Journey to Skeleton Bay - video
In the second webisode of the #goaritz series, Aritz Aranburu teams up with Natxo Gonzalez and Alex Gironi to make the pilgrimage to Skeleton Bay. In an alien landscape of uninhabited desert and eerie sea fog they wait for a swell that will bend its way down the point.
Comments
Always wondered how cold the water is there in winter. About the same as Victoria which is balmy according to Thurso.
Between 10 and 13 deg C: http://water.travel.org.ua/july/luderitz-water-temperature.html
It cold all year around, mainly due to the cold Benguela current that flows up from down south: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benguela_Current. Along the coast you also get a cold deep water upwelling that makes the area very nutrient rich - krill, fish, seals and sharks!!
Spent some time diving there - so many crawfish and fish, but in 10deg you don't last long and it's pretty eerie amongst the kelp wondering who might swim in for a closer look at you.
Beautiful country though: coastal and inland.
OK that is colder than I could ascertain from the Global sea temps. If it gets to 13 here the surf needs to be good to want to go in. 10 is frigid compared to around 20-21 at the moment in summer. Looks amazing and challenging wave and location. Can you drive from South Africa to get there? Would be one hell of a mission.
We sailed up from South Africa (Cape Town) - even more of a mission! That was a long, long time ago though.
The other factor is the fog. This video is one of the few that actually shows it but it can be really, really thick. Make diving even eerier :-)
I am in awe that is serious. My cousin sailed from Melbourne to Perth the wrong way (east to west into the prevailing swell and wind) across the Aussie bight singly handedly (if you don't count his dog) and had some really hairy experiences when he got too close the cliffs in the bight. I can imagine the coast you are talking about must be equally as unforgiving. Well done.
A wave I'd love to surf but doubt I ever will. Mindless vision from inside the barrel.