The Dunes Surf Guide

The Dunes Surf Guide

The main beach, of which The Hoek occupies the far corner, this massive white beach offers a myriad of different waves. When the swell is really small, it picks up the majority of the swell and there is usually a fun peak somewhere along it's 2-mile stretch. High tide or low tide, there is usually something to be surfed. The main reason for surfing this beach, however, is not the fun waves on the small days but the ferocious barrels at The Dunes on the medium to big days.

Named after the big dunes that sit quite far down the beach and offshore on the southeast, the Dunes provide the biggest and best barrels on the peninsula when they're going. Dependent on sandbars and tides, the barrels that come through when the conditions are good have to be seen to be believed. Sounds like paradise, but "Dunies" has her fair share of hassles and negatives.

When it's good it is going to be cold. So cold you're going to be wearing a 4/3 fullsuit at least, boots and a hood, and you're still going to be very unhappy. The sandbar is shallow and the waves break hard, so broken boards and broken limbs can be a real bummer.

The Dunes has also seen a handful of serious shark attacks. Shark sightings are common, but so are very deep, 6-second backhand and forehand barrels. These days, 4x4 vehicles and Jet Skies are banned from Noordhoek, and pretty much the rest of the peninsula as well.

You need a longer board down the beach, but one with plenty of curve that's going to fit into the barrel.