Though originally named for the remains of whales and seals from the whaling industry, the coast is now home to over a thousand skeletal remains of shipwrecks and some of their unfortunate crew.If that wasn’t eerie enough, a cold upwelling current creates a thick fog that blankets the coast for most of the year. But Skeleton Bay popping into our lives was different. Photo: Alan Van GysenOnce the high tide coincided with the peak of the swell on Tuesday afternoon, water rushed over the narrow sand strip, nearly covering the whole thing. Namibia › Skeleton Bay (5☆ Point break) Skeleton Bay Photos and Video. You can either drive up from Cape Town which takes about 24 hours each way, or you can fly into Walvis Bay, Namibia (about a 45-minute drive to Skeleton Bay) or Windhoek, Namibia (about a 6-hour drive to Walvis Bay). Skeleton Bay, the world's most perfect and thought provoking sand-bottom left hand point break may not exist in twenty years time. The water typically hovers around 15 to 16 degrees (59 – 61°F). Skeleton Bay is one of those marvels of the surfing world. The legendary Skeleton Bay surf spot is considered the longest sand-bottomed left hand wave in the world and only came into the surf world’s radar back in 2008, although a handful of South African surfers such as Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker had reportedly made the journey a few year prior.

Once we knew about it we also learned about the legitimate journey it is to get there. Link copied to … The weather is desert-like, dry and hot. “It’s the fastest I’ve ever gone on my backhand,” he reported. The Bushmen of the Namibian interior called the region "The Land God Made in Anger", while Portuguese sailors once referred to it as "The Gates of Hell". This means, if you don’t catch a wave in your first five minutes in the water, you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the point, and then have to make the 2km trek back up the point without even catching a wave. As you can see, this ain’t your typical on-the-fly-I-don’t-need-a-plan type of trip. It was Billy Kemper’s first trip to Skeleton Bay and he shared a few thoughts with It was like six-foot Teahupoo, but two miles long with absolute perfect conditions… the best waves I’ve witnessed in my life.

Photo: Alan Van GysenWilliam Aliotti threads his very first wave at Skeleton Bay. Mainly that Skeleton Bay is an The wave is located on the remote Skeleton Coast in Namibia. Just watch this video of Koa Smith getting In June, multiple swells hit Skeleton Bay and the world’s best descended. The reality is that the wave is difficult, fast, shallow and should only be surfed by those who are experienced.There is also a very strong rip that sucks you down the point at about 20 kilometers per hour (12.4 mph). Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Tags separate with a comma. “The sand isn’t right,” said everyone. If the swell isn’t big enough, Skeleton Bay doesn’t break. International tube hounds like Koa Smith, Benji Brand and Brett Barley were mixing it up with newcomers like William Aliotti — making impossibly long tubes from start to finish, confirming that Skeleton Bay is officially back, and still the best and heaviest wave on Earth.An early-morning look at the bottom of the point before the swell hit. With the potential for mile-long rides of the barreling kind, it’s the type of wave that surfers daydream about. Sometimes when the stars align you could get two swells in one week, leaving you feeling like you’ve won the lottery.This trip is honestly one of the most insane, incredible surf trips I’ve ever experienced. People go as far as saying that this trip is life-changing. Its slow track, long life, and dominant south-to-north orientation made it a bit different from the average South Atlantic storm system — and pretty special for the world’s most famous left point, Skeleton Bay.”

Because you will snap a couple. And when the swell does get big enough, it usually only lasts for a short time, maybe up to two days, sometimes three days if your karma is very, very good.In our opinion, the best way to approach a surf trip to the Donkey is to wait for the right swell to show on the charts, and then start planning your trip. Skeleton Bay is on the Skeleton Coast in the outskirts of Walvis Bay in Namibia, Africa. Ruan (AKA Ru) is the founder of Here’s what Ru has to say on surfing this remote gem of a wave…This wave doesn’t need much of an introduction. Like … If you’re lucky, you will get 2 days in a row of the best waves of your life. Bring plenty of supplies, a good wetsuit, warm clothes, and a couple extra boards. Photo: Alan Van GysenTaj Burrow finally made the long haul over to Skeleton Bay, and he was utterly blown away. Photo: Alan Van GysenRegularfooters have their work cut out for them at Skeleton Bay. This charming stretch of desert has quite a few menacing nicknames: Portuguese sailors called it “The Gates of Hell,” the Bushmen of Namibia call it “the land God made in anger,” and another favorite is “Africa’s Bermuda Triangle.”Not only is the area desolate AF, the coast is littered with… wait for it… skeletons. Consequently, you can expect a solid group of people lined up on the beach when the swell hits.On the flip side, only about 20% to 30% of the surfers that show up at the beach will actually manage to get the wave they have been dreaming of their whole lives. Otherwise, you could be waiting for a very long time, or never see it break.When a swell decides to show its face, surfers from across the globe start spinning in circles to make last minute decisions and start thinking of excuses to spin to their boss as to why they’re not going to be at work the following week. It’s hard to believe that a wave can be that good, it’s like playing a video game or some shit. You could still look from the top of the point to the bottom, and vice versa, and it was clearly as straight as ever. Oh, and in case you’re wondering what a 2-minute, 8-barrel Skeleton Bay wave looks like from a surfer’s POV, here’s Koa Smith’s…Subscribe to our weekly mailer for the latest travel deals and surf goodness.By continuing to use Lush Palm, you consent to the use of cookies as outlined in our From dropping everything at the last minute to make trip plans, to barrels that last up to 60 seconds.

Once the swell peaked on Tuesday, July 30th, any concerns about the bank being imperfect were dismissed.

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