Latest Surfski News

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 07:11
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” I thought to myself a few moments after launching on the brand new V10 4G for the first time. It was getting dark; it was raining; the squalls were lifting sheets of spray off the water… directly offshore. What WAS I thinking? The answer is that I’m a sucker for new toys – and if I get my hands on one, I HAVE to play with it. Damn the weather, full speed ahead… Since then I’ve paddled the boat many more times, in much pleasanter weather. Here’s what I think of this,…
Thursday, 08 June 2023 12:42
East London, South Africa: Angus Warren watched helplessly as the shark’s teeth crunched through the hull of his surfski. “It seemed to go on and on,” he says, “pushing and chomping. I was thinking, why is it not working out that it isn’t food? “I can’t tell how long it took, but I had enough time to shout a couple of times to the others.” The next thing he knew, he was in the water…
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Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:42
CAPE TOWN - Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn convincingly claimed back their Prescient Freedom Paddle title on Thursday in a dramatic race marked by tough conditions and a rain-delayed start.  Conditions were extremely tough - a brisk northwester blowing spray from the big confused chop into the paddlers' faces as they headed out to the island.  Huge breaking surf on the far side of the island ensured a wide line but the wind dropped as the fleet started on the journey back to the finish, making it that much more difficult and energy sapping to catch the runs.  
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Tuesday, 25 April 2023 11:50
Last Friday, however, I paddled with Dawid on a windless autumn evening in Cape Town. Cruising from Fish Hoek to Muizenberg, we paddled together, stopping at all the coves to surf a few waves. In short, the operative word was "fun". This was a different Dawid - off duty - and, well, I've never paddled with anyone so noisy before. Whistling, singing, shouting to folks on shore - yahooing as he caught a wave. Heading home at dusk we crept up behind a group of seals lazing on the surface. Dawid began barking like a five-year-old paid by the bark...until…
Thursday, 09 February 2023 07:39
A look back - aaaaargh! A mountain. Let it go through... A smaller one, with a glimpse of something massive lurking further out to sea. Catch it, catch it! Sprint, sprint, you’re on it, here’s the break zone, keep going, keep going, the roar from behind and the sudden acceleration as a massive foamy caught up to me, keep it straight, keep it straight... Phew. Arrived. Panting. Stop the watch. ok. Made it. Empty the boat, pick it up to prevent it knocking you down. Done.
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Saturday, 26 November 2022 17:16
The South Africans cleaned up today at the most prestigious surfski race in Australia – arguably the most prestigious race in the world - taking five out of the top six places and the entire podium at the Shaw and Partners “The Doctor” in Perth. Defending women’s champion, Kiwi Danielle McKenzie won the women’s trophy.
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Saturday, 19 November 2022 13:01
Gold Coast paddler, Cory Hill, took first scalp in the five-event ocean ski racing series, the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, winning the inaugural race today, the 24km Fenn West Coast Downwinder from Fremantle, just south of Perth, to Sorrento Beach. In fine conditions with a 16 knot SSW wind courtesy of the famed Fremantle Doctor, the start off Port Beach was intense with the top paddlers in a terse battle to make the first break.   But it was 33-year-old Hill – the 4-times DOCTOR champ who relishes the Perth conditions – who was able to shake the field…
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Tuesday, 16 March 2021 13:54
It’s not easy to catch a rolling, runaway single ski in 30kt of gusting wind – and as they attempted to grab it, Alex and his doubles partner lost their balance and fell into the water. By the time they’d remounted, the single ski was gone – blown away by the strengthening near-gale. They turned and paddled back upwind to find their buddy.
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Wednesday, 03 March 2021 12:08
Accident reports are easy to write when the story ends happily, but this one didn’t and it’s with a very heavy heart that I’m writing this, with a view to learning what we can from it.
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Wednesday, 15 July 2020 09:13
When the NSRI found Duncan MacDonald, he was approximately 6km off Smitswinkel Bay, drifting rapidly further offshore. Gale-force squalls whipped sheets of spray off the waves, reducing visibility almost to nothing. What Happened? Given the small size of the surfski community, there’s always intense interest whenever there’s a rescue. What happened? What did they do wrong? What can we learn from it? Clearly there are lessons to be learnt from any mishap – so here’s a description of what happened, shared with the permission and cooperation of the folks involved in the hope that we might all learn from this…
Friday, 24 April 2020 11:41
Durban – As the continued coronavirus lockdown grips the country, Canoeing South Africa will host a 24 hour Canoeing4COVID-19 event this weekend as a way to raise funds for members of the broader paddling community that have been badly affected by the lockdown.
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Wednesday, 11 March 2020 14:35
“Hey, Rob! Help!” The shouts penetrated the sound of the howling wind and crashing waves – and even through the noise it was obvious from the tone of his voice that something was seriously wrong. I turned and headed back upwind.
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Tuesday, 03 March 2020 14:43
Many paddlers use Personal Locator Beacons, or tracker apps like SafeTrx on their mobile phones. But handheld VHF radios are also a great choice to consider – especially when they’re DSC-capable like the Standard Horizon HX870E.
Read more...
Monday, 24 February 2020 12:01
I finally got my hands on a demo Fennix Swordfish S this weekend and did two Miller's Runs in succession to see if I could feel any difference in handling between the 2018 Swordfish S and the new Fennix model.  Conditions were challenging: False Bay was covered in whitecaps, whipped by a combination of a 25-30kt southeaster and small, confused seas.  The result?  I definitely want to spend more time in this boat.
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Thursday, 26 December 2019 10:30
The shark smashed like a freight train into Roger Swinney’s surfski in an explosion of noise and spray, knocking him off into the water.  “I managed to get back on the ski,” he said, “but I fell off again and as I remounted the second time, I saw the swirl and tips of the shark’s fins. “I didn’t see it clearly, but from the force of it and the movement in the water, it looked big!”
Read more...

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Route Notes: the Millers Run ** videos **

Sunday, 25 July 2010 21:34 | Written by 
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Gale Force Millers Run! Gale Force Millers Run! Credits: www.surfski.info

[Editor: This is the first of what will become a regular feature; Route Notes that describe a favourite paddle.] For those downwind paddling addicts living in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, the Millers Run is the default route in summer when the southeaster blows.  Here are some notes on how and when to do it.

The Route

Launch at the ramp of the Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club at Millers Point, paddle about 800m due east to Bakoven Rock, turn left and head towards Fish Hoek, leaving the Roman Rock lighthouse to your right.  Simple!  The distance to Fish Hoek from Bakoven Rock is about 11.75km.

satellite-annotated

The Millers Run - 11.7km of unadulterated pleasure...

An alternative launching spot that I use when conditions are really hectic is the north launch ramp.  It’s totally protected from the swell, so you can turn right and paddle east as far as you can in the shelter of the rocks until you hit the wind and swell – turn left and head towards Fish Hoek.  (This is known as the Millers “Chicken Run”.  Don’t be ashamed of taking this option – I did five of them last season!)

How to find Millers Point

From Fish Hoek, head south along Main Road through Simonstown.  About 3km from the last houses in Simonstown (Murdoch Valley), you’ll see a sign on the left of the road that reads “Millers Point Recreation Area”.  Drive on for another 700m to another sign that reads, “Welcome to Cape Boat and Ski-Boat Club”.  Turn left, drive down the road and turn right through a sliding gate.  Drive down through a large parking area down to the ramp.

Cape Boat and Ski-boat Club

Be aware that fishing boats use the ramp and we’re there on sufferance.  Be nice to the fishing people even if they think you’re insane to be paddling out there and in those conditions – and whatever you do, don’t leave your vehicle parked in their way.  They have big 4x4s and trailers with metal protrusions that will spoil your car’s day.

The Millers Run – what’s it like?

It's fantastic fun!  

The section from the ramp out to Bakoven Rock can be intimidating – especially if the open ocean swell is coming into the bay.  You can tell when this happens because a shore break makes launching off the ramp interesting and the boulders on the beach rumble as they’re tossed in the surf (hence the name, Rumbly Bay).  To leeward, the swells smash against Millers Point itself – you don’t want to go there!

Millers Point

Millers Point - Detail

After rounding Bakoven Rock, the runs are typically quite small and hard work to catch. A couple of kilometres later however, as you approach the Roman Rock lighthouse, they really start jacking up.  Quite often there are small diagonal runs pushing from left to right, and you can link between them and the bigger swells heading towards Fish Hoek.

(Inside or outside the lighthouse?

Talk to the old men of the sea and they’ll tell you that there’s no need to go outside the lighthouse – the shortest route is usually the quickest  and the straight line between Bakoven Rock and Fish Hoek takes a couple of hundred metres inside the lighthouse.)

Roman Rock Lighthouse

Passing the lighthouse (Pic: Steve Benjamin)

As you pass Roman Rock, the reflected swells hit from the right – and often the constructive interference between wavefronts create superb steep drops...   After another kilometre or so the sea settles down, but there are usually good runs all the way to the Fish Hoek bay entrance.

As you approach Fish Hoek, the waves reflect off the shore in front of you, and the sea becomes confused, and your ski ramps over the swells coming towards you...  A last big run over the reef at Sunny Cove and it’s into the bay proper and the sprint to the beach.

The thing that makes the Millers Run so special for me is that it’s almost always challenging – the runs are very seldom regular and you have to be alert constantly, always looking for the next dip to charge.  But there’s no doubt that it’s one of the most fun paddles around – sheer exhilaration for fifty minutes...  (well, 45:54 to be precise on one awesome occasion last season!)

It’s also reasonably safe.  For one thing it’s on the warm water side of the peninsula.  For another the wind is blowing onshore – you will eventually reach Fish Hoek or somewhere close to it.

At the same time, don’t underestimate the run – for inexperienced paddlers it can be daunting.

When to do it

Virtually any time the wind is blowing from the SE – which is about 75% of the time in summer.  (You can also do it in reverse when the wind is blowing from the NW... but that’s the topic of another Route Notes story.)

Who to do it with

Unless you’re an experienced downwind paddler, you probably want to do your first Millers Run with some guys who have done it before.  In summer there’s usually a gang leaving Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club just after work.  The Varsity College Surfskischool guys often run “first time Millers Run” trips.  Contact them at the Mocke’s Paddling Centre on Main Road, Fish Hoek (0217824311).

It’s a good plan too to agree to regroup at the lighthouse and make sure everyone is still on track.  Paddle with a buddy and watch out for each other.  But be sure that everyone in your group understands what you’re going to do – before you launch.

Things to watch out for

  • Sunset!  Don’t leave it too late before you start – it’s far more difficult for rescuers to find someone in the dark.  (I’ve had personal experience of this.)
  • Swell coming into False Bay.  The waves normally hit the Cape Peninsula from the SW, but on occasion swing around to the SE.  A big SE swell can make the launch at Rumbly Bay interesting –on occasion the sets shut out right across the mouth of the bay – and beach rumbles as the boulders tumble back and forth in the surf (giving Rumbly Bay its name).
  • The wind direction: SSE is best; ESE often makes for a messy sea.  The first day after the SE starts blowing is usually the cleanest; each day that the SE blows seems to make the bay messier – it’s still fun, but the runs become more technical and less easy to link together.
  • The reefs and rocks around Roman Rock lighthouse.  In milder conditions, it’s tempting to shoot the gap under the lighthouse gantry.  Just be aware that there’s a reef to the north-east of the lighthouse – and several rocks at the base of the gantry.  I still have a scar on my stomach courtesy of the reef and was recently left high and dry on one of the rocks!
  • Glen Cairn!  The classic beginner’s mistake is to head too far to the left, thinking that you’re headed towards Fish Hoek when you’re actually aiming at Glen Cairn.  The peak to the left of Fish Hoek is distinctive – just be aware of where you’re paddling!
  • The reef at Sunny Cove – you can recognise Sunny Cove by the pedestrian bridge that crosses the railway line.  Don’t go too close to the reef – but you can catch a great run on the shoulder, to shoot past your buddy who’s taken a deeper line!

Precautions

Always use basic safety gear:

  • Use a PFD.  The water is cold and if you start cramping, a PFD will help you stay afloat.
  • Use a leash.  If you don’t have a leash, use a tie-down.  You should NEVER be in a position to lose your ski.  The ski is much, much easier to find than a swimmer.
  • Take a means of communication.  A VHF radio or cellphone in a waterproof pouch is best, flares are good, a mirror (like an old CD) is good.  A radio is excellent.
  • Tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be out of the water.  NSRI Station 10 (who are the guys who’ll come looking for you if get into trouble) welcome a heads-up SMS on 0829905965.  Just a simple “3 skis, Millers Pt to Fish Hoek ETA 14h30” gives them situational awareness that could save your life.  Don’t forget the follow up email “all in ok” to let them know you’ve arrived.
  • Know your own limitations.  If your gut is telling you that the conditions are beyond your capability, listen to it.  Either can the paddle or go from the north ramp.  There’s no shame in backing off.

 

Been there, done that, got the shirt

The Paddling Centre have some really cool Millers Run T-shirts – but you can only buy one after you’ve done the run!

Video

Mild Millers

Here's a relatively mild Millers Run...

 

Millers Run from Rob Mousley on Vimeo.

Chicken Run in the Red7

The wind was blowing about 40kts on this day... We chickened out and paddled from the north ramp.  As we left the ramp we were doing 12kph without paddling...  The conditions were fantastic - long smooth swell...

Doubles Ride

Here's a run in a double...  When we submerged I was laughing so hard I nearly fell off...

Millers Run 2010 - in High Definition!

I've been playing with some hi-def GoPro cameras...  This is a classic Millers Run in a 30kt southeaster, run about two weeks ago.  (A southeaster is very unusual in Cape Town in mid-winter.)  The boat is the new Kayak Center EOS 665 - designed for novice paddlers...  It made a great camera platform!

Midwinter Millers HD from Rob Mousley on Vimeo.