Well, Cape Town SUP has a new home. We've decided it's time to broaden our horizons and get a new flashy website. It's the same Local Stand Up Paddle news, views, reviews and interviews aimed at SUP'ers of all ages, beginners, pros and the weekend warriors. The mission is still to have fun and we've added some new features --> SUP Yoga plus a section dedicated to Cape Town (and the Western Cape) that will cover places to eat, stay and play at when you are not on the water.
Another very exciting subject we will be covering is the conservation aspects of our oceans and the life that it sustains. Anything and Everything from preventing pollution to shark education together with the odd rant and personal opinion will be covered here! So please drop by :-) CapeTownSUP.com
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I recently came across this (old - May 2012) interesting article on surfscience.com, and it really made me think about the perception people have about surfing and my conclusion was purely - If you don't surf, you will never understand surfing.
Like the Billabong slogan states "Only a surfer knows the feeling" Below is the actual article: ESPN did a poll on which sports are considered pound for pound the toughest sports in the world. It was decided by a panel of “sports scientists” from the United States Olympic Committee. They consist of 8 panelist all ranging from Dr. Janet Starkes, a Professor in Kinesiology at McMaster University to Brian Jordan, a two sport athlete who played in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers and in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons. They rated 60 sports using 10 criteria.
According to 8 "sports scientist," boxing is the No. 1 sport and fishing is ranked No. 60. Although that may seem reasonable, where does Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) rank? Brutal physical fights where two athletes get caged into a ring using a wide array of discipline and physical skills seems deserving of credit. Well known fights brought to you by MMA fight leagues such as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is not rated in the top 60, or recognized as a sport. ESPN recognizes fishing, billiards, shooting, weight-lifting, auto racing and equestrian as worthy sports to be considered amongst the 60 toughest. When consider equestrian as the 53rd toughest sport, perhaps they may be the horses as the athletes. So where does our beloved sport, surfing, rank amongst the top 60? It is considered the 23rd toughest sport of all. At first glance, without much thought, that may seem like a reasonable ranking. That is until looking closely at the other sports ranked ahead. Surprisingly, surfing is ranked behind sports like tennis, baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, cycling, volleyball, and racquet ball. Suppose these 8 panellists have the benefit of the doubt and assume they’ve all picked up a surfboard at least once in their lifetime and attempted to surf. Lets suppose they paddled out, got into a wave and stood up a minimum of one time. Perhaps one of these judges surfs on a regular basis. That being said, surfing got the following scores on the ten criteria from a scale of 1-10 according to ESPN's poll: Sports difficulty criteria:
As expected, surfing received low scores on endurance, power, strength, speed, and hand-eye coordination. Some can argue that the best surfers are power surfers and speed is an important element to surfing well. However, it's unlikely the best surfers in the world would match up with such athletes as football players in terms of these criterias. Not surprisingly, surfing ranked high in “nerve," which was rated high with an 8.25 out of 10 score. Again, perhaps one of those ESPN sports panellist surf on a regular basis and has dropped into a double overhead wave. An argument can be made that surfing deserves more respect when it comes to “analytic aptitude." Experienced surfers know that making reads and adjustments can make a big difference in your surfing ability especially when it comes to competition. Everything from reading the waves, making adjustments, finding the sweet spots, and competing against other surfers should all tie into “analytic aptitude." The problem behind this rating is that it does not take into account surfing’s most difficult elements. In order to give a fair assessment of surfing's difficult challenges, consideration has to be given to the following criteria: Learning Curve: While some sports can be learned or played within the first day or hours, some sports require an athlete to put in months or even years to get acclimated. Most experienced surfers will agree that surfing has the longest learning curve of any sports. I’d expect surfing to rank high in this category whereas sports like cycling or racquet ball should rank lower as it takes a much shorter time to learn. Environment: Like many extreme sports, surfing has arguably the most dynamic environment. It is a skill of constant adjustments and a game of making the most out of what is given. Unlike other sports where you are competing against other people and the environment is constant, surfing has an added element where you compete against Mother Nature. In this case, Mother Nature is constantly moving. Balance: Surprisingly this is not among the list of criteria by which a tough sport is measured. If strength, speed, agility and flexibility are considered, why not balance? If it was, surfing should rank high in this category as well. According to ESPN, baseball is ranked 14 spots ahead of surfing at #9. "The first time I've ever picked up a bat and baseball, I was hitting, catching and throwing the ball within a few hours," said Riley Stevens, an experienced surfer and baseball player. "The first time, I picked up a surfboard and got into the water, I couldn't even get past the break and in the line up. It took me three long sessions to ride my first wave." ESPN could argue that although it might be easy to pick up a baseball and bat and learn how to hit pretty quickly, doing it on at a higher level when a ball is thrown towards you at 90 mph is a whole different matter. "Okay, so there is a lot more hand eye coordination involved when swinging at a 90 mph fast ball than paddling a board," Stevens said. "I get that. How about this for consideration? What about dropping into Teahupoo on a heavy double overhead wave that is fast, steep, barrelling and closing out quick? Call me crazy but I think the latter would be harder. Yes, that’s comparing apples to oranges but in either case, it demonstrates the toughest aspects of each sport. We are talking about the so called toughest sport in the world after all." Many surfers can be in agreement to some of ESPN's top ranked sports. I can see how ESPN ranks sports such as boxing, ice hockey, wrestling or water polo highly due to the physical demands," Stevens said. "I can even see how they can possibly rank rodeo steer wrestling above surfing. That just simply takes a lot of balls." Many sports enthusiast can be appalled with ranking badminton in the top 30. That is the sport where one swings a miniature sized racket to hit a shuttlecock, a feathered projectile. "Are you kidding? Badminton!" Stevens said. "That shouldn’t even be on the same page as surfing. In fact, badminton shouldn't even touch this chart with a ten foot pole." I only realised now it's been ages since I last blogged - almost 3 months to be exact. During this time I've been SUP'ping like mad. Most notably I did a 10km SUP around Duiker (Seal) Island - next to Dungeons for the surfers - in Hout Bay a few weeks ago and that was quite an experience. There were loads of seals, dolphins and birds. Admittedly a couple of times I had to pep talk myself to keep on going, especially when it came to actually going around the island on the open ocean side. Firstly you had to turn crosswind and then into the wind, this makes for interesting paddling in a 3ft open ocean swell. Secondly you see all these seals returning to the island at a rate of knots, they jump and dive through the swell as if something is chasing them... and then the voice in your head goes 'what would chase a seal....hmmmm'... then you see this dark, grayish, brownish torpedo like silhouette darting beneath you through the kelp... of course the voice in your head starts to hum the theme from 'Jaws' ....thu-the thu-the thu-the thu-the .... heart rates goes up.... then you realise it is only a seal... phew. Ok, stay calm and keep on paddling... just 5km to home. All that being said it was a great experience and it made me respect guys like Chris Bertish & Gary Van Rooyen even more, I mean they really do paddle 'open ocean ' long distance - Respect! I saw a quote that really stuck with me ' All ships are safe in the harbour, but that is not what ships are built for ' .... I've also taken to trying to surf my 14ft Coreban Dart. What a laugh a minute that is, especially if you are watching from the beach. It is fun when the waves are rolling and crumbling from the top as opposed to pitching and closing out - which of course it does most of the time here in Hout Bay - The benefit of 14ft is that you can get onto a wave when it is almost still just a tiny bump and glide in towards the beach for a couple of seconds. The funs really starts when the wave starts to pitch, you literaly have to 'run' up n down the length of the SUP to keep it from pearling or being tilted side ways. Alas, that is what happens most of the time tho, then you just have to duck your board like crazy - 14ft is a lot board to deal with in the shore break! That being said, there was a couple of waves that I managed to ride from start to finish, some reward for all the effort - perseverance pays of! I posted some videos of my excursions on Youtube, please have a look, like the videos and subscribe to my channel please. Another thing that I noticed was the increase in 'ocean users' during summer. Guys n Girls surfing, Sups, bodyboards, etc. Everyone wants to have fun, but with the increase in water users comes frustration and inevitably altercations. That brings me to 'rules of surfing' which are mostly unspoken, often broken but they do exist.... and whether you are an experienced pro or absolute beginner, you cannot afford to ignore them. In today's crowded conditions we must all become more aware of them, try a little harder to monitor our own behavior and share the stoke in the water. If not, then we will ultimately destroy and devalue the surfing experience for ourselves and those around us. Here are the basic rules: 1. The Golden Rule: Don't drop in i.e. don't catch a wave that someone else is already riding. The surfer on the inside (closest to the breaking part of the wave) has right of way. 2. Don't be a snake! A snake is a surfer who constantly paddles to the inside (or turn inside someone after they started to paddle into a wave) and then invoke the drop in rule. 3. Don't paddle through the line-up. i.e. don't paddle out where the other surfers are riding.This could be very dangerous for all involved. 4. When are surfing away from home, you are surfing in someone else's home. Show some respect. Do show some courtesy and respect to both the more experienced surfers and the locals, remember this. 5. The surfer on the wave has right of way, if paddling out, try to stay out of the way, take the hit from the white water rather than risk ruining another surfers wave. You would not run into traffic, do not paddle into the line of an oncoming surfer. 6. Use common sense where crowds are an issue. If you turn up to a break that is already heavily crowded, then consider surfing somewhere else. Adding to an already frustrated and aggressive crowd won't help you or them. 7. Wear a leash at all times. 8. Always hold on to your board when a wave hits you (throwing your board away and allowing your leash to do the job for you, is very dangerous to the other surfers in the water). 9.Never use your board as a weapon or as a means of protection from a possible collision. Many beginners will throw their boards in front of another surfer when afraid of a possible collision. This is incredibly dangerous. 10.Have fun, but not at the expense of the other people in the water. These are the basic rules that have been in force for many years out in the surf. Yet for the last ten years these rules have been broken on a regular basis, mainly by newcomers to surfing / SUP'ping. The result is chaos, and learners have come to be resented by the more experienced surfers. Learn these rules and apply them, become part of the solution, rather than a part of the problem. ...aaaaand that is the end of my preach - for now! I hope you all have a fantabulous festive season and many happy hours in the water in 2015. GOOD LUCK AND GET OUT THERE... So last week I bought a new SUP, the Coreban Dart 14ft. Went to fetch it on Thursday and took it for it's maiden voyage on Friday after work. I was suitably impressed, the board is super fast, stable and goes like a dream - a huge difference to my 1st board. I took it out on Saturday morning again in somewhat windy (SE) conditions and the seems the board handles chop well, or at least well enough for my current skill level. It is always in less than perfect conditions that you come to realise your just how much you still have to learn. A couple of months ago I paddled my 9.5' on a windy day in Mosselbay / Hartenbos on a river, let me tell you - it's not the same, wind over the ocean causes lots and lots of chop - continuously. But that's not why I'm writing this blog (I'll do a post later on my new board and action camera) the real story happened on Sunday.... Sunday morning early I was out on the water in Hout Bay, paddled up along the coast line for a while just taking in the scenery and enjoying the peace and quiet of the mighty Atlantic. I saw some seals, lots of birds and exchanged pleasantries with a couple of guys kayaking. After an hour or so I decided to head back to the beach. About half way there I spotted something about 300m in front of me in the water, initially I thought it was kelp but as I got closer I realised it was a southern right whale basking in the sun. All excited I paddled closer till I eventually could make out the barnacles on his / her body. What a huge animal this is, so majestic and just simply awesome..... anycase, when I'm about 40m or so away from the whale it dives, it just disappears from view. Now as I'm looking around to see if I can see where it pops up again, a sudden movement in the water below me makes me look down, just in time to see the whale right beneath me and surfacing. Man... when I realised that this huge, huge whale is gonna knock me off my board, there must have been a million thoughts running thru my head - how big is this thing, I hope the whale doesn't get hurt by the fin on my board, must I jump, must I wait, how lucky am I, it's so graceful,etc etc - I decided to wait for the knock and jump.... once underwater I could see the tail fin and feel the turbulence as it swooshed past me and couldn't resist just to put an hand out and touch it... when I surfaced I felt this total exhilaration and I'm sure I was smiling from ear to ear. I mean... of all the things that could happen.. whohoooo... I got knocked over by a whale! The whale then swam back around as if it came to check that all is ok, it played around me for a while and then headed back out to the open ocean. What an amazing experience...... As it turned out there were some people who saw this happen and the cell phone pic on the post was post incident, taken by someone who viewed the whole thing from Chappies. (I'm the small white thingy to the right of the whale tail) So there you have it, my claim to fame....I got knocked over by a whale! Edited:01/12/2014 - Since the incident I've come across a few people who saw the whole thing. Some had photos but it was mostly very grainy and you couldn't really tell what was what. Tracy Gill (@tracegillxx on Twitter) added this Youtube video of me after the event, I was kneeling on my board just watching this beautiful creature as it was playing right next to me. Thanks Tracy. Over the last week or so there were 2 events that really got my attention and got me thinking about how strangely 'fcuked up' our society has become. The 1st incident: The recent shark attack at Muizenberg and the subsequent investigation into the attack. It seems that everyone and their cousin (even non surfers!) had something to say about the incident. They wanted to blame someone - the sharkspotters & the city of Cape Town took the brunt of it. It was in all the local newspapers, facebook and twitter. A full investigation was launched, some minister apparently said that 'they wont rest until the shark is tracked down'....... Thankfully the surfer involved survived. (Wishing you a speedy recovery bru!) The stats for Shark attacks in Cape Town reads as follows: 1960 - 2014: 30 shark attacks. On average 1 every 2nd year. The last shark attack at Muizenberg was in 2004 and the last shark attack in Cape Town was in April 2012. The 2nd incident: 3 people died in Hout Bay on Tuesday 05/0/2014. The taxi that they were driving in collided with the pavement, went thru the steel barriers and plunged into the Disa River. Eyewitnesses said that there were 2 taxi's involved, the one swerved out for the other - speed was involved. The backdrop to this is the fact that it was raining heavily that day, poor visibility and wet roads - not a day to be speeding! There was outrage in the community, a few pics on facebook etc. No full investigation was launched. It was just another accident involving a taxi. I googled some stats for road deaths in Cape Town and flabbergasted by the numbers, it appears that on average 100 odd people die EVERY MONTH on our roads. Thus a conservative figure for a year would be around 1200 - those are people with families, friends that will never see them again...just gone! We all know that the majority of taxi's on the road are not road worthy, the drivers have no licence (or the licence is fake, bought over the counter etc) and they have no clue re the rules of the road. They are literary death on wheels, yet the authorities seem to be unable to launch a sustained campaign to ensure that all taxi's are monitored. As a surfer / ocean user I know and accept the risk involved when it comes to sharks. I am in their territory, they are wild animals and they are predators. Look at the stats- given the ratio of surfers / sharks you can safely say that we are not being targeted by sharks as easy meals. I've been surfing, sup'ing, diving, snorkeling and swimming in our oceans for years. From the wild waters in Namibia, the rugged West Coast..Elands Bay down to Cape Town, up to beautiful Mossel Bay, the Garden Route and beyond - think I saw 3 sharks at most. Can we say the same thing about taxi's? Even if you don't use them the chance of you being affected by their reckless driving is far more likely than being attacked by a shark! Why not demand a full investigation on that? Just starting out? See our FAQ's below: Q: Can SUPs only be used in the ocean or for surfing waves? A: No - Even though SUPs look like surfboards, you don't need waves or even the ocean. In fact, all you need is a body of water (river, lake/dam). Q: Where is the best place to start? A: Flat water (river,lake or dam) is preferred for building your SUP'ping skills. Q: Where can I get a board? A: Look at renting a board at first, most surf shops that sell SUP boards also rent them. Once you are committed you can speak to the surf shop to purchase a board. Q: What size paddleboard is best for me? A: That depends on your weight / skill level, where you plan to SUP and the conditions. Talk to a expert (local surf store etc) to see where to start. They might also be able to provide SUP lessons, which could get you up and paddling in no time. Q: What should I wear when SUP'ping? A: That all depends on your local conditions. In warmer climates / water you can wear whatever you are comfortable with - a T shirt and shorts or swimsuit. In cold climates / water a wetsuit might be required. Q: What does a full paddleboarding setup cost? A: Depending on which SUP you choose, the cost of a board starts about R6000,00 onwards. Remember that you also need a paddle, they start at about R800.00. Initially it might be easier to purchase second hand equipment or rent a board until you know all the inns and outs. I surf because it sets me free from the crowd, it makes me feel alive.... When you ride a wave it is such a paradox - you are in control, guiding your board with your feet, steering, following the contour of the wave - but we all know when you are in the ocean you are everything but in control, you are always at her mercy. There is no denying that. To me that is the attraction, it's your skill against the might of the ocean. It requires all your attention, you simply forget about the rest of the world out there on land. It's just about you and the ocean then. Her energy surrounds and embraces you completely. It sounds selfish when you say it out loud but it is what it is. I always feel totally de-stressed after a surf, the stresses of the day is forgotten. Every session always has that one wave, that one moment that stands out from the rest - and you always want to come back for more, to repeat it or better it - it is addictive! It's a lifestyle... I am not talking about the 'movie' version of surfer, the long blond hair blowing in the wind with the air for brains style. I am talking about always being aware of the weather conditions, what the wind is doing, what the wind will be doing tomorrow, what the swell is like, what the swell prediction is for tomorrow. The lines around your eyes because you are always squinting into the sun, the salt on your eyebrows and the sand between your toes, sand in your car and in the shower at home. Sand everywhere.... You plan your life according to the ocean and her moods as best you can, if conditions are favorable after work then it's straight to the ocean. Same for weekends and any other free moment - the rest of your life is fitted in around that. I surf because it makes me happy, it makes me a better person..... Johannesburg, June 24, 2014: African Billionaire Events Management (ABEM | www.abem.co.za) is proud to announce that it will be hosting the legendary Robin Sharma (www.robinsharma.co.za) in Johannesburg on July 25, 2014. One of the world’s most influential business thinkers, authors and trainers, Sharma may be best known for his global best-seller The Monk who sold his Ferrari which has been translated into 42 languages. Today, his focus is the enormously popular and effective ‘Lead without a Title’ series in which he demonstrates principles and methodologies for taking complete charge of your own life and work experiences. This seminar which carries three ticket price points: R499 for Gold Seating, R999 for VIP Seating and R2999 for Platinum Seating, is a must-attend event for anyone who feels the need to take greater charge of their lives, to overcome obstacles to finding new opportunities, or just to understand what their greatest purpose is. “We’re genuinely excited about this one. Robin Sharma is like a guru for tens of millions of people around the world, and his 20 years of teaching from The Monk who sold his Ferrari to Lead without a Title have earned him an enviable reputation as a no-nonsense, practical, inspirational and brilliant human being. South African audiences are in for a real treat, but unlike many other speakers, Robin doesn’t just offer a wow factor, but real take-home value as well,” says Mubeen Khan, director at African Billionaire Events Management. “It doesn’t really matter who you are, or your path in life, this seminar, led by Robin himself, will teach attendees how to take on bigger challenges, make better decisions and solve more problems,” he says. The all-day event takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre – beginning at 09h00 and ending at 16h00 and features an additional guest speaker named Andy Harrington who will share his expertise on becoming an effective communicator and speaker before Robin Sharma hits the stage. Tickets (from R499.00 upwards) can be purchased via 011 367 0626, www.robinsharma.co.za, via computicket http://online.computicket.com/web/event/robin_sharma_leadership_redefined/828181767/0/60526851 or email [email protected] I recently saw this Santam Video advert and it really got me thinking about the influence us as adults have on kids. Thinking back to my childhood days it dawned on me that as a kid you really do believe the world exists around the rules and actions of those adults around you. It’s amazing just how much parents influence their kids. How many kids out there, like all of us back in the day, when prompted will tell you that one day when they grow up they want to be a boilermaker, chef or taxi driver simply because that is the trade of a parent. If the previous statement holds true then it goes without saying that they will copy the behaviour of the parents as well. The way the parents deal with conflict, drive their car or simply just their attitude in life. Another simple example of this is cell phones; kids want a cell phone because they see their parents on their phones day in and day out. I have a friend with a 6 year old daughter, who when I jokingly asked her what she wants for her birthday responded in details that she wants an iphone5. Of course everyone in the room laughed; when someone asked why see wanted an iphone she simply replied ‘cause mommy has one’. So her wanting a cell phone, in particular the iphone5; had nothing to do with the functionality or status associated with this particular phone, rather it was directly related to the fact that her mother had one. So I think that parents pass on more than we realise to our children, it is not just about the gene pool. There are also the everyday actions, the way we conduct ourselves in front of them that they mimic. They want to be and act like adults and we are their role models, their point of reference. Do you drive with one hand and chat away on your cell phone while you have the kids in the car? Do you think they notice? Do you think that they will do the same? Have a look at the video and tell me what you think - I sure that if you have kids this will definately get some sort of re-action..... THE GREAT GETAWAY..... Need to escape the grind of the office? A weekend away is probably just what you need to recharge the batteries. We're talking lazy afternoon braais, pool at the local pub, drinks under the stars and hey, some new gear wouldn't hurt either. Mr Price have an epic collection of winter menswear featuring long-sleeved tees, fleece pullovers for easy layering, and sherpa-lined jackets - ideal for those chilly days. There’s also loads of printed and check shirts that'll take you straight from the office and onto the road in style. If it’s denim you’re after, you’ll find jeans with distressed details and paneled button-ups with worn-in washes. Just about ready to hit the dusty trail? Then, you'll want to enter this! Mr Price are offering you the chance to win a weekend getaway for you and three mates. Head to MRP.COM and let them know if you’d prefer a ‘Berg, beach or bush experience. No matter which one you choose, one thing’s for sure – this will be an adventure to remember. |
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a 40something surfer from Cape Town that discovered SUP recently. The bug bit me hard. Archives
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