Zigzag

When Jason Lemmer was attacked by a shark at The Point in Jeffreys Bay on 14 July, it was the quick thinking of his wife, friends and bystanders that saved the day. That, and the NSRI shark bite kit located on the beach. “The initial response from my

When it comes to naming the Mentawai Islands’ premium right-hander, arguably the finest surf discovery of the modern era, surfing’s traditional power brokers see things a little differently. “Lance’s Right, mate. It’s fuckin' Lance’s. Right?” I’ve ju

Just don’t swim in front of him!” I was warned before I got into the water. “It makes him feel uncomfortable.” “Just I nodded emphatically, but thought to myself: I’m about to get in the water to photograph a three-ton, ocean-swimming elephant. How c

For decades, this large succulent has framed juicy lineup shots of Jeffreys Bay; you’d be hard-pressed to find a wave rider who doesn’t immediately recognise its distinct orange and yellow flowers, to the point that the plants have become synonymous

I am not a morning person; but as I stand on the boulder in the early dawn, my mind is sharp and alert. I am more than awake, concentrating on the vast endlessness below. There is a noticeable lack of early birdsong here; no hiss of offshore wind fan

Frank Solomon has forged a unique career as a professional big-wave surfer. Now 38, he first learned how to surf in the closeouts of Hout Bay beach, before graduating to the heavier breaks around the Cape Peninsula. Hout Bay is barely considered a wa

(Unless otherwise credited) Despite all the spectacular scenes we get to see nowadays via the swipe of a thumb, there are still places that take your breath away when you encounter them in the flesh. Some are thousands of kilometres away; others are

I remember looking out of the window on the flight out of Durban. I could see Umdloti as we banked east, and the waves didn’t look bad at all. I didn’t surf it that often, but I would have swapped anything for one more session there. Warm water (woul

The uncomfortably small canoe was barely wider than my hips. We’d been hunched over for several hours with our knees almost up around our ears. Every lurch from a tug on the rudder or shove from a passing log threatened to knock us into the drink, an

“I roll up into a tiny ball, as small as possible, pull my legs in and wrap my arms around my knees. That’s the best way to prevent the wave ripping one of your limbs off.” Vincent Cook is not a big guy. Which makes it harder to fathom how he survive

Cape Town did not yet have a harbour in 1865. It was still being built. So when a hellish storm hit in mid-May, with gargantuan waves whipping Table Bay into a maelstrom, the ships anchored in the bay had two choices: stay on anchor and try to weathe

MAXIMIZE NATURAL LIFE OF YOUR WETSUIT The temperature in more than 55% of the world’s oceans ranges from zero to 18 degrees celsius. This means that more than half of planet Earth’s potential surf zones, will require some sort of rubber i'nsulation f

Surfers marvel at coral reefs, with their abundance of life and quality surf. But while coral (and its brightly painted fish) earns the title ‘rainforest of the ocean’, kelp beds are no less important or interesting. “In your inshore environment, kel

My parents, girlfriends and one or two wives have all, at one time or another, accused me of being lazy. My defence that the sloth is my spirit animal carried very little weight. I would now like all of them to know that if it wasn't for my laziness

If you’re reading this, you’ve reached the end of your journey – or you just cheated, and flipped to the back of the mag. Either way, we hope you enjoyed this issue’s offering from the far corners of the earth and closer to home. A massive thank you