Surfs Up...

After a 9 hour drive through a thunderstorm to Durban there was a bit of apprehension about whether the weather would be conducive to learning to surf. I'm normally a pretty fast learner but 3m high waves could prove a bit tricky! Luckily when I got up in the morning there was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was already up to 25 degrees at 8am!

We were spending the duration of our time at my Auntie's house in the Bluff area in Durban. The location could not get any more perfect. A few hundred metres away is Brighton beach and the warm Indian Ocean, just twenty minutes away is the centre of Durban with its long beachfront lined with restaurants, hotels and markets stalls. When you add in the two dogs Jessie & Titch and the amazing seafood Braai (BBQ) being served up it most definitely beat any of the accomodation on the trip so far!

One of my main aims for this trip was to learn to surf. The thought of learning in the freezing cold English Channel never really appealed to me but learning in South Africa was just too good n opportunity to miss! I'd just have to ignore the fact that there are shark warning signs all over the beaches. I'd be too busy standing up on my board....right??

Our lesson was booked through Learn 2 Surf as they have schools throughout South Africa and were also incredibly competitive with their rates. A one hour lesson is just 150 Rand per person - that equates to about £12!!

After we had been given our board and surf top we made our way down the busy boardwalk to the beach. Normally, when you are making a fool of yourself with introductory lessons you can do so in private - not a chance here! The beach was packed because of the beautiful weather - the temperature was hitting the low 30's! Whatever happened I was going to have to pick this up quickly!

In theory, surfing should be simple. All you're trying to do is stand up on a board that floats. What can go wrong? When we practice the movements on the beach it all seems so easy. Lie down, hands by your chest. Push yourself up so that your back is fully arched, then lift your bum before bringing one foot forwards to stand up. Easy! Until you get in the water at least!

We slowly paddle out over the growing waves to put the theory into practice and soon realise just how difficult it actually is. It's only then that our coach explains that most people don't actually manage to stand up on their very first lesson.

Challenge accepted!!

My brother and I both wipeout more times than I can care to remember but it feels like it's starting to click. I just need to catch the right wave and focus on the horizon so that I forget about what i'm doing with my feet. They should take care of themselves. Back arched, bum up, I bring my left foot forwards. The board feels stable and I make it to my feet. Only this time I manage to stay on my feet and ride the wave all the way into the beach! I rode my first wave!!

Surfing is both incredibly addictive and frustrating in equal measures. The slightest over-step means you lose your balance and wipeout into the wave but the rush when you get it right and manage to ride the wave is amazing! Definitely worth doing if you get the chance - I might even consider a trip to Cornwall to have another go when I get back. I better invest in a warm wetsuit first though!!

On another note - we also visited the Moses Mabhida Stadium which was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The visit included a skywalk which goes over the arch (similar to the one at Wembley). The views on top were spectacular, however, it did hammer home just how high the bungee jump is that I'll be attempting to do later on in my trip. The top of the stadium arch was 106m high and felt like I was in the clouds looking down on the tiny seats in the stadium below. The bungee next week is over 300m high. I better bring some dutch courage for that!!