Man, I just got back from J-Bay and my arms are still sore from paddling Supertubes nonstop for eight days straight. People keep asking me “isn’t it overcrowded now?” and I laugh because yeah, on weekend mornings it can get busy, but if you know when to go and where to sit, you still score empty perfection almost every session.

I landed in Port Elizabeth, grabbed the cheapest rental car I could find (tiny Hyundai that sounded like a lawnmower) and drove the hour to Jeffreys Bay with the windows down and some old school punk blasting. First glimpse of the point from the hill and my heart actually skipped, the lines were wrapping in so clean it looked fake.

Stayed at this little backpackers right above Supertubes, literally wake up, look out the window and see if it’s on. If the sets are feathering you’re in the water in three minutes, board under the arm, no shoes, just sand and salt. That alone makes J-Bay unbeatable for me.

The wave itself… look, everyone has seen the clips, but until you actually sit out there on a proper south-west swell with offshore wind grooming the face, you don’t get it. The thing just bends and bends, sometimes you pull out of a five-second tube and there’s still another two sections standing up in front of you. I got one wave that let me do four solid turns before kicking out at Boneyards, crowd on the beach was cheering like it was a contest heat, felt ridiculous for a free surf.

Best months? Easy, May to September. June and July are the money months if you can handle water around 14-15°C. I scored a ten day run in July this year, 4-8 foot every single day, barely a drop of rain, cold offshore winds every morning. Bring a 4/3 and good boots because the rocks at lower tide are vicious, learned that the hard way first morning when I tried to paddle out at Impossibles without them.

Local vibe is something else too. South Africans are loud and friendly and will roast you if you snake someone, but five minutes later the same guy is offering you a beer on the beach. Had braai almost every night, someone always has springbok meat or boerewors on the fire, cheap Castle lager flowing, random guitars coming out, good times.

Crowds honestly aren’t as bad as people say online. Yeah Saturdays get packed with guys from PE, but weekdays before 9 am and after 3 pm you can have 10-15 guys out max, and half of them are pretty chill. Just don’t sit on the very top of the point if you’re not gonna go on the big ones, basic etiquette and everyone gets along.

Food is stupid cheap if you stay away from the tourist traps on Da Gama road. There’s this little spot called Die Kombuis, locals go, massive bunny chow for like 80 rand and it stuffs you for the whole day. Coffee at The Mexican is legit too, strong flat whites and the dude remembers your name after second visit.

Why does J-Bay still beat most “top 10” waves in 2025? Simple, consistency + length + power + backdrop. You can have a decent session here on a 2-foot day and an all-time session on a 10-foot day, same spot. Not many places in the world give you that range. Plus the town still feels real, no massive hotels blocking the view yet, just low-key surf houses and that endless stretch of dunes when you walk up to Magnatubes.

I’m already checking flights for next winter. If you love proper point-break surfing and don’t mind a bit of cold water, stop scrolling lists and just come here. Trust me, Supertubes will ruin you for anywhere else.

Still smiling thinking about that one wave where I got shacked for days and came out screaming like an idiot.

J-Bay, you absolute legend. See you soon.