DURBAN surfers awoke on Sunday morning to find an on-shore easterly wind still blowing. Surfing conditions were useless. Then later in the morning the wind suddenly dropped. And then a fresh south-westerly off-shore wind fanned the swell and fast fairly big waves were formed.
The waves off Addington Beach were the first to be tackled by a number of surfers. Riders such as Tony Cerff, Bernard Wardell and George Thompson read the surf well and got many good rides. the rides were mostly fast rights but a few hot lefts were also obtained.
Meanwhile at the South Beach conditions got very good with slightly bigger waves than at Addington. By midday there were so many surfers that it was a rat-race to get a wave. Good rights and lefts brought out the best in several surfers. Anthony van den Heuvel excelled.
An almost unbelievable left “bottom turn” by Anthony van den Heuvel at the South Beach on Sunday afternoon. He looks as if he is falling off. but, in fact, he is doing a perfect “bottom turn” which enabled him to get through this fast-breaking wave.
GEORGE THOMPSON “locked in” a “tube” at Addington Beach on sunday morning. The waves were very fast and the surfers had to be “aggressive” to ride them.
Don't Drop In: It's Dangerous
One of the many ways of telling a good surfer from a bad one is watching how he “takes off” on a wave, says Max Wetteland. A bad surfer tends to “take off” in an easy position in the wave.
Bad surfers are afraid of the wave. This is why they “take off” in any easy position - on the shoulder.
“A good surfer “reads the surf” properly and “takes off” where the wave peaks. After his “take-off” he rides the fast section. This is the object of surfing.
While a surfer is executing his “take-off turn” or driving through the first fast section of the wave, he really moves and it is hard for him to check his speed.
“Thus, when another surfer “drops in” on him from the shoulder, the good surfer can hardly be blamed if they collide. “This is when surfing becomes dangerous!
LOST HEADS
“On Sunday at South Beach everyone was going wild. The waves were so good that they lost their heads. ``I saw many good rides spoiled by bad surfers “dropping in” on others. “Surfers in Durban should learn to be calm and have consideration for their fellow surfers. Surfing manners are as much a part of a good surfer as the ability to ride well.”
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