Jeffrey’s Bay

Official Rating

User Rating

Difficulty 6

  • 10
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  • 3
  • 2
  • 1

Break frequency 3

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  • 1

108 days a year

Fast Wave

Wave Direction

Swell Direction

3.0m - 3.5m Swell

Wind Direction

Tide

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recommended board

general information

‘The best right hander in the world,’ is a phrase often thrown around when discussing South Africa’s Jeffery’s Bay. While the truth in this statement maybe argued between surfers the world over, (probably whilst drinking beer), one thing cannot be disputed- Jeffrey’s Bay is a world class wave. It’s fast, powerful, and long - the crown jewel of South Africa’s surf rich coastline. 

J-Bay is made up of six main sections - some of these sections will link up in the right conditions. If you were to ride a wave the full length of J-Bay, from the top of Boneyards all the way through to the end of Albatross, you would have travelled around 1.5 kilometres (approx one mile). Does this ever occur? That depends on who you talk to... 

J-Bay requires a solid swell before the cold water waves start to push through. Even during winter when the Southern Ocean is at its most productive, flat days are common. 

Boneyards, at the top of the point, picks up the most swell and is a good, but not amazing, wave. Its often surfed when the other sections are too small.

The next section is the famous Supertubes. In surf movies Supertubes appears to be a relatively simple walling right hander that you can relax and have fun with. In reality Supertubes is fast, very fast - an intense wave where you are constantly racing sections. People come from around the world to surf Supertubes, therefore numbers in the water are always high. Supers links into Impossibles which simply isn’t surfable most of the time, especially when it’s small. 

Tubes is an excellent wave, not as fast as Supertubes, thus allowing for more turns and is more accommodating for intermediate surfers. You will find barrels down here.

Point and Albatross are right at the end of the wave, both popular with long boarders. By the time the waves work their way down this far they’ve lost most of there power and size.

J-Bay is generally not a top-to-bottom barrelling wave, although good surfers always seem to find those elusive barrel sections. At five to six foot (double overhead) J-Bay is at its high-performance best, although it’s still good at three foot (headhigh), and can hold 10-12 foot (four to six times overhead). The more southerly the swell, the better, as it forces the wave to really wrap itself around the point.

While J-Bay does get crowded by South African standards, compared to other places around the world, the crowds are manageable. Paddling in and out across the reef can be problematic, lots of dinged boards and bleeding feet. The Billabong Pro is held in July each year, this can be a positive or negative occasion depending on how you look at it. Crime is also a problem where ever you are in South Africa, so be on your toes.

There is ample accommodation for all budgets at Jeffery’s Bay, most within one minutes walk from the wave, some looking directly at the line-up. Surfpackers is located in a prime location and offers particularly good value for money. During one of the flat days visit Seaview Lion Park and play with the lion cubs. 

Jeffrey’s Bay has a certain magic to it, much like Bells Beach. When the swell finally arrives and you’re standing on the beach amongst the aloe plants after your first session at Supertubes, you will definitely feel it.

BT

Wave length

100-200m

Share with

21-49

Best months

April - September

Equipment

Short board, gun

Wave type

Fast

Access

Standard Paddle

Hazards

Sharks, Reef/Rock

5 Day Forecast

5 day forecast not available.

Air - Sea - Swell - Wind

  • Spring suit
  • Spring suit
  • 3/2 steamer
  • 3/2 steamer

SW

0M / F6

NE

0M / F6

W

0M / F6

SW

0M / F6

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68d03285c63fdf28a4ce4cbc52be9f07

Jeffery's Bay, South A..

By: Paul Kennedy
85de5c8f2ebbd48949afedbf0bbe3f18

Jeffery's Bay, South A..

By: Paul Kennedy
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Jeffery's Bay, South A..

By: Paul Kennedy
5e415000ef405abc94db05060fd875ff

Jeffery's Bay, South A..

By: Tim McKenna
Faeb54b4976ba34f3ff68dba11c1d055

Jeffery's Bay, South A..

By: Tim McKenna


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