Nahoon Reef Surf Guide

Nahoon Reef Surf Guide

The main wave in East London, Nahoon Reef, named after the nearest suburb Nahoon, is pretty spooky. The wave is good and it will always entice you out for more, but this is the site of an incredible two-shark attack where two sharks strike a young surfer at the same time.

The paddle out can be easy from around the back, but when it's solid and gnarly then you have to paddle out from the slip way and through the lineup. The rip can wash down the reef as well making the paddle quite a burn. The wave itself is a thick, ledging right-hand reef with good sections and barrels. A long wave which allows you to string a series of moves together all the way through to the inside, it is a powerful wave and only for the competent surfer.

When sitting out the back, the sets appear to always go wide of the take-off zone. Those people in the known wait for the waves to refract and come back to where they are waiting patiently, for a deep, late take-off to get a wave with wall. Nahoon loves a low tide and the wave tends to fatten out and fade when the reef gets too deep.

When the swell is pumping the attention moves onto the beachbreak, called Nahoon Corner. It's sheltered here and gets less of the open ocean swell that the reef picks up. Sand and a few rocks make up the bottom here, and it's also suitable for beginners. Sometimes when the swell is really big and the winds are favorable and blowing offshore, this little piece of beach can provide spitting barrels.