Feel like your local shifty beachbreak closeouts are holding your surfing back? If only the ocean would just throw you some wall to let loose on… Well, here’s an idea. Take a surf trip to one of the world’s longest waves and finally unlock your true wave riding potential! Here are some options you may want to consider.
The longest sand-bottomed left in the known universe, Skeleton Bay first came to light in 2008 when the winner of Surfing Magazine’s ‘Google Earth Challenge’ got to pay the place a visit along with Cory Lopez, Peter Mendia, Hank Gaskell and Mitch Coleborn. Cory Lopez of course famously pulled into a freakishly long barrel ride few could get their heads round (Lopez would be outdone by Koa Smith last year).
Located along Namibia’s isolated and hostile Skeleton Coast, it’s not exactly what you’d call a holiday destination. The bay lies smack bang in the middle of the Namibian desert with only the seal colonies to keep you entertained. It’s hot. It’s cold. It’s dusty. There’s literally nothing else to do but surf. Get the swell forecast wrong and you’ll be sorry.
Get the swell forecast right and you’re tube riding skills better be up to scratch. Producing some of the fastest and thickest sand-dredging tubes on the planet, it’s really an advanced/pro surfers deal only. Yes, it tubes from start to finish so no you won’t be putting any turns in.
To top it all off, the wave is often influenced by super strong tidal rips, backwash and strong offshores, and if it’s going off, you’ll most likely be sharing the (admittedly rather large) line-up with car-fulls of pros.
Season/Swell: It’s a southern hemi deal so the season runs May to September, but subject to a limited swell window Skeleton Bay might only turn on a couple times a year, needing a big long-period groundswell from the Roaring Forties to wrap in at just the right angle.
How to get there: Your best bet is to get in touch with a guide to drive you in.
What you’ll need: A good wetsuit, lots of boards and, err, plenty of drinking water.
Watch out for: Strong rips, sharks, and super shallow sandbanks!
Also: Locals have implemented a no ‘4×4 back to the peak’ policy so make sure you’re cardio is up to scratch for the walk-back. Overall distances travelled during a long session can approach marathon territory. More logistical info here.
