Bettys Bay Surf Guide

Bettys Bay Surf Guide

One of the lesser surfed spots, Betty's Bay can get really good in the winter months. It's on the warmer Indian Ocean, and is situated about an hour and a bit's drive from Cape Town. The good thing about Betty's By is that it is offshore on a NW wind on a stretch of coast that generally likes the predominant SE winds more. The NW winds is the wind that blows during the winter months, and this little beach has been many a refuge for surfers fighting for surf during the bitter winter months.

A windy little tarred road through some nice green vegetation will lead you to a gravel car park, and some absolutely disgusting public toilets. Don't use them under any circumstances, coz you might start itching soon afterwards. Park in front of the little gap in the dunes. There used to be a wooden walkway here, like at J-Bay, but the sand dunes ate them up one summer. As you walk over the little dunes you should see a few rights and lefts in front of you. To the right there will be another semi-rights. Far down the beach to the left there's usually a left and an inside right. Often it will just be straight closeouts, but with some inside reforms, particularly on the high tide.

Quite a good secret here is that during the summer months when the wind is howling and direct onshore, the swell breaks up into punchy little peak waves right on the shore, and the water gets warm enough for boardies. A great place for a fun surf on your summer board to get wet and keep the reflexes sharp.

There is a really good left hand reef in the immediate vicinity. Fairly easy to find, there isn't any safe parking for your car, and it's too far to walk. Pulling straws will decide who does car guard duty. There is another good beachbreak in the area, with a great left running into a rip alongside a rock pile. It's near a big sand dune.

Some behemoth great white sharks populate the area, but sightings along this area are rare. The real danger is the seafood (abalone, crayfish) poachers who operate in this area. The industry is a multi-million rand industry and all poacher are armed to the hilt and ready to shoot. If you're going for a surf and see people and police running around on the beach with guns and assault rifle, it's probably a good idea to wait for the tide to come in a bit.