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Destination
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SA SURF AND SUP ICON, CHRIS BERTISH TALKS
ABOUT HIS TRAVELS ON THE CONTINENT
Interview: Keith Bain. Photographs: Craig Kolesky
WHEN YOU’RE OUT TO SEA ,
sometimes 30km
offshore, and there’s nothing but yourself and
your board, sea creatures tend to exercise their
curiosity. They interact on a different level than they
would if you were in a boat or engine-powered craft.
I’VE HAD SHARKS FOLLOW ME, been fortunate to paddle with
pods of humpback whales, and seen monster sunfish, turtles,
and every type of dolphin you can imagine. Sometimes I leave my
board, take off my leash, dive in and swim with them for a while.
MY DAD WAS AN INCREDIBLE WATERMAN. He water-skied for SA,
built SA’s first ever catamaran, sailed, surfed… a bit of everything.
He took me sailing as a toddler – I’d fall asleep on deck with only my
arm wrapped around the rigging. The ocean is my second home.
It’s not like being on land, confined to borders and boundaries,
rules and regulations. There’s a boundlessness with the ocean.
I DID A 325KM SELF-SUPPORTED STAND-UP PADDLE (SUP) from
Cape Point to Lambert’s Bay in 2013. On day four, I was on my
board somewhere off the West Coast, hammered by sunburn,
dehydration, and fatigue. My corneas were roasted and I was
frazzled by lack of sleep. I’d paddled into thick fog and now
the wind was coming from the wrong direction. Weird sounds
began emanating from below and water spouted through the
mist. Suddenly, I found myself in the midst of a pod of humpback
whales – at least 23. My navigation equipment told me I was off
course; mysteriously, the whales already knew this and were
guiding me back on track.
I’VE SPENT AN IMPROMPTU NIGHT ON ROBBEN ISLAND, during
a seven-day paddle along the coast. I had to crawl up the beach,
dragging a SUP board, camping and communication equipment
and food, and set up camp late at night. I woke before sunrise
to head off before anyone noticed I was there. The resident
penguins were as surprised to see me as I was to be there
and the view of Cape Town glittering in the dark beneath Table
Mountain was insane.
I’VE DONE SUP ADVENTURES UP INTO THE OKAVANGO DELTA where
I’ve seen hippos and crocodiles while paddling. I hired one of
Botswana’s top mokoro [wooden canoe] guides, who knows
the waterways well. Each night we slept in a new location. At
one overnight spot, there was a massive elephant bull on the
river bank where we wanted to camp. We had to wait until he’d
finished browsing before we could get out of the water.
IN NAMIBIA, Walvis Bay has a perfect left-hander at Skeleton
Bay – it’s probably the world’s most challenging beach break.
It’s brutally powerful, incredibly steep, and terribly fast – it travels
at you at roughly 40kmh and you’ve got to be able to get up, get
in it and get to the same speed as it very quickly. The take-off is
very short and steep, over a shallow sand bottom. It’s humbling
because you only make about one in every ten waves.
south africa
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Profile
Chris’
Fabulous 5
I ALSO SAIL AND
I’ve
competed in the
Lüderitz Speed
Challenge which is very special. It’s an
incredible event – all the world’s fastest
kitesurfing and windsurfing records have
been set in that speed channel in Lüderitz.
BETWEEN THE ISLANDS of the Bazaruto
Archipelago off Vilanculos, at two in the
morning, I was paddling over ‘Tiger Alley’
– an area with the highest density of tiger
sharks in the world. At times like that, in
pitch darkness, it helps to remember
that while those sharks are inquisitive,
we humans aren’t really on their menu.
FOUR YEARS AGO, my plan was to paddle
from Senegal to Brazil on an SUP, covering
3,250km in 65 days. I’ve changed the
project and will now spend four months
crossing between Morocco and Florida –
around 7,500km. Once hurricane season
finishes, I’ll follow the currents and the trade
winds that blow between Africa and the
Americas until March or April. I’ll be travelling
unsupported, entirely self-sufficient.
MOROCCO FASCINATES ME – a montage
of incredible colours, tastes, smells, and
exotic experiences. It has some excellent
surf spots. Agadir, where I will start my
Atlantic crossing, is one of Morocco’s bigger,
busier ports. It’s a really pretty little town
with some good surf. North of Agadir, the
port city of Essaouira has a lovely medina
surrounded by old seafront ramparts with
cannons and lovely views of the ocean.
It’s another surfing hub, and when the
powerful trade winds blow, there’s very
good windsurfing and kitesurfing. Between
Agadir and Essaouira is Imsouane, a really
beautiful little fishing village with lots of
bright blue wooden boats lined up on
the seafront. The surf’s good there, too.
WINDSURF.
TOWN
I’m biased about
Langebaan on the Cape
West Coast because all
my childhood weekends
and vacations were
spent there. It looks like
a postcard scene from the
Mediterranean. I think it’s
one of the most beautiful
places on the planet. If you
don’t get out on the water,
you may not appreciate it,
but I do and I know every
crevice of the Langebaan
Lagoon. I’ve also camped
in the nature reserve there
when there’s no-one else
around, and it’s magic. I go
up frequently in winter.
FESTIVAL
DIVE SPOT
Some of the finest
diving in the world is in
Mozambique. The best
for me is Tofo Bay, where
you can dive or snorkel
with loads of wonderful
maritime creatures
including dolphins and
mantas. And there are
whale sharks which makes
the diving very special.
The Wavescape Surf Film
Festival [in Cape Town
this month] will open your
eyes to the beauty of the
African coastline. It gives
you insight into some of
the most amazing places
and incredible surf spots
around the African coast.
It’s the only festival in Africa
that really celebrates the
love and passion that
certain people have for
the ocean and highlights
their attempts to protect
and preserve our seas. 23
November–13 December;
wavescapefestival.com
THERE’S A SPOT ALONG THE MOZAMBICAN
COAST,
About Chris
Chris Bertish won the Titans of Mavericks
Big Wave International 2010 and holds the
Guinness World Record for the longest
SUP distance paddled in 12 straight hours.
He is the subject of the award-winning
documentary, Ocean Driven and will
attempt the first ever solo SUP crossing of
the Atlantic next month. chrisbertish.com
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south africa
RESTAURANT
The Codfather in Camps
Bay does the best sushi, but
for a genuine feet-in-thesand African seaside-dining
experience, nothing beats
Die Walskipper in Jeffreys
Bay. They do traditional South
African dishes like afval [offal],
and malva pudding, and serve
crocodile and springbok
biltong. But their seafood –
cooked on open fires and old
gas cookers – is what you
go for. Everything’s fresh and
the vibe’s really authentic.
walskipper.co.za
SURF EVENT
The J-Bay Open remains our
most prominent surfing event
simply because Jeffreys Bay
has one of the best-known
right-hand reef breaks in the
world. The competition is part
of the JBay Winter Fest, which
includes loads of sporting
events including a trail run,
mountain-biking competition,
and cold-water swim. And
there’s a music festival.
jbaywinterfest.com
Craig Kolesky, Gallo/Getty Images, supplied
in the middle of nowhere and
difficult to access. It has a lagoon around
it, untouched white sand beaches, with
miles and miles of mangroves and green
forest. The waves only work when there
are hurricane swells, but it’s breathtaking.