SUNSHINE COAST – THE GUST SPOT GUIDE, SOUTH AFRICA PART 3:
This guide will provide you with the popular kitesurfing and windsurfing spots as an easy reference for planning your weekends and holidays. Part one (issue 21) covered the Western Cape, part two (issue 22) covered the Garden Route, part three is going to guide you through the Sunshine Coast in the Eastern Cape. In addition, there have been some recommended places to stay or activities to enjoy.
EAST LONDON
Region: Nahoon Beach
Spot: Nahoon Mouth
How to get there : From the NE expressway get off at the Gleneagles offramp , turn into the old transkei road take a right at the robots into beach road. Go all the way down until you see the caravanpark on your left hand side. Turn into beach access road and park in the car park.Conditions: Perfect at high tide, flat water and good waves.
Level: All
Best wind: NE – Cross on
Heads up: Stay out of the bathing area (in season) .Try to stay to the left hand side of the blind river,wind strongest closest to river mouth.
Recommendations: Beach break restaurant 400m from beach . Lots of B&B’s in Nahoon mouth (use Google).
Region: Nahoon Beach
Spot: Nahoon Reef
How to get there: Same as Nahoon Beach , launch from the beach and take a few tacks to get to the reef .Wind will be very fluky and gusty on the beach .Launch close to the river mouth .
Conditions: Big right hand reef break. Better on an incoming tide
Level: Advanced
Best wind: 20kn SW or SSW - cross off
Heads up: 3 tacks to get out, wind 10kns stronger at the reef than the beach break. Don’t ride the wave too far as you will get into a wind shadow.
Spot: Bonza Bay
How to get there: Go across the Nahoon bridge into Beacon Bay, up the batting hill, at the top of the hill turn right into Bonza Bay road . Follow this road for about 3 kms till you get to the beach.
Conditions: Beach break, bigger waves and wind than Nahoon. Best at high tide.
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Best wind: SW and NE – cross on and cross off
Heads up: Don’t leave anything on the beach . Try and kite with a friend.
Region: Glen Eden (25km outside East London )
Spot: Glen Gariff
How to get there: Take the East Coast resorts road after getting off the National road going to Durban. Follow this road until you see the Glen Eden Turn off go through Glen Eden past the lagoon and carry on all the way to the beach.
Conditions: NE ( is slightly offshore) very good wave riding on the first day of NE
Level: Advanced
Best Wind: NE – cross off
Heads up: Kite with a friend, sometimes a rip which can swallow up a lost board
Region: Cintsa(37kms outside East London)
Spot: Beach Break and Lagoon
How to get there: Same directions as Glen Eden but about another 10km along the road.
Conditions: Beach break with a lagoon that sometimes has water in for beginners.
Level: Beginner – Lagoon, beach break – all
Best Wind: NE – cross shore
Heads up: Don’t kite to far to the right hand side of the beach. Best at high tide.
Summary: Easiest to stay somewhere in East London close to the sea . High tide better than low tide. Talk to the locals – Patrick 082 4102 679
PORT ELIZABETH
Region: Kings Beach
Spot: Main beach
Directions: Get into Marine Drive, this runs parallel with the P.E coastline (and is the only beach road),proceed along Marine drive till you see a massive parking lot and the Kings Beach sign. We land and launch to the side of the big blue super tube.
Conditions: Choppy water with waves
Level: All
Best Wind: NE, E, SE
Heads up: nothing actually, just don’t jump to close to the beach, because you will land on it, wind direction is frequently dead onshore
Recommendations: Varity of restaurants and B&B, too many to mention, anything in the Summerstrand area is good
Spot: Milliers (small beach)
Directions: Travel along Marine Drive towards south, take a left just prior to the Marine hotel on the right. This paved road allows you to park 5 meters from launch area.
Conditions: Choppy at the back, with a smooth inside section and waves
Level: Intermediate – advanced
Best winds: E, SE
Heads up: Rocks, can only kite on a high tide, very small launching area
Region: The Reserve
Spot: The lighthouse
Directions: Follow Marine Drive out of P.E towards the south, take a left at Pine Lodge Sign and into the reserve
Conditions: Smooth inside sections with plenty waves
Level: advanced
Best winds: E, SE, S
Heads up: Reef, rocks, can only kite on high tide, sharks, strong currents and need to purchase a permit to enter reserve recommendation: Pine Lodge resort
Region: Bluewater Bay
Spot: river mouth
Directions: Travel out of P.E centre to hook up onto the N2 towards East London and take Bluewater bay off- ramp, then proceed towards beach and finally towards the mouth
Conditions: Flat water and waves
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Best winds: SW
Heads up: strong currents, sharks
Recommendation: Any B&B in Bluewater bay
Region: Sardinia Bay
Spot: The Pond
Directions: From P.E airport exit left. Turn left into Heugh Road and continue for 10-12 km’s before turning left at the Sardinia Bay sign post
Conditions: slight swell but mostly smooth
Level: all
Best winds: SW, W
Heads up: Watch out for the current on the left known as the “washing machine” can be easily avoided if you stay to the right
Region: Sardinia Bay
Spot: Danger Bay
Directions: From P.E airport exit left. Turn left into Heugh road and continue for 10-12 km’s before turning left at the Sardinia Bay sign post
Conditions: Waves
Level: Advanced
Best winds: SSW, SW
Heads up: Strong currents, sharks, dangerous if you get into trouble
Region: Cannon Rocks
Spot: Still Waters Beach
Directions: Take the N2 turn off to Port Alfred. Follow the R72 until you get to the Cannon Rocks turn off. Follow the road into Cannon Rocks and take the first street left into Cannon Rocks and follow that road till you get to the parking lot where you will see a wreck just to the left of the parking area.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Best wind: South East, East, South West, West
Heads up: There is a reef that runs for about a kilometer out and at low tide it can be very rocky. If you do a downwind to the left of the wreck towards Boknesstrand there is a spot where the wind drops completely.
Region: Boknesstrand
Spot: Boknesstrand Beach
Directions: Take the N2 turn off to Port Alfred and follow the R72 until you get the Cannon Rocks/Boknes turn off and follow that road towards Cannon Rocks. Turn left at the Boknesstrand sign and follow main road until you get to 2nd street and turn right into 2nd street and follow the road to the parking lot.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Best wind: West, South West, East, South East
Heads up: Can be gusty at times, Rocks to the right of the beach all the way to Cannon Rocks.
Region: Bushmansriver mouth
Spot: River mouth
Directions: Take the N2 turn off to Port Alfred. Follow the R72 until you get the Bushmansriver mouth turnoff. Turn right into Boesmansrivier mond and follow Aloes road / Main Road. Turn left at Hertzog road and then go straight into Hoepoe road. Keep in Hoepoe road and follow the dirt road until you get to the parking area.
Conditions: Wave riding , Free style, Wake style
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Best wind: East, South East, West, South West
Heads up: Rocky towards the left of the mouth at low tide, Keep to the right of the mouth. Don’t go further than Dias Cross if you are on your own. Only do a downwind if you have other kitesurfers with you that know the area, as it can be very dangerous to go around Dias Cross unassisted. Shark infested waters, gusty at times.
Region: Port Alfred
Spot: East Beach
Directions: Take the N2 turn off to Port Alfred. Follow the R72, Southwell Road into Port Alfred and keep on that road, go over the bridge and follow Albany road. Turn right at Lagoon Road and then right again into Dove road. Follow that road till it splits and turn left into the parking lot.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Best wind: South East, East, West, South West
Heads up: Keep to the left of the Pier. Very strong currents to the right. Rocks to the far left. Gusty at times.
Region: Kenton on Sea
Spot: Main Beach
Directions: Take the N2 turn off to Port Alfred. Follow the R72 until you get the Kenton on Sea turnoff. Turn right into Kariega road. Follow Kariega road until you get to a 3way stop. Go straight at the stop until the road split into Eastbourne road, turn right and keep on that road, you will pass Homewoods restaurant on the left, keep straight until you get to the parking lot.
Conditions: Wave riding, Free style, Wake style
Level: Intermediate, Advanced
Best wind: South East, East, South West, West
Heads up: Keep to the right of the river mouth, If you go across the river mouth you can’t walk back. Rocks to the far right of the beach. A bit of a trek to get to the beach from the parking lot, so make sure you don’t have to walk twice.
JBAY AND ST FRANCIS
Region: Kabeljous
Spot: Lagoon
Directions: Da Gamma road out of J-Bay, Vake road on the right
Conditions: flat water
Level: beginner
Best wind: anything easterly
Heads up: shallow
Recommendations near by: J-Bay Wind Kite and Windsurfing school
Region: Kabeljous
Spot: Main Beach
Directions: Da Gamma road out of J-Bay, Vake road on the right
Conditions: waves
Level: all
Best wind: SW
Heads up: heavy beach break
Spot: Kitchen Windows
Directions: Right of JBay Main beach
Conditions: waves
Level: intermediate/advanced
Best wind: South
Heads up: sharks, reef and Surfers
Region: Aston Bay
Spot: Lagoon
Directions: Follow signs from J-Bay to Aston Bay , across the bridge
Conditions: flat water
Level: beginner
Best wind: Easterly
Heads up: good for lessons, too small for more than 3 kiters or 5 windsurfers. Tidal and shallow
Region: Aston Bay
Spot: Main beach
Directions: Drive from J-Bay via Marina Martinique to Astonbay. Big parking lot
Conditions: choppy and waves
Level: all
Best wind: Easterly
Heads up: reef and rocks
Spot: Paradise Beach
Directions: Follow signs via Aston bay drive over bridge, to paradise, carry on straight, first road after airfield turn left, follow road and turn left on T-Junction
Conditions: waves
Level: intermediate and advanced
Best wind: SW, East
Heads up: reef
Region: St Francis Bay
Spot: KrommeRiver
Directions: ask anybody in the area for directions
Conditions: flat water
Level: all
Best wind: Easterly
Heads up: shallow in places
Region: Cape St Francis
Spot: Shelly Beach/Ducks
Directions: In Cape St Francis go past Caravan park, turn right after +-3 Km.
Conditions: waves
Level: advanced
Best wind: East, SW
Heads up: sharks, strong currents and heavy waves
Please post your tips and comments for your fellow GUST readers JL
