Knock Knock Knock on the canopy. David is here! About an hour earlier than he said he would arrive - I love it. The clothes come on and the excitement is high. David is unable to wait for me to surf and he’s in the water shortly after that. I try my best to speed my way through a coffee and oats, but Zingi is a little too cute to not pay attention to.
I walk down to the point with my breakfast and watch David get a couple good ones. The South Westerly is blowing, but the point is clean and consistent. David gets a solid one and that does it for me - I run back to the car to put my wetsuit on and grab The Custard Queen (6’8” yellow single fin).
I hop in through the keyhole at the top as it looks like the current down the point is quite strong, I make it out with ease. Out at the backline I’m greeted by David and Chris who are frothing. We begin the relentless paddle up the point against the current.
The ocean is alive. The wind is blowing. The waves are great, but require effort to find. I’m happy with my decision of boards mainly for the ease of paddling. The Custard Queen is able to glide through the choppy water and easily into waves. As always - she is able to perform her lovely roundhouse into the foam on command and it turns into the right way to ride Mdumbi today.
A few times I find myself so far down the beach after a wave and the only option is a walk around. When you pass the end of the rocks it’s always possible to kick out and then have a shorter paddle against the rip back up to the takeoff point - but when I’m on the wave this is never an option that goes through my mind.
On my second jump off the rocks I spot a fin in the distance. Just a single fin. I wait it out and luckily see and second find, then a third and then countless fins riding the set into the bay. I jump into the water excitedly, neglecting caution. A set comes through and I have to really paddle to avoid being washed onto the rocks. When I finally make it out beyond the breaking waves I’m next to David and we paddle through an immense pod of dolphins.
I get another long one and find myself walking back up the point with a smile on my face. Two whales begin sharing the fun, synchronising their breaches. Everyone is ecstatic in the water - hooting at this amazing situation.
I find myself at the bottom of the rocks, deliberating whether I should brave the current for one more. David calls it there - his arms no longer able. I slowly start paddling up, looking for a my last wave. There is a large grey shape underneath me, luckily it’s tail moving up and down. A pod of about ten dolphins emerge around me and slowly paddle with me up the point back to the takeoff area. They go to sit a bit further out and catch two of the set waves - careening towards me.
I’m absolutely exhausted after all the excitement. It takes me an hour to make coffee and a pasta. I head over to the common room to excitedly find out that there is a wealth of footage that Wayne has taken from the point. I put together this little video as quickly as possible to capture this wonderful surf.
David tells me about a wave called Shark Point that might have some waves this week. Mikey February surfed it in Sonic Souvenirs (along with Lwandile). It sparks something inside of me and suddenly I’m feeling ready to leave Mdumbi after what has been such a magical time.
I’ve realised how badly I needed to park off here for a while and really relax. I’ve manage to satisfy my surf itch to a degree that I’m beginning to daydream about the mountains. I’m feeling more ready to leave now. There is a tentative plan to walk to Lwandile for the day tomorrow - if that happens I’ll stay until Tuesday, otherwise I imagine that I’m going to be moving up the coast tomorrow.
I’m exhausted. An early night is calling.
