Existential Dreadheads
Well, it’s happened. I’ve got geometric tattoos wrapping around my upper calf. I don’t own shampoo. I chain smoke cigarettes at the hostel’s outdoor table. I lecture anyone within earshot about the merits of traveling and the delusions of capitalism. I’m no longer a tourist, I’m a traveler.
Nope, I’m not nearly tan enough for that. The majority of travelers I’ve met so far have been cool as fuck, but there have been a few of these seasoned self-righteous travel types. I call these people ‘Existential Dreadheads.’ No one can be that confident in their life choices, right? Surely there’s some crippling self-doubt in there, right?? Maybe I’m just projecting…
Anyways, the last stretch has been interesting. I scored some waves in Jeffrey’s Bay, got sketched out in East London, and experienced Transkei. I changed my rental car to be dropped off in Johannesburg, so I’ve committed to driving a good portion of South Africa.
J Bay
J Bay is a sight to behold. The setup is crazy, a super long point breaking over volcanic rock fingers. It’s fast, walled-up, and hollow in spots. The swell was best the first morning I was there, and it remained fun for a few days.
I didn’t expect the crowd to be so light at Supertubes. There were maybe 10 guys out the first morning. Other than that, I never saw more than 4 guys on it. I understand it wasn’t all-time J Bay, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get waves.
This cat would come by and chill while I ate lunch
The lineup is popping with sea life. Pods of dolphins routinely cruise by, and occasionally surface feet away from you. It’s almost like they’ve seen the viral Mick Fanning video and like to prank surfers by popping up their dorsal fins. I also saw many schools of fish, but thankfully none of the fish that everyone talks about.
Dolphin attack
This is Seal Point in Cape St Francis.
Look familiar? This is the wave they found over the dunes in Endless Summer. The dunes are gone now and the wave along with them.
I picked up a new board in J Bay, which is a little crazy as I’m already rolling with a ton of stuff. But the boards are really cheap here, and I couldn’t pass up the deal. This thing was ~$350:
East London
I met a guy in J Bay who was from East London and he got me hyped to check it out. He enticed me with pictures of firing waves. He told me to stay at his friend’s beachfront hostel, the Sugar Shack.
But pretty quickly after arriving in East London, I realized it wasn’t for me. The area is rough around the edges, and the vibe isn’t great. It felt like South African Brockton. The hostel and its patrons were fairly depressing as well. It didn’t help that the swell had gone to shit since J Bay. I bailed on the place after less than a day to hit the literal dusty trail towards Coffee Bay.
Transkei and Coffee Bay
Coffee Bay is in Transkei, also known as the Wild Coast. Transkei was an independent state for the Xhosa people during apartheid, and it remains distinctly different than the surrounding areas.
The Kei River, marking the start of Transkei
The drive to Coffee Bay is amazing. Farm animals litter the streets. Colorful huts dot the vast hilly landscapes. Legendarily stylish bucket hats exist in the windows of a store that was inexplicably closed in the middle of the day. Transkei is still very much Xhosa country, I didn’t see another white person between East London and Coffee Bay.
Coffee Bay is a tiny town on the coast, basically in the middle of nowhere. It’s popular with European tourists, and there are a few hostels and other accommodations right on the beach. I stayed in the Coffee Shack, and it was a blast.
There are a couple surf spots around Coffee Bay. This John John segment was shot in the area. I met a few surfers from Durban and got several sessions in with them at a nearby beach. Lackluster swell and onshore winds made for mediocre conditions, but the water was warm enough to ditch the wetsuit for trunks which was nice.
I went on a few hikes, checked out the nearby villages, and partied down with the people at the hostel. Coffee Bay is awesome, I recommend it for sure. The nearby Xhosa people are friendly, and the area is unique.
Drive to Durban
I made the 8 hour drive from Coffee Bay to Durban with Minte, a Coffee Bay local and Coffee Shack employee who needed a lift to Durban. Minte is around my age, speaks alright English, and is a very interesting guy. Both of his parents died when he was young, his dad of unknown causes while working near Johannesburg and his mom of… being poisoned apparently? He’s headed to Durban to try to secure his Austrian Visa. He’s going to Austria to see his girlfriend that he met at the Coffee Shack and his one year old son that he hasn’t met yet. He’s never seen snow and he can’t speak German, but he thinks if his 3 month trip goes well he’ll marry his girlfriend so he can move to Austria and support his son. He’s selling some of his land to finance his trip. He seemed so unfazed by all of this. I tried to get him to show me some Xhosan music, but when he connected his phone he ended up playing an hour long reggae remix of mainstream American pop songs from around 2015. It was cool having him along for the trip. I asked him a bunch of questions about Xhosa culture, and he tried to teach me some Xhosa.
I’ll be in Durban for a few days, but unfortunately the surf forecast looks bleak. After Durban, I think I’ll try to go inland to check out some of the national parks and maybe a game reserve before heading up to Johannesburg and off to some place else.