South Africa has a coastline that is approximately 3000km long; you can imagine how much surf we have along our coastline. South Atlantic storms kicking up swells that have to reach us first. As a result of the proximity to the South Pole and the southern ocean and 3000km of coastline, we in South Africa can offer a multitude of different surf spots along our coast with varying spots and conditions for all surfers whether you are advanced or a beginner.

Should you be a beginner or advanced we can cater for your needs. If you are a beginner and would like to learn how to surf in sunny South Africa we can offer you the chance with a well established surf school based at probably the safest and best beach in the country to learn how to surf from. The greatest advantage for anyone wanting to surf in South Africa is our weak currency, particularly to the US dollar and the UK pound. South Africa offers the surf traveller exceptional value for money. Add in the fact that we have an abundance of consistently good surf means that only a trip of a lifetime can be had.

We can tailor make a surf trip or select one of our tour packages. We do not like to take more than 6 surfers on one trip at a time, this gives everyone on the trip a chance to catch as many waves as possible and not too overcrowd the breaks for the locals.

Crowds
There are very few crowds in South Africa relative to rest of the world and the locals are generally very pleasant and welcoming to foreign surfers and always willing to help.

As mentioned above, the South African coastline stretches for about 3000 km between the international border with Namibia in the west and the Mozambiquen border in the east. South Africa has full territorial sovereignty up to 12 nautical miles offshore and controls the exploitation of natural resources up to 200 nautical miles to sea from the coastline.

This area of sea up to 200 nautical miles offshore is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), includes the area around the Prince Edward Islands, and covers an area approximately 1.3 million square kilometres in extent. Within the EEZ South Africa controls all economic and resource management activities.

The South African coastline is rugged, its rocky shores exposed to high wave energy, has very few truly sheltered bays and is dominated by strong winds throughout much of the year. Eighty per cent of the 3000 km coastline consists of sandy beaches usually backed by low sand dunes. Approximately 1 to 2 million tonnes of sediment are transported past any given point on either the east or west coast each year. The driving force is the predominantly south westerly swell which gives rise to a net littoral drift along both coasts. The rocky shores support a rich flora and fauna and in many areas provide a rich food resource for subsistence dwellers along the coast.

There are 343 estuaries or river mouths along the coast between the Orange River at the Namibian border on the west coast and Ponta do Ouro at the Mozambiquen border on the east coast. Two thirds of all the estuaries are located on the east coast between Cape Padrone in the Eastern Cape Province and Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern region of South Africa receiving a major share of South Africa's rainfall.

Estuaries are natural systems that are transitional between rivers

(freshwater) and the sea. Because much of South Africa is semi-arid with great climatic variability within and between years, few of the estuaries fit conveniently into the northern hemisphere definition of such systems in having a perennial inflow of freshwater and tidal action. In South Africa an estuary is considered to be that portion of a river system which has, or can from time to time, have contact with the sea. Hence, during floods an estuary can become a river mouth with no sea water entering the formerly estuarine area. Conversely, when there is little or no freshwater input an estuary can be isolated from the sea by a sandbar and become a lagoon which may become fresh, or hyper-saline, or even completely dry.

Along the east coast the continental shelf is generally narrow or non-existent. Off the south coast of the continent the shelf forms the large triangular Agulhas Bank. The Agulhas Bank is one of the two marine regions off South Africa that are of economic and biological importance, the other being the Benguela upwelling region along the west coast. Extensive exploration for oil and gas has been undertaken on the Agulhas Bank. Gas and oil fields are being exploited commercially, albeit on a small scale by global standards.

South Africa's eastern seaboard is characterised by relatively warm sea temperatures (20-25°C), the west by cool water (9-14°C), and the south by intermediate temperatures (16-21°C). Additionally there are the seas around the Prince Edward Islands which lie in the vicinity of the Subtropical Convergence.

The rich Benguela Upwelling System off south-western Africa supports large populations of epipelagic, midwater and ground fish, and high numbers of bird and mammalian predators. The Agulhas Current of the east coast has a smaller quantity of fish, but a greater diversity of species. In addition to the resident populations, many species, including whales, seabirds and tunas, migrate to or pass South Africa at certain times of the year.

The coastal and marine resources provide opportunities for economic and social activities that include: fisheries, agriculture, mineral resource exploitation and a range of development opportunities. The coast and its many estuaries are also highly valued for recreation. The sustainability of South Africa's coastal and marine systems and resources is important since they constitute a rich and diverse national asset which is sensitive to human-induced and environmental pressures.

Continental shelf: This area is part of the sea floor adjoining a land mass over which the maximum depth of sea water is 200 m (600 ft).

The total land area of South Africa is slightly more than 1.2 million square kilometres, and it measures some 1,600 kilometres from north to south and approximately the same from east to west.

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