The Jeffreys Bay surf is the best in South Africa. You won’t hear too many arguments against that, even from proper Durban nutheads and Cape Town locals. As right-handers go this can put them all to shame and promises to be the ride of your life. But there’s also plenty for starters, great beaches, and safari potential.
An introduction to Jeffreys Bay surf
For most Northern Hemisphere natives, watching the WSL and ASP pros ripping it on the Jeffreys Bay Point might be the closest they ever get to this wonderworld of the south. If you ever get the chance to actually go and sample it for yourself, please, please, for the love of anyone who’s ever waxed a board since the Duke himself…take it.
J-bay, as most call it, possesses one of the finest right-hander point breaks this planet can muster. Since the first loggers of the 60s sampled it back in the day, pioneers have been pushing the take-off zone further out to the point. Things have now gone the whole way and we’re left with a string of about five named spots of serious, serious quality – most notably the echoing barrels of Supertubes (not Portugal) and sectiony Boneyards (not WA).
That’s the star of the show, but it’s not the end of the tale. Jeffery’s Bay surf is actually for all levels, all people, and all times of the year. Venture south to Main Beach and there are cruisy A-frames and sand-bottomed mush for learners. Plus, the town is right there on the cusp of the Addo Elephant National Park (for amazing safaris you won’t forget) and the Garden Route (for scenic drives and whale watching).
Ya, it’s a cool place to go.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to South Africa surfing
Jeffreys Bay surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Jeffreys Bay surf?
Where is Jeffreys Bay?
J-bay, as it’s known to most, is one of the first major towns in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It’s at the eastern end of the famous highway that is the Garden Route, arguably the most scenic drive in Africa as it wiggles past the Cape Town winelands and then through whale-filled, penguin-dotted bays.
More generally, the town is a part of the Kouga municipality, close to Port Elizabeth city.
How to get to Jeffery’s Bay
Jeffreys doesn’t have its own airport but the Port Elizabeth International Airport is real close – like 58 minutes’ drive to the east in Gqeberha (erstwhile Port Elizabeth itself). Sadly, you will be limited to domestic arrivals, at least as of 2023. To arrive long-haul, look to jet into Cape Town and then drive over from there. The upside to doing that means you’ll drive through some epic surfing territory as you go, most of all the wild Cape of Good Hope.
Jeffreys Bay surf spots
So, where do you surf in J-bay? Well, just about everywhere to be honest. The whole town is strung up a section of shoreline that faces perfectly due-west with a hint of south. Reefs, beaches, and points are the punctuation marks of the shores, breaking the whole place up into a series of fantastic spots that suit all levels.
Let’s take them each one by one, starting on the south side of the town, which we think is generally better for intermediate (and occasionally beginner) surfers…
Phantoms
Phantoms is the name for the main point that extends out from the south end of Main Beach in J-Bay. It’s made from a patchwork of rock reef that can almost totally disappear when the tide is fully up. On the push, or when the water peels back a little, watch as the reef is exposed and the ocean shallows just enough to start acting more like a classic point break, with short lefts and longer rights that rotate nicely round into the beach.
The downside of Phantoms is that it’s hard to get to – you’ll need to paddle on past Windows (see below) for another 100 yards. It’s shifty, too, with currents swinging down from the center of the beach and back out to see along the reefs here. Needs good paddle power but a whole load of fun on mid-sized swells and mid-sized tides.
Kitchen Windows
The locals in J-bay seem to debate Kitchen Windows more than just about any other wave. Is it great? Is it rubbish?
Our two cents is that we think it’s a solid A-frame and loads of fun, so long as it’s not too big – around 7-9 foot is the limit. Smaller days in the 4-6 foot range work prime, as the water wedges up beautifully and you get two really well defined shoulders pitching off in both directions.
Windows can be busy but the lineup is rarely spicy. In fact, this one’s sort of put its hand up as the intermediate spot of choice and is now a stomping ground of hostel goers and surf campers.
The peak shifts all over the place, and fattens beautifully into something softer than you’ll get further down in Supertubes. Reminds us of Balian in Bali a touch, because that peak moves left and right as it approaches the beach. Easy paddle out. Usually crowded.
Main Beach/Dolphin Beach
The central section of Main Beach – yep, that’s the main beach in J-bay! – is also known as Dolphin Beach because it’s not uncommon to spot pods of bottlenoses whizzing through the water at sunset.
That’s one of the pulls, the other is the fact that this the best beginner break in the town. It’s all sand bottomed and the swells drop nicely after navigating their way through the outer reefs. If you take a surf lesson around J-bay you’ll probably go here.
Magna Tubes
If there’s any swell on the forecast then Magnatubes will get it. Basically, this is the last of the main reef breaks that face straight west, a location that means there’s no wrap-around needed in SW swells (the best type). That can be good, when it’s summer and things are flat all over. Or it can be bad, when it’s winter and Magna is frothing so hard you’ll be muttering sweet jebuses under your breath.
The wave is kinda’ odd too, to put it mildly. It shifts like noone’s business and you’ll expend loads of energy trying to stay in spot if the water’s moving around to J-bay’s point. Don’t be tempted by the lefts – they are fluff and closey. Go right on the thick lip and you’ll be prized with a sectiony ride that begins with a pitching wall of water, one that quickly turns hollowish and then dumps you on pretty shallow reef.
It’s an intermediate and up wave at best, and – when it’s large – a nobody wave.
Boneyards
Boneyards marks the beginning of the most famous strip of breaks in J-bay, a strip of breaks that can connect at different parts to offer nigh-on ridiculous rides that mimic something out of the Aussie Superbank.
On its own, Boneyards is a very challenging take-off into steep water that pitches and sucks heavy off the initial section of reef. There’s no hard and fast rule about how many barrels it will churn out before it links up to Supertubes but if you get through them then give yourself a pat on the back.
Eyes open as you approach Supers, though – there’s gonna’ be 20+ people there looking to snipe the shoulder off you. Yell cos’ you earned it. They didn’t.
Boneyards is close to the main paddle out point for Supertubes and the rest of the main Jeffreys Bay surf channel. You can hardly see it really. It’s but a small cut in the reef on the beach, right where the coastline bends to run northwards.
Supertubes
Her majesty of J-bay: Supertubes. Plenty say this is the single finest right-hand point break on Earth. It’s got ridiculous consistency, multiple sections, and a hit of added pizzazz that keeps it in the focus of global surf competitions a la Bells and Huntington. Basically, you’re looking at surf royalty here.
But it’s no walk in the park. You need to really be on your game to score Supers at its best. Even getting to the take-off is a challenge, going through a narrow gap in jagged reef and into a moving lineup that’s rarely less than 10 people deep.
The start is kinda misleading because it often – but not always – begins a little fat and slow. Pump like hell there though, because you need the knots to rip out at least one bottom turn and then cutback to generate the right line for the main barrel section, which TV commentators love to call Carparks (it’s by the carpark).
That’s where Supertubes earns its name. The wave routinely sculpts into a fist-tight almond barrel. Ride high you can on the water to tuck in here. That’s really the only way to get through.
As the barrel opens and the face straightens up, you probably have time for like one more rip at it before you gotta’ think exit strategy. Most do – and should – kick right out and do the legwork to paddle around. Others will try their luck on Impossible…
Impossibles
For about 400 meters along the main stretch of surf coast in J-bay the reefs and the beach tighten up to just a sliver. That squashes everything together and turns the next section of the wave into a wild, wild beast that barrels like it’s constantly ripping and smashing the reef, because…well…because it is.
This part of the wave is known as Impossibles. It’s the most technical to ride and really demands loads of local knowledge because it swerves super near the rocks and broken bones are a common take away. This is for real mavericks and advanced surfers only please.
The Point
The Point is actually where it all began for the Jeffreys Bay surf. The first people who sought out this wave were cruisers on 9 foot logs back in the 60s. They ignored those hollow walls up in Supertubes because back then they weren’t even makeable. What were makable were the chilled and mellower walls that filter through to this inside section of the bay.
Fast forward to today and The Point is still the go-to for J-bay’s resident crowd of longboarders. Beginners and intermediates who aren’t that confident scoring barrels just yet also join the line up, so it’s usually pretty busy. But there’s a fun vibe about and the rides are fantastic for honing turns and trims.
Albatross
The softest wave in the whole of J-bay is the right hand peeler at Albatross. If there’s not much swell in it hardly works at all and can all but disappear on 2-foot days. Sometimes attracts an older logger or two. Can be fun but not worth traveling all this way for on its own.
Where to stay when surfing in Jeffreys Bay?
We think it’s important to score somewhere on the beachfront here, unless you want to drive quite a bit out of Port Elizabeth each day. There are some spots that we love to return to, like…
- Dolphin Sunrise – There’s nothing not to love about Dolphin Sunrise. The stylish but understated African-chic interiors. The salt-caked deck space overlooking Supers and the main J-bay barrel run. The gorgeous loft rooms with cozy double beds looking right over the Indian Ocean.
- Aloe Again – Aloe Again is a popular guest stay on J-bay’s main beach. Charming rooms, reasonable rates, and fresh-cooked croissants each morning make it a doozy in our opinion.
- Raaswater Surf Villa Jeffreys Bay – If you’re after a private pad that says romance and then some, you could do a lot worse than Raaswater Surf Villa Jeffreys Bay. It’s a modern unit with front-row seats on the J-bay point, uber-modern interiors, and super-nice bathroom ensuites.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Jeffreys Bay surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Jeffreys Bay surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step five: Enjoy!
For paying for stuff when you’re traveling – Get a Wise borderless card/account. They charge NOTHING for POS payments in any country and have some of the best FX rates around in our humble opinion.
When to surf in Jeffreys Bay?
There’s almost never a completely flat day in Jeffreys Bay. You can surf here all year round and usually be in line to score something. That said, the prime time to surf is the winter, with a particular peak in June and July. Here’s a closer look at why…
The winter months (May to August) are when high-pressure systems are pushed north up to middle Africa from the southern capes. That opens the way for low-pressure storms around Antarctica and the southern Atlantic to get nearer than ever to the Eastern and Western Capes.
The natural placement of the pressure systems tends to create a sort of storm funnel that pushes storms due east and then south again, just skirting the J-bay shores enough to offer up those consistent 5-12 foot days. The absolute prime swells of all tend to come in the peak of winter as the bigger storms rage SSW around Cape St. Francis, pushing the wrap-arounds you need to see Supertubes firing its finest.
Those combine with frequent NW winds, which are generally offshore and last basically all winter.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
