Durban surfing community gears up for winter swell season

Swells can be expected to reach a height of around four to eight feet along South Africa’s east coast, say locals.

DURBAN, April 19 (ANA) – The surfing community found along the east coast of South Africa, particularly in the city of Durban, are gearing up for the annual big swell season.

The long-awaited swell season, which typically occurs from April until the end of July, has many Durban surfers biting their nails in anticipation, as the rest of the year presents flat conditions.

According to South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster Celeste Fourie, the cold front approaching the east coast will present ideal conditions for surfing.

“With the winter season approaching, there is a cold front which brings stronger winds, which in turn increases the swell height,” Fourie said in an interview with the African News Agency (ANA) on Monday.

Swell.co.za, a South African website that tracks ambient temperatures, also indicated a major swell fast approaching the east coast from Mozambique.

Store manager at Surf HQ, a Durban-based surf shop, Kirk Attrill, or “Captain Kirk” as the locals refer to him, said on Monday that swells can be expected to reach a height of around four to eight feet (around 2.5 metres).

“All the piers should be firing, from New Pier up to Suncoast. We are probably looking at waves, well at least it’s what we hope for, around the four- to eight-foot range. The north-westerly wind that is going to be blowing is the preferred wind for hollow barrels (waves) which we love riding,” Attrill told ANA on Monday.

“Pretty much from this time of the year until around June or July is the perfect time for big swells on the Durban coastline,” Attrill explained.

The north-westerly or “land breeze” blows cold wind down from the Drakensberg mountain towards the coastline, which makes Durban a unique surf spot during this time of the year.

Despite surfing since the age of 13, Captain Kirk, with more than two decades of surf experience under his deck, also said that the winter swell season is dangerous and should not be taken lightly.

“Everyone surfing the upcoming season should exercise as much caution as possible and try not to get in each other’s way, because that would be consequential. I would say the danger factor is around 7/10 and when it gets big here in Durban, waves can be compared to Hawaii,” Attrill said.

Choosing the correct weapon for the upcoming swell could also make or break a surfer, and Attrill explained that he will be using a bigger board to make catching the waves much easier.

This past weekend, the Durban beachfront proved that the seasonal swell is fast approaching, as the wave break reached new heights.

Durban-based surf photographer Dave Lindemann captured the locals ripping up the thunderous conditions, which looked both serene and destructive at the same time.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher