Hermanus local, Joel Lewis, headed out on a rubber duck from Hout Bay Harbour as part of a group of tourists scheduled to check out the seal colony, as well as photograph the surfers charging Sunset Reef in Kommetjie. He took along his very first board that had been long since forgotten – just in case the swell was manageable. But after seeing Dungeons firing at 15 foot without a soul in sight, Joel put his 6’6” toothpick to the ultimate test.

Joel’s story is an official entry into ‘Write to Surf‘ – our surf journo competition with some epic prizes up for grabs (see below for details).

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Wise Boards and Facing Your Fears. – by Joel Lewis.

Joel gripping his very first board, now dubbed “The Arc” as he wraps his head around what he’s about to commit to.

Leaving Hout Bay Harbour, we weren’t even sure if there was going to be enough swell.

I was in a rubber duck, sitting alongside Zigzag’s videographer Calvin “Jnr” Thompson – a great friend of mine and the guy who had organised for me to come along. We were part of a crew heading out to witness the “three metre 20 second epicness,” as Spike had put it, and one of the most perfect swell forecasts I had ever seen. Surfers over the preceding week had kept a close eye on the distant storm and there was even talk of hosting the Big Wave Africa tournament at Dungeons if the forecast held. Despite the swell not holding as well as the organisers would have liked, it was still one of the craziest swells I have ever seen. With the long range 20 second swells first compressing, and then surging into massive lips that were held up just long enough by the light offshore to finally explode with the sound of cannon fire onto the deep-water reefs lurking below them… Sound fun? It was also terrifying! It was terrifying epicness, or for me at least, but I think the photos on that day will testify.

“Yassss” comes to mind. Joel checking out the “three metre 20 second epicness,” that was forecasted.

Apart from Calvin, I had one other friend on board that rubber duck… my stick! I had recently been pushing my personal envelope at some of the deep-water reefs in and around Hermanus and so I was excited to try and make use of this rare opportunity – if I had the balls. Unfortunately, pushing the envelope had cost me all my bigger boards and so I made a mad scramble to repair one in time for this trip. The board I landed up surfing that day was an old thing. Bought by my father over ten years ago, it was left to gather dust until becoming the first board that I learned to surf on. Made-up of different coloured wood veneer that had been heavily glassed by Spider Murphy, it’s no small wonder why her nickname became “The Arc.” Looking back, I now realise I was just too light to appreciate her back then, but this plucky and indestructible 6’6” appeared multiple times in my surfing career. First, as the board I learned to surf on and then, as it got older, a dodgy backup, until I foolishly removed all of the fin plugs whilst driving into the garage with her on the roof one day. At this stage I felt I had outgrown The Arc and left her mostly, but not completely, forgotten. Unridden and unloved she was to remain until this fateful day.

Joel deep in thought as he weighs up the situation.

Our first stop was Dungeons, a wave I had only ever heard or seen footage of, the big Daddy O of Africa’s big wave scene. Rounding the iconic Sentinel, we were immediately greeted with Dungeons showing off what happens in 20 second swell. It was easily the biggest set I had ever seen and watching it from the channel was terrifying. “Not a fucking chance!” was my first thought after seeing those monsters roll through. The skipper had already phoned some of the big wave legends from around the peninsula, emphasizing the extreme lack of crowds, as Dungeons continued to spew out chilling 15ft sets without a soul in sight.

Because there were no surfers out to be photographed by the trigger happy crew, we motored over to the nearby seal colony, which I later got an up-close and personal view of while gasping for air, but that’ll come. Everyone on the boat was stoked, marveling at the seals agility and playfulness. Unlike them, all my attention was on the lineup. All I could think was “Screw these seals! I need to man up and surf this damn thing!”

Dungeon’s resident seal colony, enjoying the sunny conditions.

We were about to leave the colony and head over to Sunset reef, which we were told had surfers on it. That’s when I asked the skipper if I could try my luck at catching a wave at Dungeons. He was unimpressed, probably thinking I would just sit in the water shitting bricks, and said “You’ve got 30 minutes bru.” As soon as I got the go-ahead I immediately regretted it – there was no way I could back out now! Visibly shaking, I tried as best I could to put on my wetsuit as the rubber duck rocked from side to side in the big swells. With no one in the water to gauge where I should sit, I asked the skipper before I jumped overboard, “Where’s the line-up?” He pointed and said “It’s over there somewhere.” I guess his guess was as good as mine. Basically there was a lot of guessing, not ideal given the situation. Paddling to the backline of a completely unfamiliar big wave spot, not to mention the big Daddy O, all alone has to be the most unnerving moment I’ve ever had, but I wanted a wave, I just had to!

Joel taking the plunge.

Paddling as wide as I could (in hindsight I should have paddled even wider) put me in just the right spot to have a frantic paddle-over a monster lip, as a truly massive set rolled through the line-up. Judging from where it broke, I sat trembling on what I thought was the right spot and waited there, until, on the horizon another set came into view. The first wave of the set came into view and I was in the perfect spot. “It’s go time!” I thought, trying to amp myself up enough to commit. Cloaked in a shroud of doubt, I put my head down and started paddling as hard as I could with my survival instincts screaming “First wave of the set, are you insane! What if you go down and the rest of the set destroys you in the impact zone?” But, I was in the perfect spot and this was the best chance I was ever going to get. Besides, I wasn’t waiting around any longer than I needed to! As I paddled the old girl gave me some of the speed I needed, but was it enough to get down the face?

It’s hard to spot, but squint hard toward the bottom right of the screen and you’ll spot the spec that is Joel.

The wave suddenly began to suck off the reef which I, in a wave of panic and sheer amazement, realised to be a massive, literally house-sized granite slab sitting just below the surface of the crystal-clear blue water. I was later told that this particular reef is known as 2.5 Reef in reference to its depth under the water. The maverick who named it seriously wasn’t kidding! But I had already committed at this point and as the wave began to break, water sucked off the giant slab in one house-sized unit that presented me with easily the biggest and heaviest faces I’ve ever had the sheer terror to late-drop into. Despite being one of the most radical drops of my life, my feet felt as if they were wisely guided into the right place by the old board and her many pressure dings – just in time for me to buckle up for the crazy roller-coaster drop straight down the house-sized step in the wave. This was the only option my toothpick allowed me as I dropped into the biggest wave of my life.

Unfortunately the boat didn’t allow for a front-on view. But pictured above is the wave in point.

When the lip finally exploded behind me, it did so as others did that day: with the sound of cannon fire. The sheer amount of bass I felt through the board when that lip impacted the water, coupled with the monumental size of the fast approaching whitewash I saw behind me, was convincing enough evidence for me to jump off and take the punishment underwater rather than keep riding. I don’t remember much from the subsequent drilling, except for it being the gnarliest and most violent hold downs of my life – instantly ripping open my wetsuit and flushing me with cold water. The set wasn’t short on waves either and washed me about 100 metres until I was in line with the seal colony… told you so.

A seal escaping out the back, as Joel buckles in and gets ready for the underwater wrestle.

Emerging from the onslaught, I was outta there! But I’d faced my fears and had my terrifying, exhilarating, one-wave wonder. The level of stoke after surfing that wave is surely what it’s all about as a surfer. I jumped back on-board that boat feeling alive, electric and on top of the world. I later surfed Sunsets and caught some waves there, but my wave of reckoning, the stoke of making it and the feeling of my feet being guided by the wise old board is something I will never forget.

Joel in calmer waters, taking a few “small” ones at Sunset reef later on in the day.

Click here to check out all the entries so far >>

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THE FINEPRINT:
Send your stories to calvin@zigzag.co.za. One submission will be selected every six weeks to appear in Zigzag magazine. The selected submission will also receive a hamper from Billabong. Zigzag retains the right to use any work submitted for the Zag Surf Journo competition on zigzag.co.za as outlined in the rules and terms of the competition. Zigzag reserves the right not to award a published winner in the magazine every six weeks, depending on the quality of entries. Zigzag is not obligated to run any and all entries submitted, either online or in print. Zigzag retains the right to edit all work submitted for brevity and / or clarity.

For the next three issues the Billabong prize hamper includes: 1 x Billabong Wetsuit; 1 x Billabong Boardies; 1 x Billabong Cap; 1 x Von Zipper Sunnies; 1 x Set of Kinetic Racing (KR) fins. After which the hamper will get a shake-up with new product of equal value for the following three issues.