birthday-adventure-my
Background – In Cape Town, I took the long paddle out to try head-high conditions at a wave that is actually usually surfed as a terrifying big wave spot!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Even at this much smaller size, I could feel the open ocean power and had long rides.
Consistency: I think this wave often breaks, but at a scary double overhead or bigger!
Crowds: Just me... Most of the legends that know this wave wouldn't bother until it gets much bigger than head high.
Would I surf it again?: Yes, I'd like to try it at least a little bit bigger, but nowhere near as big as it can get! Hahaha!
JULY
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-the-perfect-user-friendly
Background – We were back in the in-law's coastal village holiday house, and I decided to take a gap to drive 30 minutes back towards Cape Town to a village with a small left breaking perfectly, and a channel back out carved by a river mouth! This would also be 30 minutes from April's wave closer back to Cape Town.
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Excellent for a small wave! Super user friendly paddle out as well.
Consistency: I think you need an offshore winter wind, and a relatively small summer-like swell. Think it happens pretty often, and if the swell is too big or the wind is blowing the other direction, there are other options about 20 minutes away!
Crowds: Just me for the first half. Eventually some other kid showed up.
Would I surf it again?: Yes, this was one of my favourite discoveries.
AUGUST
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-new-wave-of-august
Background – Back in Cape Town on the last weekend of August and desperate for a new wave, I paddle out to some kelp beds at the back of a beach I have surfed before...
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Conditions were good, but way too much kelp on the reefs out the back. The photos are of pretty much the only wave where I was able to find a path between thick kelp beds that otherwise tripped me up! A mini-miracle during an otherwise frustrating surf.
Consistency: Who cares? Hahaha
Crowds: Nobody else was this stupid!
Would I surf it again?: I think this is my first hard "No". Haha
SEPTEMBER
New Wave 1
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-new-wave-of-september
Background – I made a special plan to drive down to the Cape Point Nature Reserve to surf a mythical wave that only breaks when a huge swell wraps around into the most sheltered part of False Bay.
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Very good. Wedgy right take-off into a long right wall. It's also possible to go left.
Consistency: Only a few times per winter.
Crowds: The first of these New Waves where I had to contend with a crowd - there are a few waves like this in Cape Town that are quality breaks, but in sheltered areas that only receive enough swell a couple of times a year... Unfortunately, there are enough people who know when it will be on, and can make a plan to be there to enjoy the rarity
Would I surf it again?: Yes - this wave was one of the reasons I made the New Years Resolution and it is stunning when it works.
New Wave 2
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-a-bodyboard-session-during
Background – We were staying with our friend Rhonwyn in the village an hour outside of Cape Town when a massive storm hit. Both roads back to Cape Town were actually closed. The next morning I discovered a surfable left breaking wave inside a bay that is usually as flat as a pancake near a penguin colony!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Actually very nice considering the stormy conditions it needed to get any swell into the normally sheltered bay...
Consistency: I doubt this even happens once a year...
Crowds: Nobody - definitely the rarest wave of all of them?
Would I surf it again?: I'd like to - but it's highly unlikely I will ever get the chance again??
OCTOBER
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-new-wave-of-october
Background – We were in the in-law's holiday house in the coastal village 2 hours outside of Cape Town. It was the last weekend of the month, and so despite the conditions being small and really choppy, I paddled out into a rocky bay I'd never tried before.
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Pretty bad - if you stay wide enough of the rocks to feel safe, then the next section closes out pretty fast.
Consistency: Who cares? Hahaha
Crowds: Nobody is this stupid! Hahaha!
Would I surf it again?: Probably not - the following month I was to discover that the next bay to the west is a better spot when conditions are at all good...
NOVEMBER
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-newwave-of-november-one
Background – We were back at the in-law's holiday house in the coastal village 2 hours outside of Cape Town. This time conditions were quite nice and I discovered the next bay over gets good sometimes!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: Much better. Probably the best wave in this town?
Consistency: The main surf-spot in this town is good at high tide. Apparently this is where the locals come at low tide.
Crowds: Only a few locals, never more than 5 - but I realized this was actually my second-most crowded surf this year?? Hahaha - South Africa is Heaven!
Would I surf it again?: Yes, I would!
DECEMBER
New Wave
Hive Post - https://ecency.com/hive-141964/@jasperdick/surfing-newwave-of-december-the
Background – We have just come back from another trip to the coastal village 7 hours up from Cape Town. I realized it was only another 90 minutes to the famous surf town of Jeffrey's Bay to try "Super-tubes" itself. I started driving at 3:30am to arrive with the sunrise at 5am. 5 people were already in the water and more and more kept coming!!
The Wave:
The POV:
Quality: World Class. Fast and long. The best wave of the bunch...
Consistency: Pretty good in winter. It was a surprise to get a morning of swell and offshore winds for 2 hours in summer!
Crowds: The most crowded new wave by far - even so early in the morning. Also, such a perfect point break can easily get crowded out by a handful of locals who know the break backwards!
Would I surf it again?: Yes, but I would have to stay in town, surf Supers for the dawn session, go back to bed, and then surf less competitive waves or just practice patience later in the day!
2023 RECAP
The New Wave Challenge was great at forcing me not to go to the same spots all the time, learn how to read a line-up, and realize that South Africa is spoilt for uncrowded surf options. I have visited all these towns before many times, but was still able to find new places with a bit of effort, and often got to surf alone or with one or two other people!
2024
Will I set the same challenge for myself this year? No - I would like to focus on improving my technique and setting appropriate challenges (Pulling in or a type of turn, etc) that will depend on the conditions of the day!
The other thing I want to do more of while surfing this year is to take refuse bags with me, and pick up some trash off the beaches!
THE END
So the new goal is to fill a refuse bag each month ? 😁 Or find someone littering and scare them enough into doing it for you....
Oh wow, you must have made it to the end of quite a long article!
I will try pick up the litter myself! I'm not very confrontational - I think people seeing someone pick up litter will probably make them think twice about littering more than a confrontation? What do you think?
Yep, I'm one of those sad people that actually reads other people's posts 😁
Sounds like a plan to avoid confrontation. But carry a spare bag or two, just in case you can shame them into helping you out.....