theBOMBsurf blog

On the road again...

30 September 2009, 09:15

The road trip continues! We're leaving Jeffrey's this morning and heading down the coast toward Cape Town. The forecast doesn't look great for waves, but we might find something on the way down.

These last 2 days in J Bay have been so cool. On Monday morning the surf was pretty big and sectiony with some big barrels ridden, and the afternoon session was also fun. Yesterday's dawnie was really cool - a good vibe in the water, some great surfing and just a beautiful morning with beautiful waves.

We've had a really good three days in J Bay, catching up with friends, seeing our contributors and connecting with our advertisers down here. Last night we had a small get together in the Penthouse of African Perfection - the accommodation overlooking Supertubes - and it must be the best surfing accommodation in the world. Check these images out!

Iain

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That ONE waves makes it all good!

27 September 2009, 22:50

Even on those days when everything is going really badly - that one good wave can salvage everything. I had a shocker today. Firstly the swell that was supposed to bring 5-6 ft waves didn't arrive. We surfed with about 25 people pretty much on the bricks in little runners that didn't link up. On the waves I did get I surfed like a tool and I just couldn't get the rhythym going. A grumpy local was making life unhappy for most people, plus the wind and rain didn't do much for the SOH.

In the afternoon session, I had to climb into a wet and cold wetsuit and was thinking "Oh Boy, this isn't going to be fun". We surfed from about 4pm till it was dark, and just as the crowd started to thin out, the tide started to pulse a little and with the pushing tide, a couple of gems started rolling through.

I managed to paddle into one of the cleanest, biggest, most perfect waves of the evening and it just ran and ran and ran. It was fast, but sooooo perfect and as I raced along it linking the sections, up my legs started to burn, but it kept on peeling ahead of me, inviting me to keep going. After what felt like ages, my legs buckled and I couldn't finish the reo back into the wave and I fell off the back...I sank down into the sea...happy.

What a great day.

2 Comments so far:

Mark on 28 September 2009

talk about one good wave making a session...what about the judges losing the plot to ruin a session/heat? ...I just finished watching the heats on demand and I have got to agree though I think all three slots on who blew BMT Rankings should go to the judges at the QS Pro France, Dane was so robbed in his heat against Bede? what gives??

Kelly C on 28 September 2009

Judges get touchy when you question their judgment.

"Did Tiago do some air out there that I didn't see" - Slater quietly so Belly.

I shot that heat and felt both their high nines were over scored. Conditions were crappy and it was a case of who can repeat their backhand snap the most times on a wave.

Either way I'm glad Mick won, title must go down to Hawaii!!!!

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PE, then onto JBAY

26 September 2009, 22:46

We cruised into PE yesterday evening, in time to catch up with Kerry Wright - some of you may remember her as the author of the "Climate Change" feature in the last issue of theBOMBsurf and also as the lady responsible for the Enviro side of things at the Billabong Pro in JBay this year. We had a really cool chat with her and watched the Rugby at her flat overlooking Miller's point - on possibly the biggest TV screen ever invented. This pad should be on MTV Cribs.

Kerry was explaining some really interesting things that are going on in the "greening" of World surfing, some ideas to generate alternative energy sources using the ocean currents and also the challenges facing our country's leadership when it comes to green issues. Interesting indeed.

If you want to know more, visit her website at http://www.cleanerclimate.com/

We then drove through to JBAY in the dark, but arrived in time to watch the Hot Wasabi Blues band at The Lounge. Again, those of you who were at the Billabong Pro this year will know how these guys rock! Our good friends Steve Walsh, who sings plays guitar and blues harp in the band is 56 years old...and is rocking out harder than ever.

Hoping for waves tomorrow....

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Another epic BOMBsurf roadtrip is underway

26 September 2009, 19:38

Another epic BOMBsurf roadtrip is underway! We hit the road before dawn yesterday and made a beeline straight to for the land of milk and honey at the Coffee Shack! As soon as we arrived we hit the surf and had a fun session the point and then the beachie with legendary Coffee Shack surf instructor, Ryno. In the afternoon we took a drive down to Hole in the Wall, where John was amped to try and surf through the hole!

Then we headed back to the Coffee Shack where the Party was in full swing already! Gorgeous girls, ice cold beer, a trance party (across the road), the Buffalo bar at the Coffee Shack was cranking and the people were partying HARD! We had an awesome dinner with Dave and Belinda (and young Josh!) and far too many beers - then hit the jol!

What a cool vibe, a cool bunch of travelers and a cool place to be on a Friday night in Africa!

This morning we rinsed the fog out of the cockpit with a swim in perfectly clear but freezing water of the estuary - When we eventually forced ourselves to leave, we found we had a flat tyre...which we eventually got fixed by these guys about an hour outside coffee bay:

The real dirty half dozen!

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dedication, focus and absolutely terrible surf

24 September 2009, 08:29

As any Durban surfer can attest the surf over the last couple of days has been terrible. It's been howling onshore and raining, this morning though a brief respite from the rain thank goodness! Anyway yestrday evening just before dark i did a driveby North Beach more out of habit than anything else. The Durban beachfront right now looks like a warzone. There is wire fencing everywhere, huge holes in the boardwalk and the remains of old buildings lie demolished all around you. Not exactly a hospitable setting - and the surf was on it's head. As i was about to leave I saw Travis Logie run past me suited up and ready to go. I couldn't believe anyone would want to surf in that mess but thought to myself what the hell and suited up to go and join him. We paddled out into the far bowl at North Beach to find Angus (hardcore North Beach local) already out there. Shortly afterwards we were joined by Brandon Jackson. Angus and I were treated to an incredible display of surfing by our two QS contenders. Brandon and Travis tore into that bowl like men possesed. The thing that struck me about the experience was how much fun they were having. It wasn't like it was just a grit your teeth training session. Sure the dedication and focus was there to get them out there in the first place but they were frothing! The stoke was contagious and I left the water on dark a happy man. I'm happier still with the thought of arriving in Coffee Bay tomorrow...
John

1 Comments so far:

Kwassi on 24 September 2009

Hey guys, you got Mike Schlebach's name wrong again in your slideshow, you called him Mike Slebach, which is better than the Mike Slebag you called him on a previous slideshow, but still I reckon you should get it correct.

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Surfing Doctors talk in JBay

22 September 2009, 07:52

Some of you may have heard about Surfing Doctors (www.surfingdoctors.com). They are a close-knit group of like-minded individuals who have filtered out of various specialities and areas of medicine to combine the love of two totally different passions; the surfing sport and lifestyle, and a lifelong career in medicine.

The group have already proven themselves in various arenas and the common theme is that they are prepared to go over and above the call of duty for their fellow man in need with no expectation of financial reward.

One of their main focuses is on educating surfers and other beach users in the areas of basic first aid and life support- answering those questions about what to do if someone injures themselves or collapses in the water or on the beach.

Dr. Preeti Nirgude has offered to do a talk in J Bay on these topics, with time for questions and answers.

J Bay Boardriders club will be hosting the evening on Thursday November 19th, 7p.m. at Potter’s Place. If you or your surfing mates are going to be in the area and want to attend, please keep that date available and spread the word. It is bound to be of great value to us as a community.

Dr Preeti is also going to help us get a proper first aid box particular to surf related injuries

There will not be a cover fee for the evening but the JBBC will ask for donations towards medical box(es) which will be kept at Supers and hopefully a second one somewhere at Point.

1 Comments so far:

James on 24 September 2009

when are they doing a talk in Durban?

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The art of surfing

20 September 2009, 23:24

My friend Tayla and I were debating if "anything can be art". Her argument was that it's not so much about the work itself as long as the concept is a good one within a certain context, whereas as my take is that fundamentally art is an aesthetic expression of an idea - and the better the expression, the better the art. Surfing is a lot like that. I think the similarities are in the fact that anyone can surf. I surf, you surf, we all surf. Similarly, I can slap some paint on a canvas, but it certainly doesn't make it art. So what makes surfing an art? Is it the lines we "draw", the style and grace with which we move? Or is it the mere act of being able to ride a wave standing up on a surfboard? Watching people like Frankie O, Simon Nicholson or Sean Holmes can be a beautiful, almost breathtaking sight. Then again, the contest side of surfing is exactly that - who surfed "the best". In art, the status quo is set movement by movement, period by period and it takes a radical shift in style, technique or concept to break away from what is considered art. I wonder if the equivalent will happen in surfing and if so how and when?

What do you think?

Iain

4 Comments so far:

JMc on 21 September 2009

The Mick/Dane final at Trestles is a good illustration of this discussion and I think in a sense you are both right. Where Mick defines surfing as a sport Dane introduces us to the aesthetic of surfing as art. Mick surfs according to set criteria. Dane just surfs as free flow expression. Dane is more exciting no question, but Mick is a master of the criteria. Dane's creative approach to surfing is manifested in an aesthetic but rooted in a desire to be different. Who surfed the best? According to what? Mick is impressing judges with his mastery of the current criteria. Dane is showing the judges that the criteria is now out of date. The real art is in the illustration of original thought. Because its original there is no relative scale to judge it yet. It simply is what it is and that's real art.

KellyC on 21 September 2009

Would fabricating BMT rankings be art if it contained slight asthetic truths? I never swim to shore when faced with an imminent beating, it's just not waterman conduct. Having said that my reluctance to shoot was truth but we got the shot didn't we? As for said lady friendship, LIES I TELL YOU ALL LIES.

Deon on 22 September 2009

just cause Dane is exciting, doesn't always make it aesthetically pleasing
he pushes the limits, but its sometimes one big moment as apposed to a series of moments
he may do one big turn, but he'll end up coming out of it standing somewhere near the nose of his board and have no drive to do do the next one
I love the smoothness of Micks surfing, the amount of time he keeps his board on a rail, the way he connects his turns - that this falls within the criteria of the judging makes sense to me

flow can be a beautiful thing

I suppose there needs to be some balance between creativeness, innovativeness, spontaneity and overall smoothness, flow, style, wave judgement...

the current asp judging criteria caters for this

but as to what is art....
well that'll always be subjective

Henk on 22 September 2009

Got to agree with you Deon, Yes Dane shreds and fits in critical turns one right after the other, and does some exciting moves, but if he is going to do it with his legs spread wide and his butt sticking out then it is not going to appeal to me. I noticed his wide ugly style many times on that webcast. Mick absolutely smoked him in that final no question, surfed more critically, more radically and with tons more style, much better to watch.

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Alaia shaping

18 September 2009, 11:45

Today was a pretty horrid day for surf in KZN. The optimists in Town were scratching around the piers - but there wasn't much on offer. John and I decided to hit the coast early to see what we could find. It was dark, windy, stormy and raining. We paddled out at our usual favourite point break - the only two guys out - and proceeded to get pounded, washed around and slapped by a few grumpy close-outs. Not much to write home about unfortunately. At least we had the dolphins for company.

After work, we went down to Clayton's shaping bay to see how he was getting on. When we arrived he was shaping our Alaia. This has been a fascinating project. The blanks cost around R2000 - they're a special Paulowina wooden blanks - and you have to hand shape them yourself - which is part of the fun! But it ain't easy! There is a DVD which comes each blank and you can get loads of info on the net, but when it actually comes down to putting tools to wood - it's another story.

Clay had done a good job with the jigsaw, getting the blank into a decent shape - then when we arrived - John and Clay started sanding, scraping, burrowing out the channels and working the blank into it's desired form. Then we mixed ingredients to treat the wood (you'll be suprised by what's in it), gave it a good coat and stood back to admire the finished product. Click here to see the full slide show. If you haven't seen these Alaia boards yet - you'll start to see them popping up at your local break in the next few weeks. there are only a limited number of the blanks that were brought in, and all have been sold out already, but Soul Tree Surf co, the guys who import them to SA have assured us the next batch are arriving soon.

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Skunked

15 September 2009, 22:49

What is the best form of surf prediction? Most of us would say the internet. Even within the limitless info and resources on the WWW we still get it wrong though. I had to remind my esteemed partner of this fact an hour into our drive before dawn this morning, when the early morning light revealed a 2-3ft, east swell with a brisk easterly churning up the ocean, rather than the 4-5ft, SW swell with a light west blowing!! With our tail between our legs, we negotiated the rush hour traffic going back into town, and surfed the washing machine of an ocean, while the North Beach coffee shop crew laughed at us from the safety of the Milky Lane awnings. Even Jean the car guard was laughing at us.

Which begs the question...If you can't rely on the internet, what can you rely on?

There was vehement discussion about the accuracy of sites lately, which ones are the best to use, the unstable global weather patterns, how unpredictable September is for surf in KZN etc etc

So what do you BOMBfans use? Is it Wavescape, magic seaweed, Windguru, your granny's flaring knees...is it not an online solution at all?

We'd love to hear from you guys and girls out there.

6 Comments so far:

Migs on 16 September 2009

All of the above! Check them all and then make a call...

Warren Loom on 16 September 2009

My trusted old barometer and wind vane never let me down. Otherwise I use SA Weather. They have updated there site and its actually pretty good now. www.weathersa.co.za
Great mag this season by the way!

Mark on 17 September 2009

The best way to predict the surf is to get down to the beach and see it for yourself... that way you never have to rely on other forecasters...?

John on 17 September 2009

When are you guys going to come clean and admit that the whole Bombsurf thing is just a front for rampant surf addiction and an excuse to avoid domestic duties and normal work commitments. Sorry dear, I am chasing this swell to Moz/J Bay/Nam/CT/G-land to keep my finger on the pulse of this business. I have to do this for you and the children.,

jean on 17 September 2009

hey use as much as you can seaweed wavescape windguru suss you name it and make the call from there plus the old wet finger in the air and your dodgy old injury slash if its stiffens up its blowing nw trick plus get out and drive drive drive till you find something!

garth on 18 September 2009

I've scored some good waves by keeping an eye on the surf sites, Magic Seaweed, Wind Guru, Windfinder, Wavescapes and Buoyweather, I check them all regularly. Sometimes they say the same thing but often one or more will see it differently, that's what I call homework and I am always optimistic, until I can see for myself that it really is rotten.

I've ignored the weather predictions and got it pretty good lots of times as well, while most of the mob are sleeping in because the east is gonna be on it early.

Better to go check it out early if there is a chance, don't wait for a call on your cell from your connection, by the time you get on it, too much time will have been lost and you more than likely will arrive just in time to see the wind kick the teeth out of the last decent set.

By then you'll be ready to kick the teeth out of that grinning surfer making his way back to the car park... sound familiar?

Jokes aside, If you live within earshot of the sea my Dad told me that the best way to tell which way the wind is going to blow for the day, is to face the ocean and listen to the surf, it you hear it from the east, It's gonna blow east, If you hear it from the West it's going to be a West, try it you'll be surprised at how often it works.

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Surf anywhere

14 September 2009, 22:23

Hey BOMBsurfers, I'm back from my Euro trip. Did you miss me?

One of the things I was was contemplating while sipping an ice cold Czech beer and enjoying the evening sunshine at 8pm CET, was just how far surf culture has permeated through our global village - as far inland as Paris, Rome and even Prague. I was acutely aware of anyone wearing surf branded clothes, but what really caught my attention was this:

This is the only billboard in the Piazza del Popolla in Rome - and it is HUGE:

If you can't read the text, it says "Surf anywhere"

Doesn't that strike you as weird? I saw this billboard in Rome and in Paris, in various forms and considering the Italians and French consider themselves to be fashionistas deluxe, you know the Pradas, Armanis and D&G's of this world. Especially in Italy - I mean - how many Italian surfers have you met from Rome? Europe is soccer crazy, so understandably a lot of the youth wore football brands more than surf brands...but you gotta admit - the surf brands are giving it a full go!

It was very much a cultural trip for me, so haven't surfed in two weeks, but hit a firing little bank today on my return and it was so good to be back in the water, I hit it again in the arvo. Damn it's good to be in the sea again!

Iain

3 Comments so far:

julian on 15 September 2009

It would appear that you are completely out of tune with "surf brands". Do you really think that they only market towards surfers? You said it yourself: "how many Italian surfers have you met from Rome?" Roxy is a clothing brand. Any good marketing executive will tell you "sell the sizzle, not the steak". And Roxy are selling YOUR lifestyle to sell THEIR products.

Iain on 15 September 2009

I missed you too, Julian! No. I don't think that they only market towards surfers....which is exactly why I made the point and posted the photo. I think this surf brand in particular is being very bold - especially considering the real estate above, and how cut throat the fashion market is there. Had I been in Sydney or California, I wouldn't have been surprised at all or thought it as weird as I did at the time. You agree?

julian on 15 September 2009

Nice to go to Rome for some culture, the chick has been hounding me to take her for some time now.
However, i think its a marketing strategy, sell the lifestyle. And you can have the lifestyle, just buy these clothes!! I don't think its bold, its probably just an expensive billboard, real estate considered.
Maybe, the fact that they have to go "inland" to sell their surfing apparel is telling us that they have reached market saturation?
I do think its out of place on a piazza.

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Like Father, like son.

12 September 2009, 20:24

Like father like son.


Rudy SNR's Barrel


Rudy JNR's barrel

Today I surfed a really heavy beachbreak, about 150m North of the Cave Rock reef. Clayton was out there with a couple of groms and they were all charging! The wave was breaking below sea level on some and it was spitting all over the place. Because of the south swell direction Cave Rock would light up before the sets would find their way onto our peak. This afforded me the opportunity of watching the guys at The Rock and in front of the pool pull into some serious barrels. I immediately picked out Rudy Palmboom SNR's style and not long after that Rudy JNR's. The two were just trading waves and dominating the lineup. They were all over it like it was their back yard, which I suppose it is. It must be an amazing thing to surf with your father or your son in waves of consequence like that and be the two best guys out there hands down. Respect to them both and what a cool thing to watch.
John

3 Comments so far:

RICHARD on 12 September 2009

whats even more rad is to see SNR dominate that entire session from start to finish....

Kelly C on 13 September 2009

And this session Snr. was showing up Jnr. Come on Rudog up your game HAHA.

Mark on 14 September 2009

When you have 20 years experience on anyone at the rock it shows....SNR rips!

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RIP Post Surf, Lewis Samuels calls it a day

10 September 2009, 23:35

What is Post Surf and who is Lewis Samuels?

Lewis Samuels

Not much is really known about Lewis himself other than he was fired by Surfline for (amongst other things) being critical of Billabong president, Paul Naude. Lewis burst into our consciousness with the Power Rankings on Surfline.

They were a no holds barred take down of the top 44, and in my opinion very entertaining to read.
After being fired from Surfline he started Post Surf as a place to host his unnofficail Power Rankings and he spread his crit to industry created icons of every kind. He was fearless and spared no one. With post surf came a whole lot of bitterness and anger and at times I found him a bit OTT, but it was also funny and very entertaining.

His second last post was very interesting, go check it out http://postsurf.com/2009/09/02/modern-complaints/
RIP Post Surf.
John

12 Comments so far:

Warren Loom on 11 September 2009

I wonder, if Will Batemen is still alive, what he thinks of whats happening nowadays? I can't believe that was written in 1977! Amazing!

Henk on 11 September 2009

Only good thing about Lewis Samuels was his attention to detail, something you fellows lack: Just finished reading Issue 4 of your mag and on Page 89 Gotcha advert you forgot to remove Simon's name from the previous issue's article and it is now slap bang over one of your treasured customers adverts, then the very next advert, the FCS one, you have a floating FCS word in the middle of the lip, totally out of place. Should spend more time proof reading your mag instead of boasting about the amount of surf you get. Rush Job, come on guys you only put 4 mags out a year, there must be time for some quality control.

JMc on 12 September 2009

Henk, you are on to us. This whole thing is a swindle, just so that we can surf first and not have to get real jobs. Apologies if you were offended by our tardiness, no real excuse for that, but you've got a point about the no of mags we do a year. Hell if we cut it from 4 to 2 think how much more time we could spend in the water...

julian on 14 September 2009

It is sad to see the end of postsurf, at least he called a spade a spade and was unafraid to draw attention to the industries ambiguity and down right arrogance. But perhaps concentrating on all the industry crap, wore him down to a point of "its time to leave this behind me and just go surfing"
I will miss his insightful, brave and no holds bar approach to commenting on the "surf industry". At least he has left a mark on my vocabulary..... FUCKERY!! Its all just fuckery.

Builtallwrong Ho on 14 September 2009

Post Surf sez it like it is eks�, time for SA to have a site of the same vein to expose the hypocrisy within the surf industry. We are now controlled by non-surfers who hold the majority shares, local brands have been squashed by Oz and USA brands who are only interested in share prices, surfers won't wear surfwear that kooks in Joburg are decked out in thus eventually the brands will lose market share when the kooks start copying the surfers who have moved back to jeans, white tees and slops. That's why Gotcha came up with MCD - to try win back the surfers after they had sold out to the chain stores. It is going to come to pass that the big corporates are exposed for polluting the environment while claiming to be 'green'. Did you see the state of the Supertubes area after this year's Fillabong Ho? A disgrace that our top surf break is now owned by an Aussie brand for the best 2 weeks on our surf season, so the pro ho's can lie back in the jacuzzi like a bunch of porn stars. Bruce Gold said it on the button: Do it for pleasure not treasure. Keep the country country! RIP Post Surf, you have inspired the forthcoming revolution whereby surfers take back their world from the companies that prostitute our lifestyle for personal gain, so the CEO's can jet off to Tavarua in style while lowly employees like Lewis (and me) get fired for speaking truth against money... the truth will out and karma will come and bite the arses of the infidels in seats of power.

Builtallwrong Ho on 14 September 2009

TrevorG on 14 September 2009

Angry words bro!
The industry has to die in order to be reborn. Your venom originates from the huge globalization hoax that has been propogated by the corporates. They are using surfing to pitch this endless summer lifestyle to masses of mindless morons that have as much in common with the sea as my dog has with algebra. Regarding local surf brands, surely the real surfers will be prepared to support brands that are true to the lifestyle?.Are there any brands out there? Only Country Feeling comes to mind.
Bruce Gold is one of a kind and may in fact be a surfing prophet. However it is pretty harsh to condemn any surfer who wishes to surf for a living. The majority I believe are in it for life, I have never heard of a Pro that has retired from the tour and hung up his board.forever.The true essence of surfing is that you are never to old to catch a wave. Only fitness and illness will prevent you from enjoying this privilege.

Henk on 14 September 2009

Fear not all you cry babies, Lewis will never die, he is doing work for Stab Mag now... http://www.stabmag.com/jed/Hurley-Pro-Trestles-Lewis-Samuels-round-one-report/ . Hey John, maybe you should only do 2 mags a year if you are going to keep putting so little effort into it.

Jmc on 14 September 2009

Henk thanks for the heads up on Lewis. BTW you obviously have an eye for detail, do you want a job as a proof reader?

Henk on 14 September 2009

Eye spy everything! Thanks for the job offer boys but I have my hands full manning the phones for Zuma's new hotline. Check out Stab tomorrow, you going to love what Lewis has to say about Jordy's loss to Tiago at Trestles, that is if his new contract allows.

craig on 17 September 2009

henk have you always been so angry,you need to have a wave so you can smile again or has your wife banned you from the surf

Ali on 22 September 2009

Hey man I was also a little bummed by a few typos/layout gremlins in the mags! Not that it takes anything away from the sincerity of the Mag such a great mag deserves flawless proofreading! But naysayers.... though they may have valueable insight the negative slant they add reduces their wisdom to watery snot - your Mag is kif and you are a pioneer for delivering that big , glossly mag to my door for lutu ma bru! Still Early days - Laka Bru

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Hidden Gems in J-Bay

9 September 2009, 08:53

I've been coming to J-Bay for 25 years. Over the last two and a half decades I've watched this town change slowly as it becomes more developed, but despite that it has retained its small town friendliness and laid back feel. Of course the waves are the primary draw card for visiting surfers. But what do you do when you are not in the surf?

When I first came here we stayed in Vans caravans and ate the biggest Chelsea buns in the world made at the bakery around the corner. If you wanted to get loose you went to the Savoy hotel. Nowadays the Mexican is where you go to misbehave and you are spoiled for choice with good restaurants, my favourite being In-Food. Apart from the insane freshly baked bread and patented wok omelettes they make the best cappuccino in J-Bay.

Belinda, best barista in the business

Actually I'd go so far as to say they make one of the best cappuccinos in SA! Belinda, who works there, has got to be one of the best baristas in the business. If you are a coffee fiend like me you appreciate knowing things like this that's why I'm passing it on. They are located just opposite the fruit and vet market one block back from Da Gama rd at J-Bay's only traffic light.

Andy and Juanita, best boots in the business

Then there are Andy and Juanita from In-Step. Their business is totally unrelated (as far as I can tell) from In-food, apart from the quality of their offerings. They make shoes and belts. They've been making the real McCoy J-Bay version of The Ugg boot for over 20 years. Andy worked with the late Ant van der Heuwel, learning and refining the craft of putting together a real quality boot. They now also do leather sandals and belts. Walking into their store (in surf village at the end of Da Gama Road, next door to the Country Feeling store) one gets a sense of the pride they take in what they do. I was blown away by the quality of the product on display. You just don't get shops like this in Durban or Cape Town. In 25 years of coming here I can't believe I never knew about their store!

J-Bay Wax

Finally I met Neville. Neville has developed a special type of wax with a closely guarded formula. Not surprisingly its called 'J-Bay Wax'. Available right now only in J-Bay and only if you know Neville and ONLY if he likes you enough to make some for you. This stuff is unbelievably sticky, resistant to absorbing sand and doesn't melt if left on your dashboard. Rumour has it that certain top surfers who come to town for the big events insist on using his wax while in J-Bay and try and take as much with them as they can when they leave.

So if you find yourself in J-Bay at a loose end between sessions check out In-Food, In-Step and J-Bay Surf Wax. I'm pretty sure these three hidden gems will make your day like they made mine.

John

1 Comments so far:

knuckles on 10 September 2009

which jbay have you been going to u dont know In-Step bru, best quality boots in the country!!

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Room with a view

6 September 2009, 15:13

The Super Gnarly BOMBsurf Wetsuit Revue, stage two now testing...

For the past couple of days I've been holed up in J-Bay on the second leg of our three part wetsuit test. I've been trying out different suits in every session trying to determine the pro's and cons of each suit. More about the actual suits and how they fared when the completed revue is released online at the end of September. The attached pic is the view from my base in the self catering unit at African Perfection. Not a bad place to work from! Without giving away too much regarding the suits I must say this has been a fascinating experience. it's incredible how wetsuit technology has progressed in recent times. If you know what you are doing there is absolutely no reason to be cold or uncomfortable these days.
John

11 Comments so far:

Rasool on 6 September 2009

its gonna be a tight between O'Niell Physco2 and the Excell. What about durability ??? these suits set the average surfer back by about R3800!!!

JMc on 6 September 2009

Ja Rasool I hear you. In fact from what I understand the top of the range suit available in SA will be well over R12K! Fortunately we've never been so spoiled for choice as consumers. Never have we had such a choice of brands to choose from or even products within those brands. I believe it all boils down to what value the suit offers and the needs of the individual consumers. Durability is a factor for anyone who surfs a lot, then again so is comfort. Unfortunately those two elements don't go together very often because the materials in the comortable suits tend to wear harder and quicker than in their more robust counterparts. You can shop by price within each brand as most of them have entry level suits. The focus of this test has been to see what is going on at the top end of the respective ranges and share the experience with BOMBsurf subscribers so that they can make informed decisions when going out to spend their hard earned cash on their next suit.

Paul on 7 September 2009

I have to confess, since I started surfing, the most I spent on a wettie was R 150 at factory shop in 2006. The rest of my suits were all decent 'handmedowns' from friends that lasted me at least a winter and a summer in J-Bay. I can imagine it would be super cool to have one of those expensive suits, but that money could also buy me two boards, a set of proper tires for my cabby or something like that. I guess then I'm not such a serious surfer? Have fun testing the suits though!

Richard on 7 September 2009

John, have you got one of those Rip Curl H-Bombs with you?

Jamii on 7 September 2009

As a product designer, I ve always been interested in any product that is designed and manufactured, in particular items like wetsuits and similar sporting products that have a direct effect on preformance or comfort for the user balanced with the understanding of how progression in not always an inprovement.
Agreed that we are spoit for choice in wetsuit designs, yet considering that we possibly pay a premium for imported suits that have a durability for a year or so, makes surfing more expensive for those in the cooler regions and a user will always wish for better value.
I recently purchased the o'Neill Mutant at discount for R 2800, two years ago I purchased a Billabong Foil for R 1700 and two year before that I purchased two wetsuits from Reef for R 1000.
The cost of wetsuit has escalated enourmously over the recent years yet to be fair so has the quaility and technology also greatly improved.
However as happy I am with my new warmth and liquid seams keeping the water at bay, there are saddly some ergonomic faults with the design of my suit that you only notice after a few sessions. To be fair, if one is spending a reasonable amount of cash on a performance item then these details should be resolved especially if there have been years of refinement to incorporate in the new design process.
Added that I discovered that if I lost my hoody or neck piece there would be no way to replace it, other than have a local manufacturer try make a replacement.

On a slightly different agenda, the saftey aspect of surfing (wetsuits) is greatly lacking when considering the need for better visiblity or bouyancy of surfers in abnormally dangerous environments of big wave surfing. Take the recent incident of Reinardt Fourie at Dungeons where improved visiblity was needed.
Smoke flares, leashes, whistles, PDF are all standards for marine saftey for surfski paddlers doing any form of sea paddling and in yesteryears a red tip 'n tail on skis and paddles were the norm of visual ID or contrast as a standard for all skis manufactured.
Granted bigwave surfing is done by a select few yet there seems to be a growing number of surfers lacking the technical ability with sufficent saftey knowledge or training to be in these high risk environments, yet the same maybe said for general water etiquette at local breakbreaks with the current growth of surfings popularity.
To summerizes surfing in technical terms of equipment, exposure and performance level has blossomed in recent years, but the essense of hertiage and understanding of the surfing culture seems to be diluted by the current commercial standpoint of the industry being overly focussed on the production of fashionable products lasting a season in persuit of the next trendy novelty.

Dutchie on 7 September 2009

Dont buy cheap suits, spend the money its worth it.
more comfort and warmth = more time in the water.

Even more so with boards, spend the bucks.

JMc on 7 September 2009

Hey Richard I tried the H-Bomb in the Cape Town test, amazing suit!

Knuckles on 8 September 2009

Listen Bru(Jamii), if you compare the Reef suit to the Foil to the Mutant, There is no comparison.! Would you rather wear the Reef or 1 of the other suits?"To summerizes surfing in technical terms of equipment, exposure and performance level has blossomed in recent years, but the essense of hertiage and understanding of the surfing culture seems to be diluted by the current commercial standpoint of the industry being overly focussed on the production of fashionable products lasting a season in persuit of the next trendy novelty." Unquote! What does that mean bru??? At the end of the day, nobody likes to put on a wetsuit before they go for a surf, but if you do, it must be as warm and comfortable as possible. Compared to other sports(Kitesurfing, Motor X, Cycling etc etc) we as surfers are still pretty much in the affordable catogory....

Sam on 8 September 2009

Check out the latest Trax mag, they have a pretty cool international wetsuit review using locals at some Oz location. I wont give it away, I will let the BOMB crew make up their own minds, as we have the same yet some different brands in this country.

I have just bought the new Oneill suit, so very interested to see where how that bad boy fairs!

julian on 9 September 2009

Hey Jamii, right on!!! You do make valid points. For all the "development" that has precended the latest products, the one area of "un-development" is clearly durability.

richard on 9 September 2009

Ah, cool, err, i mean, hot? hahah nice one john, the e-bomb that I have is amazing and I am still wondering to this day why I took so long to upgrade my wetsuit!! The flexibility and warmth inspires me so much more in my surfing than my older 'stiffer' wetty. I almost feel like I am surfing like Mick Fanning and I reckon a nice new suit is so much more than something to keep you warm, which it must do of course!

Laters

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Who has the coolest surf jammie?

1 September 2009, 19:14

Who has the coolest surf jammie?

So I arrive in the North Beach car park yesterday and pull up next to this unbelievable jammy. It's a rusted old bakkie with a canopy and the South African flag painted on the one side. Iron bars for roofracks, and a poster taped to the back window of a gnarly black dude looking out. I couldn't help myself and had to have a closer look. On the wooden tailgate of the bakkie was emblazoned 'Transkei Limo Rentals', underneath that was 'limo:R25/day & 1/2 chicken (free). I peered into the back of the bakkie. Strewn around the interior were the clear makings of a traveling surfer. Boardbags, leashes a big foam matrass and a bra innocently dangling from the one window ledge. It's the single coolest cabbie I've seen in the North Beach car park for sometime. Intrigued I asked Jean the car guard who's car it was. Just then the owners arrived fresh from their surf. A guy and a girl, we introduced ourselves and so I met Tegan and Eva. They were from J-Bay but just having a wander around our coast. No real timeframe, just surfing and hanging out. In fact they were so cool I had a passing thought that they might even out-Roosta Roosta for their laid back surfing outlooks, if that's possible! After we'd chatted for a while it turns out that Tegan had helped hook us up in J-Bay with the awesome home we stayed in over the Billabong Pro. To see pictures of the house just check the banners on this page. Anyway cooler people you won't meet so if you see them in your hood say hi and invite them over for a beer at the least give them a wave. If you have a cooler surf jammie than this one send it to us at crew@thebombsurf.com Winner receives 2 nights at The Coffee Shack on us!
John

4 Comments so far:

Dave on 2 September 2009

Hey John, if thats the coolest jammy you have ever seen then why do you drive an Audi TT? haha. Just kidding John, yours will get to the boarder or the Transkei for that matter a lot faster...

Tyrone Smith on 4 September 2009

Oh shit is that where my son is!

Anne Hall on 4 September 2009

Oh shit is that where our daughter is - great surf today at Raglan NZ

Jared on 7 September 2009

ya Teg's..... get em' bru!!! big up, enjoy-

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