FENCETucked up against the harbour wall, Fence is a wedge that favours lefts. Back in the day, before all the sand built up against the wall it used to fire big time. Despite being a shadow of it's former self, it's still a great wave with a dedicated local crew. Why Fence? Pretty obvious really. There was a big fence that ran along the harbour wall, to stop the ou's getting up onto the wall from the beach to go fishing. Not sure when it disappeared, but when I first surfed there back in 1999 it wasn't there. In those days you could park your car in the harbour and just hop over the wall. Waaay quicker than the schlep down the beach. Not that your car was any safer mind you, plenty windows got smashed in by idle chokka fisherman. Nowadays it's still a pretty unsafe spot for your caddy, and definitely out of bounds to solo chick surfers, unless you take your mace with for the walk.
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DENVILSThe little bay just to the side of McArthur Baths, favourite of beginners and surf schools. Pretty lucky for us regular surfers, cos keeps em out the rest of the line-ups til at least they kinda have a clue. On big days, with the right banks and the right swell angle on a big swell it can dish up freight train barrels, but you gotto be lucky to get out of them. Interesting to see that back in the 60's it was a rocky lil cove (check the pic on the right). Rather ironic that the only places in the past 20 years that seem to have gained sand are either kak surf spots like this, or previously good spots like Fence - that has been made worse by sand build up. The irony is that we've lost wave quality at premier spots cos of losing sand. Damn, just didn't work out right, did it? Only good thing about Denvils is that Surf Centre is right over the road - blatant plug for Big Dave and John Scheepers!!
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SUICIDESSo named for a reason! Ridiculously shallow takeoff in front of dry rock and a wall - double whammy. Frequented by boogers and generally left alone by the stand-up's. Chaim paddled across to have a dibs at it on a big swell recently, but got chased away by the lifey's, who decided they didn't feel like picking up bits of him from amongst the barnacles. Interesting that they don't seem to mind if the boogers bliksem themselves!!
The take-off is directly behind the little pier to the west of Hummies, with the wave running into the small bay, also filled with rocks. So yah, all in all, fun to look at; fearsome to surf....although certainly amusing to watch others try surf it and get drilled. |
HUMEWOODCos it's at Humewood Beach...duh! Humewood suburb is named after the Hume family, so hence the beach in their 'burb also carries their name. Back in the day it used to have a long rope running from the pylons across the bay to the little pier, with ropes dangling down off that. Meant if you surfed it you had to dodge the ropes the whole time, so at that stage it actually got called "Ropes." Surfing was banned there right from the start - check out the "no surfing" sign in the pic on the right. Glad surfers today are just as respectful as those of old! Seriously though, if the lifey's tell you to get out, listen! Least they let us surf there most of the time if there aren't peeps swimming. So don't push your luck, plus don't stuff it up for everyone else by being a muppet. The lighties have decided to call it Six Pillars, nup ou's, Hummies is here to stay - so stick to the right name.
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BAKED BEANSI reckon there ain't another surf spot in the world called Baked Beans! It's a fickle spot between Hummies and Shark Rock Pier, and relies on the right amount of sand to fill in the holes in the reef to make it a decent ride. Most of the time it's a sectiony close-out, with the odd punter trying it out when Hummies and Pier are crowded. Well, why the name? Turns out back in the day the ou's reckoned the take-off was so shallow you sh*t yourself - which is pretty much what happens when you chow a tin of baked beans - so hence the cryptic name!
It also suffers from some serious backwash at high tide, so generally is well left alone, unless all the stars align and it's throwing up perfect pits. One of the few places in PE that spits, so certainly worth it if it's firing. |
SHARK ROCK PIEROr the pier for short. Relatively new spot that was created by the construction of the pier at Shark Rock. Sand built up really well to start with, and it used to be a super consistent spot, that always had a wave on the low tide. Then came the monster swells of 2007/2008, and just swept all the sand away, goodbye. Now it barely works even on a spring low and big swell. Such a pity cos it's a really decent wave, especially when some east groundswell comes our way. Back in about 2005 a cyclone sent us a 14sec east swell for a whole week - Pier was insane. You can always spot the new ou's, they try paddle out right next to the pier on the Hobie side, and end up getting sucked through the pylons by the rip - no fun if you wash across the barnacles en route. Has a hell rip when big. The story behind the name Shark Rock is pretty cool. The river that flows out into the sea at Humewood used to sink away into the sand as it got to the beach. The Dutch referred to it as "sak weg" (meaning "sink away for those who suck at Afrikaans!). Somehow "sak" got bastardised into "shark" by the English...so it became Shark River, and well, the big rock close by became Shark Rock!
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THE GRAVEYARDThis is the bottom section of Millers, just up from Hobie Beach. So named because there's some pretty gnarly rocks lurking about there. The wave tends to section, sucking you in to trying to make the unmakable - and getting slammed into the bricks for your troubles. Lots of broken boards and bones. Very tempting on a spring high and big swell, as runs onto the beach at Hobie. Nice and hollow and can throw some good barrels. If it wasn't a horribly environmentally unfriendly thing to do, a coupla well placed bags of cement could do wonders in straightening up the reef a bit and making for a really good wave. Til then, it remains the preserve of those trying to dodge the crowds at Millers on big days.
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MILLERSHome of Millerslocal! The reef was called Millers Reef long before surfing even started in PE. No-one's too clear on where the name came from. A long friendly right point break between Hobie beach and Chomp Rock. Tends towards being a bit fat and mushy, but it can have it's day. Perfect swell direction and size see you being able to catch a wave from Chomp rock itself right through to the beach at Hobie, over 700m. Super easy wave, no matter what size it gets to. Tends to turn into a mushburger on the outside at over 6ft, although solid long period groundswell from the SSW can let it hold shape to maybe 8ft. Although the pebbly reef is far from threatening, it still manages ding your shins or slice the odd foot if you're getting out near the drain. Far from the perfect wave, but certainly a damn fine spot to live over the road from.
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CHOMP ROCKThe big rocky outcrop that marks the very top portion of Millers reef. A frustrating high tide reef that often has you chasing ghosts, although being capable of delivering on it's day. Smaller days see it reforming round the rock and breaking on the inside, big days you take off next to the rock itself. Why Chomp - well, not as many of you think, in that it can "chomp' you on the take-off. It's actually named after the chocolate bar called a Chomp - you know, the yellow one's with the hippo on. Back in the day you got the lil one for 2c and the big one for 5c. But then we only got 50c a week pocket money! Turns out one of Mauro Poggi's mates came up with it, cos they always used to sit on the beach at Millers in front of the Rock eating Cadbury's Chomps, so they decided to call it Chomp Rock and the name stuck.
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AVALANCHEOr Avo's for short. Varying theories as to how it got it's name. Mush says it's cos when you sitting out back you can't see the sets coming til they right on you, so it was like getting hit by an avalanche, really sudden. Others say it's cos of the rebound off the rocks that creates a wedge running across the wave, that then peaks & crashes down like an avalanche - remembering back in the day there was a TON more sand there, & the rebound was far more hectic than it is today. Some years back the council decided to stick a whole bunch of rocks in chicken wire round the edges of the beach, which just prevented the beach getting replenished with sand, and resulted in more sand loss at the break... Major fail. Good to see it's starting to get some sand back, but is still a shadow of it's former self. Also the wave responsible for the 6 stitches I have below my left eye...
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GAS CHAMBERSFairly rarely surfed wave to the Pipe side of the Avo's rock, right in front of Something Good. Predominantly frequented by boogers. Asolutely no idea where the name comes from, so hopefully someone will be able to shed some light on it for us. Chambers I guess cos it's hollow, but not too sure where the gas bit comes into it??
Some of you might be too young to remember Something Good, which used to a favourite of the varisty kids and post surf crew. Plenty of chow for cheap. Which all came to light one day when it was announced that the Herald had discovered they were putting horse meat into their burgers! Funny enough burger sales didn't seem to drop - shows you, when it comes to students - price beats everything!! |
CLUBHOUSEBit of a no-brainer - it's in front of the Summerstrand lifesaving clubhouse. Reef that sits out the back, that relies on the right amount of sand coverage, a big swell and low tide. The bay's only legitimate big wave spot. When it works it can throw out huge barrels - remember seeing Jason van Greunen get properly shacked on a 10ft'r out there many years ago - was the day the sea washed up into the car park itself (click here for pics). Guys like Granville West used to connect the big one's right through past the back of the avo's rock into avo's itself (check it out here) - haven't seen that done in a looooong time - probably also cos there's less sand these days? Monster rip that runs when it works, so would be ideal if someone with a jetski and a sled could play taxi out there!
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PIPEShew, us PE ou's can be lank imaginative. It's called Pipe, cos well there's a storm-water pipe that runs slap bang into the middle of the break! PE's most consistent spot that handles most tides, all swell directions and picks up any sniff of swell around. Mostly mediocre, but can get good, and on occasion great. Where you'll find most of PE's hot surfers lurking about, splitting the peaks and dodging the crowds of learners, boogers, paddleskiers, SUP's, malibu's, surf ski's, and pretty much anything else that floats! Also a favourite with the photags, cos nice view from the boardwalk, good light in the arvie and generally has the best surfers out, unless Hummies is firing.
Pollok beach, home to Pipe, was named after the Pollok Hotel that used to stand where the present Summerseas is today – before it became the legendary (and infamous) Summerstrand Hotel. Buildings here dated back to the 1890’s, when the sand dunes were reclaimed and allocated for use of a hotel. The dude who built it came from Scotland, and was called Pollok – so guess what, he named the hotel after himself! |
BLACK BOTTOMS'Nother original one, this one....not. So named cos the reef it breaks over is black rock - so when you look down you see the bottom is black. Also known as the spot "in front of Chappi's house" - despite Chappi being swallowed up by the rat race and relocating to Cape Town! Go buy lank Oakleys so Chappi can retire early and move back to PE and claim back rightful ownership to his spot. Mostly below average waves, although can get good if there's some decent sand build up and the swell directions spot on. Shifty line up keeps you paddling about, and milking the wave til the end often sees you having to deal with rock shelf on the inside, which isn't a fin friendly undertaking.
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RINCONNamed after Rincon, the reeling right hand point break in the States. One of those "could be prefect if..." kinda spots. Used to crank back in the day when there was enough sand on the reef, whereas nowadays tends to be a bit sectiony - and needs a perfect swell size and direction to really fire on all cylinders. On a good day you can start up almost at Flat Rocks, and kick out at Black Bottoms. Good idea to then prone in to the beach, unless you feel like a km paddle! Picks up the most swell of all the bay spots, and at 6ft plus can dish out a fair beating to those caught inside. On big days it looks like it's breaking halfway out to sea. Also offers some decent juice, something normally lacking in the rest of the bay spots. Generally a good indicator of what JBay's doing. Just another case of "if only they hadn't stuffed up the sand dune systems..." - cos this place with a good sand covering would line up all the sections of reef and be pretty awesome.
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