Cape Town In All Its Mind-Bending Magnificence

Here is the left hand side of Llandudno beach. Surfers usually flock to the right wedging side of the beach, but occasionally "leftovers" is firing. Photo: Ian Thurtell

Josh Brodie is a Llandudno local, and one of the most solid surfers in the area. This morning, the light was epic and the waves were perfect. He decided to bring out this board, a long board reshaped into this fat and wide shredder. Photo: Ian Thurtell

Michael February (or M-Feb as he's known to the local community) was recently busy surfing at the Australian Open of Surfing. But when he is not traveling, he is often at a deserted beachbreak near Cape Point, getting his fins loose, as seen here this past December. Photo: Ian Thurtell

The next three images are from my favorite slab to photograph. The wave moves so fast. Photo: Ian Thurtell

More of the slab. Photo: Ian Thurtell

And a little more. Photo: Ian Thurtell

At 13, Max Elkington is one of our brightest junior surfers from Cape Town. This morning, he had the reef all to himself. Photo: Ian Thurtell

Max's older brother, Jake, also a rising star in the junior ranks. The two of them push each other every session they take. Photo: Ian Thurtell

Moving three hours up the west coast, we run into Elands Bay. The point needs a fairly large swell to wrap into the bay and start working properly, but when the elements align, the place cranks. This shot and the next one were taken mid-winter, but looks more like an Indo lineup. Photo: Ian Thurtell

More of Elands Bay. Photo: Ian Thurtell

Another thing that Cape Town surfers know all about is the thick kelp that is attached to all our reef breaks. Often a hindrance from above with its hard thick heads, the view is majestic from below. Photo: Ian Thurtell

The cape waters are teeming with life as National Geographic will show you. This little island is about 300 meters offshore from the coastal road near Camps Bay. I took out a sea kayak and paddled out to them. At first, the seals were unsure and swam off. But soon enough they returned and swam around me. Photo: Ian Thurtell

This little bay is a short 20 minute walk from Llandudno. When the swell gets too large for Llandudno, everyone rushes off to this sandy little bay. Ryan Payne and I arrived late afternoon this day to find only one other person out. Photo: Ian Thurtell

One of Cape Town's best shapers, Dutchie. Photo: Ian Thurtell

This is a view from a mountain peak that overlooks my local beach Llandudno. Photo: Ian Thurtell

This setup was about a five hour drive from Cape Town up the east coast and about an hour from J-Bay. During my most recent stay, it looked like this for four days straight. One afternoon, I met some California surfers who had surfed it before driving on to J-Bay, but quickly came back. They couldn't believe people were hassling over two-foot Supertubes when this had four guys out and was five feet. The day after this short was taken, a huge storm hit with pouring rains that flooded the river and burst its banks. Since then, the river banks silted up and the wave no longer exists... Photo: Ian Thurtell

This neat little slab is in the heart of Cape Town's summer beach area. The drop off on every side of the reef has swells wrap around and create the craziest wave forms. Photo: Ian Thurtell

Sam slab, different moment. Mind bending. Photo: Ian Thurtell

This is the view from Lion's Head, part of Table Mountain, looking down onto Sea Point, Green Point, and the 2010 World Cup football (soccer) stadium. In the top left side you are able to see Robben Islan where freedom fighter Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years. Photo: Ian Thurtell

This is Llandudno again, my home break looking amazing in the evening summer light. Photo: Ian Thurtell