Coastalsurvey

The northwestern coast of Africa — Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal — receives most of its swell in the Northern Hemisphere winter, November through March. At that time it is also favored by the NE Harmattan winds, which groom the abundant right pointbreaks in the region. Water temperatures here range from 58F in the winter to 75F in the summer.

The Canary Islands are a possession of Spain, but only 70 miles off the coast of Morocco. The 7-island archipelago sees its best surf from November through March. Water temperatures are a moderate 18C/64F to 22C/74F year round.

Further to the southwest, almost 700 kilometers due west of Saint Louis in Senegal, the island nation of Cape Verde cops surf from the north and south. Winter storms roiling the North Atlantic provide the most consistent waves from December to March. June through September the pattern is reversed. The arrangement of the 15 islands in the archipelago means that some of the islands will be blocked by the others on most swell directions. Prevailing winds come from the Northeast.

South of the Almadies Peninsula in Senegal, most of the surf is generated by the Roaring 40s and the Furious 50s in the Southern Hemisphere winter (April to October). The arrival of long-range south swells from the winds circling Antarctica on the southwest-facing shores of Equatorial Africa is usually accompanied by monsoons.  Between April and September the countries ringing the Gulf of Guinea are soaked by the rains and stroked by light SW winds. Surf in this season is small to moderate, about one to two meters high.

The southwest coast of the continent — Angola, Namibia and South Africa — is cooled by the Benguela Current. Prevailing winds here are out of the south and contribute to significant upwelling, which makes this part of the Atlantic very lively. However, from May to September the SW swell consistently delivers surf in the two to three-meter range.

Winters in South Africa are cold and windy with pumping SW swell. In the summers, swell and wind come from the SE.  The area between Cape Town and Durban is the region’s best surf. Here the Antarctic winds deliver waves in the two to five-meter zone with offshore winds in the mornings. In the summer water temperatures climb to 21C/70F and in the winter drop to 15C/59F.

Near Durban, on the continent’s southeast coast, the Agulhas Current warms the beaches. Winter is fairly consistent, but summers in Durban can see long periods of flatness, punctuated by the occasional cyclone swell from the Indian Ocean.

North of Durban, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia surely get swell, but the region is not well traveled by surfers. The southeast coast of Madagascar gets most of the attention. Prevailing winds are from the south along this coast. Most waves come from Antarctic storms in the Southern Hemisphere winter — April to October. From December to March sporadic cyclone swell lights up east-facing breaks.

Transportation in Africa is poor and war is all too common. In the 1990s, the continent saw 15 active conflicts. Aid organizations estimate there are 10 million internal refugees living in Africa now. While South Africa has seen a few horrific shark attacks in recent years, much greater threats to traveling surfers come from landmines and the polluted water left over from past conflicts.

See More Africa Articles

• Land of 1000 Lefts
• Mauritius
• Up The Skeleton Coast: Surfing in Namibia, Part Three
• Up the Skeleton Coast: Surfing in Namibia, Part Two
• Up the Skeleton Coast, Surfing in Namibia, Part One
• In Morocco, Part 3: South
• In Morocco, Part 2: On the Point
• In Morocco, Part One: The Road to the Coast
• CitySurfer's Journal: 2000
• CitySurfer's Journal: Summer and Fall 1999