Namibia makes waves in global surfing scene

Two hundred surfers from all over the world, joined by a handful of their Namibian counterparts, converged in search of what many call “the ultimate barrel ride” at Donkey Bay - located on the outskirts of Walvis Bay.

Local surfer Phillip Seidler called it an awesome experience. “I surfed the wave of my life on day three. It was awesome. There were very special waves and I surfed from 13:00 right up to 19:00. It is an unmatched adrenaline rush and keeps my mind at peace.”

Seidler, an Olympic open-water swimmer, describes surfing as a drug with an indescribable adrenaline rush. “Donkey Bay has a reputation for producing the longest left-handed barrel waves in the world. We have waves of up to two kilometers long and professional surfers from all over travel to the venue for this truly unique experience. Surfers regard this as a world wonder because you won’t find this anywhere else.”

According to Seidler - who has been surfing nonstop since the age of four - the first two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) produced the biggest wave breaks he has ever seen. “Representing Namibia, I joined four guys from Hawaii and we had a blast while over 100 pro surfers watched on from the beach on Wednesday. They decided not to paddle because of the size of the waves.”

He added that the experience is very special and a good advertisement for the country and surfing community. “The accommodation establishments, restaurants, car hire, and tour guides made a killing. All their vehicles were booked out and people were struggling to get cars. Some locals assisted by providing their cars. Some accommodation establishments were fully booked and the talk amongst most of the surfers was that they would go game viewing once the waves cleared up.”

The American pro, Robert Kelly Slater, best known for being crowned World Surf League (WSL) champion a record 11 times and widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time with 56 Championship Tour victories, also pitched at Donkie Bay on Monday.

He gave it a go and saw three of his surfboards destroyed in one surfing session at the venue before calling it a day on Tuesday.

Koa Smit, a three-time National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) champion from Hawaii, hailed the waves at Donkey Bay as some of the craziest and best in the world. “I have been surfing my whole life and all over the world - looking for perfect waves. This is pretty much it and the best in the world.”

Smith chose the life of a professional “free surfer” instead of an elite-level career and has been paid to travel the world and surf the dreamiest waves he could find.

Smith visited Donkey Bay in 2014 and has been coming back ever since. On that occasion, he posted GoPro footage of an incredible 30-second tube ride, which won Best Barrel at the 2014 Surfer Poll and also the inaugural GoPro of the World contest. It still has a good claim to the best barrel ever recorded.

“Surfing is my biggest teacher. It has taught me a lot and made me who I am today. It has given me a job and allows me to travel the world. This experience was phenomenal with some of the biggest waves I've ever seen. At times, the wind was not ideal but we still gave it a try despite getting hammered. Out here, you can get some of the longest tubes in the world and grabbing one good wave at this venue definitely charges you up for the rest of the year,” he said.

Smith described surfing as a feeling that’s hard to access elsewhere. “Being on a wave allows you to act and to react. The longer you’re in that state, the higher and crazier the feeling gets.”

Dillon Roberts from Australia, who has been surfing for 34 years, said he came to Namibia to experience a different country. “What you have here is a very long sandbank, which makes it pretty neat. You do not get this anywhere else in the world - in addition to experiencing the oldest desert in the world. I’ve been here once before and will definitely be back to do it again.”