In the early 1990s, a pirated video was doing the rounds on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. It was a poor quality, home video that showed some of the world’s best surfers, including South African former world surfing champ Martin Potter and Australian big wave surfer Ross Clarke-Jones, surfing some of the most perfect waves ever seen on film.
Within months, this destination was discovered by knowledgeable marketeers, and surf stars were sent in their droves to this moving photo-shoot. The images that came from these trips filled catalogues and surf magazines with photos of top surfers riding exotic turquoise and empty waves for the world surfing masses to gaze on in jealous awe and wonder. The waves of the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra soon became the haunt of rich surf companies, which sent their pro surfers and some surfing execs to surf empty, pristine waves, at a cost. The few surfers who had access to good boats saw this as a chance to jump in on a fledgling industry, and so the surfing boat charters were born.
At first, the charters were so ridiculously priced — in United States and Australian dollars — that South Africans could only look on, count our measly rands and plan a surf holiday to the Stilbaai campsite or Kabeljous at Jeffrey’s Bay. This has all changed now.
The average surfing holiday for a South African is now a fully planned and convenient luxury boat trip. Granted, it is still relatively expensive, but well worth it in terms of cost per wave. Nice, yet somehow devoid of the real spirit of adventure.
The romantic idealism of the wandering surfer in search of the perfect wave used to be a yellowing, single-fin surfboard, a brown backpack with a tin mug hanging off it and a Jack Kerouac novel hanging out of a pocket. Bearded, somewhat grubby, wearing slops and a thoughtful expression, eyes pinpricks against the relentless sun. Hand-drawn maps in a little notebook, with Xs marking the secret spots.
This is no more. The modern surfer is a high-tech, dialled-in geek, with swell and wind reports arriving daily on his/her cellphone and laptop, iPods downloading surf report Podcasts and 3G phones beaming in real-time waves from anywhere in the world. Accurate swell prediction websites and paid-for swell notification subscriptions have taken all the fun out of lucking on to a good and unexpected swell. Surfers are appreciative, though, and have fully embraced the future, a future that includes expensive boat charters into idyllic tropical locales with unbelievable waves.
The boat charters are at the top end of comfort and an airport pick-up takes you to your five-star hotel for the evening. A luxury bus transports you to the harbour and deckhands carry your boards and luggage on to the boat.
You have the choice of a single or double air-conditioned cabin. There’s an on-call chef to serve you three meals a day, as well as any other food you might need during a big surfing day. Ice-cold beers and drinks are available any time. A satellite phone, energy supply for laptops or a big-screen plasma TV with hundreds of latest-release DVDs to watch keep you occupied when the waves are not happening. Or Playstation. Or iPods.
There is a runner boat to get you from the main boat and into the line-up without having to paddle. The same boat will pick you up when you are done surfing. The best boats have jet skis to help surfers find the best waves in the area — one even has a helicopter pad, and a helicopter with pilot in attendance so the waves can be checked for good form from above. It has become a rich man’s game, way removed from the counterculture ideology that surfing and surfers represented for such a long time.
Every surfer has a romantic longing that cannot be quelled, and these charter boat companies identified it and catered for it. It’s a win-win situa-tion for everyone. Take away the hardships of travel and the time-wasting missions of local transport and stand-by plane tickets. Take away the grovel and the endeavour, the luck and uncertainties of finding good waves. Present these surfers with a plethora of world-class waves within easy reach, pamper them with every single comfort of home while away and charge them two arms and a leg for the pleasure. Ker-ching!
The one question begging to be asked is, are there enough surfers out there with coin, or are surfers still the classically indigent minimalists, wanting for nothing except noodles, water and surf?
The answer is a resounding yes. Rich surfers exist everywhere in great numbers. Charter boats are booked years in advance. The average rate for a South African booking a berth on a boat is about a grand to R1 200 a day, plus air tickets.The bookings come in thick and fast.
There are so many boats trawling the same area in the Mentawais, but no one seems fussed. Fill up the boats, send the cattle out there and allow them to catch some good waves. They arrive home a shade browner, two pounds lighter and expounding on the surfing lifestyle and how they have rediscovered their long forgotten youth. How they have once again found their mojo.
Then they turn their gadgets back on, deal with the 4 000 mails in their inbox and return numerous missed calls. Until the next trip.
Where to catch the surf and other related stuff
If you want to rediscover your youth, or find your mojo again, book a charter to the Mentawais with a bunch of your mates. Go to www.truebluetravel.co.za or call Lorrin on Tel: (031) 573 2171 or 082 561 5798. The South African boat charter in the Indian ocean is The Indies Explorer. It’s a slick boat with all the necessary mod cons. Got to www.wavescape.co.za/ advertisers/indies/indies_home.htm for a rundown on the boat and their charters.
Also check out www.surftravel.com.au for global surf travel, and www.wavehunters.com/guides.asp for package deals including guides.
Easy destinations for boat and/or land travel for South Africans are Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion island, Rodrigues island and Inhaca island off Mozambique.
If you want to learn how to surf this summer, get in touch with the Kahuna Surfing Academy on [email protected]. The academy will hook you up with your nearest accredited surfing school.
Look out for the Roxy Learn To Surf Academy travelling our coasts during summer:
East Coast — Dec 3 to Jan 6
Dec 3 and 4: Wahine Cup/ Suncoast Beach
Dec 8: Ballito (Thompson’s Bay)
Dec 10 and 11: Richards Bay (Alkantstrand)
Dec 16 and 17: Margate (Main Beach)
Dec 19 and 20: East London (Nahoon Beach)
Dec 22 and 23: Port Elizabeth (King’s Beach)
Dec 27 to 30: Plett (Lookout Beach)
Jan 3 2006: Jeffrey’s Bay (Kitchen Windows)
Jan 5 and 6: St Francis Bay (Main Beach)
Jan 6: Cape St Francis (Seal Point Beach break)
West Coast — Dec 7 to Jan 6
Dec 7: Melkbosstrand (Main Beach)
Dec 9 and 10: Bloubergstrand (Big Bay)
Dec 12: Camps Bay (Main Beach)
Dec 14: Llandudno (Main Beach)
Dec 15: Hout Bay (Main Beach)
Dec 17: Fish Hoek (Main Beach)
Dec 19 and 20: Muizenberg (Main Beach)
Dec 23 and 24: Strand (Main Beach)
Dec 27 and 30: Hermanus (Grotto Beach)
Jan 3: Kommetjie (Long Beach)
For further information, contact Natasha Bellingan on Tel: (031) 313 1400.
l For surf equipment in Durban, try the Safari Surf Shop. Go to www.safarisurfco.com.