J-Bay’s Endless Summer

In 2015, an unbelievable moment played out on live TV: Australia’s Mick Fanning – at the time, world number two surfer on WSL’s rankings – fought off a great white shark that had bitten through his surfboard leash. Tweets of the J-Bay Open, where the action unfolded, neared 450 per minute. Fortunately, the shark seemed curious not hungry – Fanning punched and swam to safety. He braved the same waters in 2016, riding his beloved Supertubes all the way to the number one spot on the podium. A year later, he had to be plucked from the waves once more after a three-metre great white was spotted videobombing the line-up.

Fanning’s tale proves how J-Bay gets under your skin. ‘I love the place. Nothing could ever change that,’ he said. ‘That wave is like no other, the people are pure gold and it’s maybe my favourite stop on the schedule.’

Making up a section of J-Bay’s famous right-hand point break, ‘Supers’ is rated among the world’s best waves, with 300m of surfing perfection for advanced boardriders. Then there’s Kitchen Windows, Magnatubes, Boneyards, Tubes, Impossibles, Albatross, Point… and a Blue Flag beach for non-surfers there to sample the warm Indian Ocean too. The best time for surfing J-Bay is during the winter months of May to August when the winds are offshore and swells come through more consistently. Despite Fanning’s experience, sharks are not an everyday occurrence; you’re more likely to encounter a pod of dolphins or, in winter, whales swimming by.

The town’s warm welcome extends beyond the waves as well. In the past decade, the relaxed fishing town and surf mecca has developed into one of the fastest growing urban areas in the country. Along with new residents have come trendy new delis, beer brewers (award-winning Brewhaha does a mean burger too, with epic fries or pap and sous to have with your Endless Summer Blond Ale), coffee shops, churches, guesthouses, restaurants and surf outlets. And, less than half an hour out of town, new lodges and eco-estates, where endless tracts of gorgeous green stretch as far as the eye can see.

Of course, there are the old faithfuls too: the famous factory shops of the Surf Village where mega-outlets sell rails and rails of bikinis, boardies, hoodies and everything in between from all the major surf brands, and Andy Thuysman’s InStep – home of the original hug for feet: JBayBoot sheepskin surf boots handmade in Jeffrey’s Bay, plus sheepskin slippers and wildebeest leather vellies. In 1974, Andy started making shoes for the surfers on the beaches of J-Bay, individually tracing the leather to the shape of their feet before cutting and sewing it by hand. Today, customers still say his shoes feel like they were made for them.

And, when you’re done stocking up on clothing, there’s the comforting embrace of loved-by-locals Quitschy’s Pizza, a 100% real-deal Italian restaurant in Ferreira Town. And just nearby, in the Wavecrest Centre, Nina’s Real Food is an institution known for the scrumptiousness of its grub – whether you want something wholesome or sinful, or just want to ogle the surfboards that decorate the slightly bohemian space, you’re in for a treat. Not to mention the chance you’ll be surrounded by surfers waxing lyrical about that humungous wave. Aweh, dude!