In August 1997 I had the privilege of undertaking a surf safari into the interior, destination: Swakopmund, Namibia. I would like to share some information about the surf spots we found there and also suggest some travelling tips.

The Spots

The ocean off Swakopmund is influenced by the cold, fertile Benguela current sweeping up the coast towards Angola, and the average water temperature in winter is about 12deg. C, but temperatures of 22deg.C are not uncommon in summer. The predominant winds are the south-westerlies, which are onshore everywhere except at the pointbreaks of Cape Cross. In summer the surfing is mostly restricted to wind swells, but with the onset of winter the pattern changes to one of regular groundswells, producing exceptional waves at "Guns". Early morning offshores blow more consistently, and occasionally a fiery, hot, offshore berg wind, the "Ostwind", makes for clean conditions. Another factor is the all-pervasive fog that sets in for up to 340 days a year, often blanketing the coastal strip, making surfing somewhat of a guessing game. The local surfers, waveskiers and bodyboarders are a friendly bunch - so please respect them to keep it that way!

Swakopmund's premier surf spot is a powerful reef break called "Guns" which is found about 20km out of town on the Walvis Bay side of the Dolphin Park chalets. This spot needs a big swell to work, with long, lined up lefts, from 4' to 10'(that's 8' to 20' for Muizenberg locals) , surfable at any tide.

Guns also provides some right-handers for the "goofy-butts" among us. A few hundred metres towards Walvis Bay is another reefbreak called "Mussels", which only works in the largest of swells. The next spot is found about 2-3km beyond the railway restaurant on the "Langstrand" section of beach. It is a small wave spot , works at low tide, and has the evocative name of "Last Toilet" (Cemetery locals should feel at home there!). As you approach Swakopmund there is a reef break called "Tiger Reef" out in front of the river mouth. In town is the infamous "Lockjoint", which is a super-hollow reef break that does its Kalk Bay impersonation at low tide. It is a very fickle wave though, and can be found halfway between the pier and the "Mole" breakwater. Just past the main swimming beach is a left known as "Pipeline", but it is nothing like the original! "Thicklip" is a bowling left breaking on a reef to the left of a rocky groyne along Strand street. It works best on a pushing tide with a medium-sized swell. A few kilometres to the North is a small wave, high tide spot , "Vineta Point", with a bowling take-off on a shallow shelf in front of a rocky groyne. The lefts are best , and the brave can try to backdoor the peak , but be prepared to meet "Mr. Reef" if you wipe out. Once past the shelf, the wave slows down in the channel. Just to the North of this break at the end of town is a reef-break known as "Fiji" for some obscure reason. It is a "soft" wave, if you can imagine a cross between Muizenberg and Witsands.

The salt road leads north out of town past many fishing villages, until, at 130km one reaches the Cape Cross seal reserve. There are two long points here with three surfable sections : "Main Break "is the best section, it is furthest out along the point, the take-off area is at the end of the wall dividing the main parking lot from the seal colony.

There can be up to 100000 of these creatures in this colony(Long beach locals shouldn't be intimidated), needless to say the smell is out of this world!

The ride is up to 600m long with multiple cutbacks possible. Further down the point is a fast, rocky hollow section called "Graveyards". The next point is known as "Factory Point" due to the presence of a seal-processing plant. The waves here are usually not as lined up as at the main break.

The best conditions are on smaller swells (when Swakopmund is flat) with a south-westerly wind.You have to obtain an entry permit at the gate to surf here, it costs N$10 per person + N$10 per car. Please pay and stick to the rules as surfing used to be banned here! There are no camping facilities, but there is a small kiosk/restaurant at the seal factory. The nearest camping spot is at Mile 72, a fishing camp towards Swakopmund.

I hope that this introduction to surfing in Namibia has whet your appetites! There are probably many more surf spots on this desolate coastline: good luck for "The Search".

Travelling there

Seasoned travellers will tell you that the journey is more important than the destination, well, the trip from the Cape to Swakopmund is somewhat of an epic one: about 1800km on the tarred main route! For those who love their cars I have some words of advice - stick to the tarred roads! Those of us who are travelling in one of the following vehicles: bakkies, 4x4's, rented or friends' cars - take the grrravel option, the desert scenery is mind-blowing to say the least. Our vehicle had four punctures along the way, with two tyres damaged beyond repair, even with the experienced Willy 'Wombat' Graser at the helm.

Here are just a few of the sites that are well worth visiting along the way. Invest in a good map for starters, as the distances are long, water is scarce, and vultures are hungry!

In the South there is the awesome grandeur of the Fish river canyon, with accommodation available at the Ai-Ais hot springs. If you have time (and plenty of petrol) then a trip to the coastal town of Luderitz and the nearby ghost town of Kolmanskop may be worth your while. The huge Namib Naukluft park extends all the way from Luderitz to Swakopmund, encompassing the Namib desert in all its forms: gravel plains, mountains and the vast emptiness of the dune sea. It is in this sandy desert that the highest dunes in the world occur: at the magnificent Sossusvlei.

Camping is available nearby at the Sesriem canyon campsite and the early riser is rewarded by the splendour of the red dunes at dawn. The walk to Sossusvlei takes about an hour (4x4's can drive there) and should not be attempted in the midday heat. Between Sossusvlei and Swakopmund lie the Naukluft mountains, with perennial streams forming deep pools in secluded gorges. Camping here is by prior reservation only. The desert route to Swakopmund meanders through endless gravel plains, traverses the Kuiseb river gorge, then passes through a picturesque landscape of quiver trees and granite domes. The plains are bordered by the menacing dunes, which are hemmed in by the dry course of the Kuiseb river. This area has some stunning, unspoiled campsites with minimal facilities (no water). Adventurous types could also try the gravel route from Windhoek to Swakopmund via the Khomas Hochland, a beautiful mountainous region. There are some interesting day drives around Swakopmund, and a visit to the "landscape of the moon" and the Welwitschia plants (some are reputed to be 1500 years old!) is certainly worthwhile.

Swakopmund is a quaint town, with a curious mix of old German- and modern buildings, and a cosmopolitan atmosphere. There are plenty of good restaurants and some excellent coffee shops: try "Cafe Treff" or "Seebad Konditorei" ; the German pubs come alive every night, check out the "Bistro".

If coffee shops are not your idea of an adrenalin rush you could try some of the following activities: sandskiing, sandboarding (on snowboards), quad bike tours through the dunes (quite a rush, but spinal injuries have occurred due to ostrich "head in sand" type manoeuvres), parasailing, fishing, horse riding, balloon safaris and camel rides.

There is a variety of accommodation available, with the municipal chalets reasonably priced for those willing to share. Contact the Namib Tourist Information Centre in Swakopmund at telephone: 09264-64-402-224 or fax at 09264-64-405-101.

Things to remember:

* BRING A VALID PASSPORT

* Rands are accepted everywhere, and R1 = N$1

* Autobanks gladly accept your cards

* Respect the locals

See you there!