Latest Surfski News

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 07:11
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” I thought to myself a few moments after launching on the brand new V10 4G for the first time. It was getting dark; it was raining; the squalls were lifting sheets of spray off the water… directly offshore. What WAS I thinking? The answer is that I’m a sucker for new toys – and if I get my hands on one, I HAVE to play with it. Damn the weather, full speed ahead… Since then I’ve paddled the boat many more times, in much pleasanter weather. Here’s what I think of this,…
Thursday, 08 June 2023 12:42
East London, South Africa: Angus Warren watched helplessly as the shark’s teeth crunched through the hull of his surfski. “It seemed to go on and on,” he says, “pushing and chomping. I was thinking, why is it not working out that it isn’t food? “I can’t tell how long it took, but I had enough time to shout a couple of times to the others.” The next thing he knew, he was in the water…
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Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:42
CAPE TOWN - Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn convincingly claimed back their Prescient Freedom Paddle title on Thursday in a dramatic race marked by tough conditions and a rain-delayed start.  Conditions were extremely tough - a brisk northwester blowing spray from the big confused chop into the paddlers' faces as they headed out to the island.  Huge breaking surf on the far side of the island ensured a wide line but the wind dropped as the fleet started on the journey back to the finish, making it that much more difficult and energy sapping to catch the runs.  
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Tuesday, 25 April 2023 11:50
Last Friday, however, I paddled with Dawid on a windless autumn evening in Cape Town. Cruising from Fish Hoek to Muizenberg, we paddled together, stopping at all the coves to surf a few waves. In short, the operative word was "fun". This was a different Dawid - off duty - and, well, I've never paddled with anyone so noisy before. Whistling, singing, shouting to folks on shore - yahooing as he caught a wave. Heading home at dusk we crept up behind a group of seals lazing on the surface. Dawid began barking like a five-year-old paid by the bark...until…
Thursday, 09 February 2023 07:39
A look back - aaaaargh! A mountain. Let it go through... A smaller one, with a glimpse of something massive lurking further out to sea. Catch it, catch it! Sprint, sprint, you’re on it, here’s the break zone, keep going, keep going, the roar from behind and the sudden acceleration as a massive foamy caught up to me, keep it straight, keep it straight... Phew. Arrived. Panting. Stop the watch. ok. Made it. Empty the boat, pick it up to prevent it knocking you down. Done.
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Saturday, 26 November 2022 17:16
The South Africans cleaned up today at the most prestigious surfski race in Australia – arguably the most prestigious race in the world - taking five out of the top six places and the entire podium at the Shaw and Partners “The Doctor” in Perth. Defending women’s champion, Kiwi Danielle McKenzie won the women’s trophy.
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Saturday, 19 November 2022 13:01
Gold Coast paddler, Cory Hill, took first scalp in the five-event ocean ski racing series, the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, winning the inaugural race today, the 24km Fenn West Coast Downwinder from Fremantle, just south of Perth, to Sorrento Beach. In fine conditions with a 16 knot SSW wind courtesy of the famed Fremantle Doctor, the start off Port Beach was intense with the top paddlers in a terse battle to make the first break.   But it was 33-year-old Hill – the 4-times DOCTOR champ who relishes the Perth conditions – who was able to shake the field…
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Tuesday, 16 March 2021 13:54
It’s not easy to catch a rolling, runaway single ski in 30kt of gusting wind – and as they attempted to grab it, Alex and his doubles partner lost their balance and fell into the water. By the time they’d remounted, the single ski was gone – blown away by the strengthening near-gale. They turned and paddled back upwind to find their buddy.
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Wednesday, 03 March 2021 12:08
Accident reports are easy to write when the story ends happily, but this one didn’t and it’s with a very heavy heart that I’m writing this, with a view to learning what we can from it.
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Wednesday, 15 July 2020 09:13
When the NSRI found Duncan MacDonald, he was approximately 6km off Smitswinkel Bay, drifting rapidly further offshore. Gale-force squalls whipped sheets of spray off the waves, reducing visibility almost to nothing. What Happened? Given the small size of the surfski community, there’s always intense interest whenever there’s a rescue. What happened? What did they do wrong? What can we learn from it? Clearly there are lessons to be learnt from any mishap – so here’s a description of what happened, shared with the permission and cooperation of the folks involved in the hope that we might all learn from this…
Friday, 24 April 2020 11:41
Durban – As the continued coronavirus lockdown grips the country, Canoeing South Africa will host a 24 hour Canoeing4COVID-19 event this weekend as a way to raise funds for members of the broader paddling community that have been badly affected by the lockdown.
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Wednesday, 11 March 2020 14:35
“Hey, Rob! Help!” The shouts penetrated the sound of the howling wind and crashing waves – and even through the noise it was obvious from the tone of his voice that something was seriously wrong. I turned and headed back upwind.
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Tuesday, 03 March 2020 14:43
Many paddlers use Personal Locator Beacons, or tracker apps like SafeTrx on their mobile phones. But handheld VHF radios are also a great choice to consider – especially when they’re DSC-capable like the Standard Horizon HX870E.
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Monday, 24 February 2020 12:01
I finally got my hands on a demo Fennix Swordfish S this weekend and did two Miller's Runs in succession to see if I could feel any difference in handling between the 2018 Swordfish S and the new Fennix model.  Conditions were challenging: False Bay was covered in whitecaps, whipped by a combination of a 25-30kt southeaster and small, confused seas.  The result?  I definitely want to spend more time in this boat.
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Thursday, 26 December 2019 10:30
The shark smashed like a freight train into Roger Swinney’s surfski in an explosion of noise and spray, knocking him off into the water.  “I managed to get back on the ski,” he said, “but I fell off again and as I remounted the second time, I saw the swirl and tips of the shark’s fins. “I didn’t see it clearly, but from the force of it and the movement in the water, it looked big!”
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Rob Mousley

Double Millers Run - Video

Saturday, 07 April 2007 18:24 |

ImageForecast (on Buoyweather.com): "Gale Warning. Very windy conditions with rough seas

Small craft advisory: Large long period swell

Winds: SE 27 to 35kts

Seas: SW 14ft at 13sec"

Translation: "Yee haa!"

Oscar's Long Swim

Thursday, 22 February 2007 02:06 |

ImageOn Saturday, 17 Feb 2007,  a cryptic comment appeared on Surfski.info: "SWIM TRAINING: WOULD LOVE OSCARS COMMENTS ON SWIM TRAINING AFTER HIS EPIC TRAINING PADDLE ON FRIDAY". 


Here's the story behind the comment.

 

"Another Chance at Life"

Friday, 08 December 2006 00:12 |

ImageSunday 3rd December, 18h00, 4km west of Steenbras Point, False Bay, South Africa

The big Oryx helicopter hovered over Casper Kruger as he lay semi-conscious on his surf ski.  "It was flying only about two ski-lengths above the water, about twelve metres." he said, "It flew past about 200 metres.  Then I saw it turn and I knew I had another chance at life."

By the time he was found, Casper had been in the water for nearly seven hours.

 

Near Miss in San Francisco Bay

Monday, 04 December 2006 21:04 |

ImageTyrell Impson sent us a scary photo taken by Martin Sundberg of two surf skis in front of a fast moving ship.  The incident happened during the 2006 US Championships in San Fransisco Bay.

Greg Barton and Adam van Koeverden were focussed on negotiating the rough water when suddenly Adam realised that they weren't alone...

Greg tells the story:

 

ARB Surf Ski World Cup 2006 Rob's Race Report

Sunday, 09 July 2006 21:14 |

Image2nd July 2006 dawned a beautiful day - for the beach!  Not for what was supposed to be a 30km downwind run for the Surf Ski World Cup...  There was very little swell, and no wind at all.

The race was run from Westbrook Beach to a buoy off the Umhlanga Rocks lighthouse and then across the bay to the Bay of Plenty Beach on the Durban beachfront.  The distance as measured by my GPS was 31.4km.

 

Rescue in False Bay

Friday, 19 May 2006 21:10 |

ImageThe Paddler

Christmas night 2005 - Alan Witherden lay awake listening to the howling wind.  The southeaster had been blowing hard for several days and thoughts of the resulting rough seas were preying on Alan's mind.  In Cape Town on holiday, he had arranged to join his friend John Rhynes for an early morning paddle the next day.  They were to do the famous "Millers Run" from Millers Point near Simonstown, across the bay to Fish Hoek.

Milnerton Downwind

Sunday, 30 April 2006 19:25 |
Image

A black southeaster hit Cape Town this weekend and the 30kt wind on Saturday afternoon was perfect for a downwind.  

 

Two unidentified paddlers were spotted leaving Milnerton beach, clearly for a Milnerton to Big Bay run...  Elsa Lourens took the photos.

 

Millers Run: Sea Urchins, Bluebottles and Big, Big Waves

Saturday, 22 April 2006 13:20 |

Image
...happy, sunny harbinger of fun - the summer southeaster
Forecast:

“Very windy with large seas. Small craft advisory. Large long period swell. Winds: SE 21 to 28 knots Seas: SW 14 feet at 14 sec.”

Interpretation:

“Millers Run calling all surf skis. Awesome run predicted.”

 

 

Survival in False Bay

Wednesday, 08 February 2006 12:08 |

Sunday 6th February 2006: Gordon's Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
(by Rob Mousley)

Surf Ski nose sheered off
...the nose sheered off...
The Sunday race was cancelled because a gale force southeaster was blasting False Bay at 40kts or more. Undaunted, Daantjie Malan and Clifford Binedell decided to do the 18km Gordon's Bay to Monwabisi downwind run in their Fenn Millennium double ski instead. They were joined by friends in another two double skis.

The pair had come prepared: lifejackets, body leashes, flares and a fair bit of experience: Daantjie, a 45 year-old from Strand, has just done the 2005 Men's Health Cape Point Challenge, a 56km paddle known as the toughest ski race in the world, finishing third in the Veterans category. Clifford (also 45) from Stellenbosch, has done several Cape Points and with Matthew van Heerden won the 2004 Discovery Men's Health Doubles Series. These are strong, experienced paddlers.

They arrived on the beach at Gordon's Bay at about 10h00. The bay itself was flat but the wind was so strong it was lifting spray off the water and the sea was covered with a smoky haze. Further out, False Bay was a maelstrom of white water, the tops of the 3 to 4m swells being blown off in streamers of spume.

 

Surfing Dungeons - the Story

Wednesday, 15 February 2006 17:43 |

dungeons surfski

The "surf ski rocketing down huge wave" photo posted earlier on surfski.info sparked plenty of interest. Here's the story behind the shot.

It was taken in 2004 on a Big Day at Dungeons outside Hout Bay here in Cape Town. Someone at SA Paddler magazine thought it might be interesting to take some photos of surf skis catching runs at Dungeons, and looked around for some truly insane paddlers to take up the challenge. Four intrepid surf skiers answered the call: Greg Bertish, Richard Kohler, Richard Sutton and Johann van Blerck.

Oh, and the photographer was in a little 15ft aluminum "tinny" with a 15hp outboard... No rubber duck or jetski; just a fast ski boat as a makeshift rescue craft.