Best Breaks in South Africa – Surfing Jeffrey’s Bay
Jeffrey’s Bay is a series of breaks and swells on South Africa’s Eastern Cape divided into Kitchen Windows, Magna tubes, Boneyards, Supertubes, Impossibles, Tubes, the Point, and Albatross.
Jeffrey’s Bay was initially settled in the mid 1800’s by the senior partners of Jeffrey & Glendinnings who opened a small store in the sheltered bay of the Eastern Cape. The store attracted more people who also settled in the area, and “Jeffrey’s” bay went from raw coastline to a small, rurally populated fishing town.
Kitchen Windows
At the entrance to Jeffrey’s Bay is Kitchen Windows. The “Windows” are consistent and fine for surfers of all levels, as opposed to Supertubes and Boneyards further down the shoreline, where situations are crowded and breaks are extremely challenging.
The Boneyards
The Boneyards are a break located in between the Supertubes and Magna Tubes in Jeffrey’s Bay. Fast, hard right breaks and big waves make the Boneyards one of the better spots on the J-Bay coast, if you can squeeze in among the locals.
Albatross
Albatross is another fast right break located on the sheltered coastline of Jeffrey’s Bay. Less crowded than other spots, Albatross offers some of the best swells in the world, though not quite as well known as the nearby Supertubes.
Magna Tubes
When the surf scene first hit Jeffrey’s Bay, surfers flocked to the supertubes. As this spot became more crowded, other breaks were discovered in the area including the Magna Tubes. Rumour has it that the break was named after some Aussie pilgrims hit the wave. When asked what it was like, they replied, “Ahh there are magnificent tubes out there mate”, so the Magnatubes were born.
The Magna Tubes are located just down the bay from Supertubes and Boneyard breaks. Challenging fast breaks are seconds away from the town of Jeffrey’s Bay, one of the fastest growing urban areas in all of South Africa and one of the best surf destinations in the world.
The Supertubes
The Supertubes are a section of the wave at Jeffrey’s Bay ranked in the top surfing spots in the world. The amazing 300m breaks make it the perfect location for surfing tournaments, namely theBillabong Pro ASP Tournament every July. In 2009, 45 of the best surfers in the world came to J-Bay for the chance to show off on the big wave.
