Surfing Sathanes with an energetic Dustin Volker aka Krusty, and a polished Chris Leppan, this film with camera lady Riz Laine and edit by Xonalanga, tells the real story of surfing the fabled Mozambican point breaks.
A fickle coastline at best, Mozambique surf spots much prefer east swells, which start hammering though as the cyclone season kicks into gear. The swells in this clip were south swells, and as you can see, the wave seems to warble a tad.
It’s great surfing as usual. Krusty kills it on his backhand whilst natural footer Chris is just loving his time up here in the tropics. Right hander after right hander after right hander.
It’s been a good summer so far. And with the first Cyclone, “AVA”, having already caused mayhem on the east side of Madagascar, it looks to be a good season into 2018. This cyclone made landfall half way down Mad, and the steep mountain escarpment that side broke it’s speed from 150kph right down. Where it careened off south-east and out to sea.
But not without sending us some of it’s juices in the form of a punchy east swell, that lit up the Tofo Bay at high tide, with some perfect shore-breaking waves, for quite a few days. It wasn’t big enough for the Barra sand to come alive. But that’s coming soon!
There is a tropical depression way up top, in the cyclone factory right now. Will it form up into a real spinner? The ones we want are not the ones that come into the Mozambique Channel at all. Those randomly cause havoc and chaos, and are literally completey unpredictable. No, the ones we want spin-off and hang around the very tip of Mad. Those are the conditions to watch for.
Get your paddling arms on! These swells are short period and very strong.
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Jason Heyne checks in with a December 2017 Spearo Report for the KZN waters.
“The diving conditions were appalling over December. Far north was the best option. Saturday and Sunday are dominated by big East swell and strong north east wind. So no diving this weekend. Peter Jacobs managed to get a damn fine eelskin rockcod and Brent Borstlap got a marlin. As always dive safe and straight spears.”
Fatimas Nest, venue of each years Ocean Fest on Praia do Tofo, also plays host to a real fun surf spot. Right out front of the restaurant!
Featuring Renske Massing aka The Frenzy is an ISA Qualified Surf Coach, who has spent many seasons in Tofo and surrounds and even has a house here. Casa Frenzy…just down the beach from Fatimas. Renske surfs a longboard this sunny afternoon, with another surfing local, Joao Loureiro joining her for the quick session.
Renske is introduced into the insert by Mozambican TV Personality Ras Ghotaz. Ghotaz runs a music show on TV Gugu on Saturdays at 20h00 each week. Ras Ghotaz is also involved in the production and running of the Ocean Fest. Which once again, was a huge party this year.
The sounds are from a local church family gathering, where the lyrics are about doing whatever it is they can to uplift their community. Language – Bithonga.
The wave out front of Fatimas has kept many a surfer sane – as the more fickle Tofinho carefully guards her secrets. Sometimes for months at a time! But there will always be a wave to ride in the bay at Tofo. Sometimes long peeling rights are served up. Or powerful little shorebreaks. Spread out all over the place. Sometimes right up in the corner, the little right-hand point break comes alive. Peels for its entire 100 metre length!
The amount of sand that moves up here in Mozambique is phenomenal. Waves can literally appear out of nowhere. And disappear a week later!
But it’s this endless variation, coupled with huge tides (sometimes 5 metres or more), that makes the place so interesting for surfers and other ocean lovers.
Click on over to Fatimas Nest page on The Sardine News for options and more information.
The hottest New Years ever was the feeling for the 2017/2018 years Ocean Fest, staged at Fatimas Nest, Praia do Tofo, Inhambane, in Southern Mozambique.
Program
Starting the 27th December 2017, the music poured on out.into the night. Night after night! Daytimes filled with jazzy rocky outfits and local performances. And bang into the New Years party. On the hottest day of the year! And for sure, after super hot days like the 31st, the heavens opened that evening. For 20 minutes. The inevitable eventuality was well foreseen. All were dry and dancing right through the balmy, palmy night.
Music ranged through all the party genres and local talent – delivered by a long list of acts. Many from Mozambique, with the International acts.
The décor, the light show and the sound flooded the dance floor with new years party vibes. The countdown took everyone by complete surprise. When the sun came up on 2018, the party was still in full swing.
History
The Ocean Fest was started in 2008, by Fatimas Nest and a handful of willing musicians and DJ’s. It has grown into something wild with fun and numbers – now, a very talked about event. Many Tofo lovers making the pilgrimage back each year.
Ocean awareness is the driving motivation behind the festival’s conception. Fatimas Nest is involved in many marine conservation activities in the Inhambane area. The sparkling clean beach the very next morning is a great example, that others could easily follow.
Providing alternative means for the local community to make a living, is probably the most immediate and powerful measure that can be taken, to relieve pressure on the vital marine life that Mozambique is blessed with. This measure has a direct focus on the waters right there. Which will have an immediate effect on the marine life out front. If this was the focus of all lodges in the area, a tangible difference would be felt. There are upwards of 80 temporary staffers involved now, plus the permanent compliment, in the Ocean Fest.
Praia do Tofo
The town of Tofo has been non-stop fun all over again. Fatimas Nest has been abuzz with international and local holidaymakers alike. And there have been distractions going on all over the place. Even the surf has been coming to the party. The fishing has been great too. Divers loving the crystal clear waters.
If you would like to find yourself right in the epi-centre of all this action, you best get in touch and make your booking for next year. Bungalows are great value. There are sunset ones facing over the wetlands. And beach bungalows, giving you an early sunrise and ocean views. There are also cool dorm setups. And a sizeable campsite, with all you need. Clean ablutions. Rustic kitchen. Plug points.
Set construction
Fatimas Nest grew in size as the preparations, which started a month back, constructed the Ocean Fest 2017/18 set. Beach bars sprang up. Rain cover was erected. Huge sound equipment installed. Lights. Camera. Action!
Construction time again at Fatimas.Almost done!
Media Coverage
Like last year, and the year before, a full video production is on the go, and will be published on The Sardine News, and on the Fatimas website, the minute it becomes available. You can watch the 2017/2018 event right here for now.
This year, TVM vans were parked around, and expensive looking cameras roamed all over. Watch the news!
Next year, a social net and video news stream will be run right through the Ocean Fest. With many acts going live on YouTube / Facebook. This will run through The Sardine News networks, servers and streaming facilities, who will be on site throughout the 2018/2019 event.
2018/2019 Program
As the Ocean Fest has grown, so has the crew at Fatimas Nest gained the invaluable experience that it takes to stage such a big event. Next year promises even more fun – more acts – more everything. And again, you can be assured of a well managed event, with safety and security being the number one priority.
Fatimas Activities
There is an all new activity centre at Fatimas in Tofo right now. Diving, snorkelling, surfing, fishing, sailing, island hopping…can be arranged right at reception. Or online at https://thesardine.co.za/fatimas/, where an online booking system will run.
Surfing Mozambique in a trilogy of video collaborations shot at three of the best point breaks that Mozambique has to offer. Which means that Africa has to offer. The conditions were far from epic in any of the sessions, but Chris and friends made the most of it. This day however, shot at the picteresque Ponto do Ouro, right on the southern tip of the fabulously long coastline, was pretty much cooking. Well dredging at least.
The highly talented Kate Lovemore was on the camera, which made it an absolute pleasure and a breeze through the studio process.
You can see the first in the trilogy at the following link…
Chris Leppan meets Napalma – shot at Tofinho, a bit further north in Inhambane province.
The final instalment will be coming soon. I’ll leave you guessing as to where this sojourn will take us next.
The cyclone season will be firing up pretty soon – February is coming fast. Balmy hot days and east swells marching in. Offshores to match. Well it’s a dream, but when one day, you do catch these very same point breaks, in these conditions, you shall never forget.
Bruce Gold experienced this phenomenon. Of east swells just appearing out of nowhere. Not predicted on any charts. And it was in August! Painted clean with Offshore winds, the current wasn’t even currenting. But the waves were mean!
Some sets peeled through with not a single surfer making the drop. As the tide dredged out it got meaner. Some of the best barrels were had. For two days the waves just poured through. Goofy foot renegade Craig Els was up from JBay. And fell into an amazing rhythm right off the bat. Thwacking the perfect rights until they finally stopped coming.
Luckily Bruce grabbed a camera and shot off some clips right in the heat of it all. His running commentary and the waves he filmed formed the core content for the surf film Shaloha. A Bruce Gold epic. Featuring many of the hotter surfers up and down this coastline, the compilation starts in Cape Town, and ends in Mozambique. In the most perfect waves.
Bruce ended up staying in Tofinho for a whole four months after the huge trip. And fell right in with the palmy lifestyle around here.
Enjoy the day…
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