Are you planning a trip to South Africa to surf and enjoy beach holidays? If so, you’ve chosen the right place. This country has sunny days, cool nights and a series of points and bays that make for unstoppable surfing fun. In South Africa, there are dozens of cities with beaches that offer prime surfing. The surf is consistent and it’s relatively un-crowded most of the time. So, whether you’re out for the first time or looking for a new conquest, this pleasant surf is the place to start.

What To ExpectSouth Africa’ 3,000 kilometers (2174 miles) of coastline with a 270 degree swell exposure which leads waves upon waves. Every part of the coast is pounded by surf. There, you can ask other surfers and residents for their advice, but be careful as many are paranoid about surfing. However, others will sit for hours describing all of the locations where you can surf for hours.

South Africa’s West coast, southern cape and Easter cape all provide excellent opportunities for surfing. To see what’s coming, you can go online and track maps that show waves with a five-day forecast, so you can determine where the best spots are and choose where you want to spend your time.

April and May are the most pleasant times of year for beach holidays as there’s little rain – the winter rain hasn’t started and the summer rain is over. You can find the best surf between March and September, with waves in the 6-15 foot range, though some locations have much higher swells.

Just Starting OutIf you are reading to head to South Africa for some beach holidays with fun in the sun on the waves, but don’t have any experience, don’t fret. If you have some experience, but want to touch up your skills, there are options available to you. There are several training locations near all of the major beaches that have the best surfing. If you go to a school, you will find teachers who are also lifeguards and who have years of experience in surfing.

There are also daily courses taught at the beach by surfers who have years of experience and training. They will give you the basics about getting on board and navigating the ocean’s waves. Usually, this course takes place right out on the beach so you can gain practical experience and learn about possible hazards presented by the ocean and simply being aware of your surroundings.

Be sure that when you receive training, you make sure the person offering it is legitimate and that you get everything the class should include, such as a meal, sand training and wave-riding time.

Where To GoFrom west to east, here are some locations that you might try surfing. These are also broken up by your skill level.

Western Cape:
Beginners have many options and should try:

* Kenton on Sea
* Bikini Beach
* Big Bay
* Jongensfontein
* Muizenberg*
* Silky’s
* Spot X
* Strand
* Toads

Intermediate surfers might enjoy:

* Long Beach*
* Onrus
* Pipe
* Scarborough Point
* Mossel Bay
* Heaven and Hell
* Gouritz
* Eland’s Bay*

Experts should visit:

* Stilbaai Point
* Heaven
* Dungeons*- This location is considered one of the biggest wave venues with waves at 30 feet high. It works best on winter surf.

Cape Peninsula
For beginners:

* Stil Bay*

For intermediates:

* Kogel Bay
* Big Bay
* Claws
* Tube Wave

For experts: