Mbashe to Hole in the Wall

After two well-fed nights at The Haven Hotel we checked conditions at 4am, then again at 4:30, and made the call to paddle – on the beach just after 5am. The surf had picked up and I had to wait for my gap before Warren’s “Ye, Yes” sent me sprinting for the back line.

The sea was in a strange mood all day – what felt like two layers of current, the top one against me and pushing me slightly shoreward, occasionally so strong I could only manage 6km/h. Eventually I reached the famous Hole in the Wall, though the sea was too rough to paddle through it as I’d hoped. Coming ashore at the main beach I let the last wave of a set break on me while trying to back off – a quick recovery and I rode the next one in.

We’re staying with Sue and Woggie Abrahams from Cape Town in their fantastic “shack” on the hill overlooking both beaches – the skottel was fired up within 20 minutes of our arrival.