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Like many I was captivated by those first visuals of the endless left funnelling down a sand-bottom point ‘somewhere in Africa’ years ago. I immediately said to myself, “I’m going to go there one day”. Fast forward several years and I still hadn’t taken the leap to visit that mesmerising wave and to be honest, it all seemed too hard, too far away from the east coast of Australia, and a huge gamble. The perception of effort involved; I think that was the main thing holding me back.
This place is by no means a secret anymore, it’s whereabouts have been widely broadcast since it was first unveiled to the world by Californian Software developer, Brian Gable, fifteen years ago. Gable’s stab in the desert discovery came about because of Surfing magazine’s ‘Google earth challenge’. Since Corey Lopez first sent us crazy with tube envy on that first trip, we’ve all mind-surfed hundreds of Skeleton Bay lefts.
When a swell event earlier this year lit up surf platforms and social media accounts the fire in me was reignited and I was glued to the forecasts, looking for that opportunity to strike, and low and behold it presented itself. With certain major competitive events running and solid swells hitting other parts of the globe, I figured this was the best chance I’d ever get to score it with a manageable crew, so I pulled the trigger and convinced my lifelong friend Matt Gilsenan to join me. Now, far flung adventures to desolate locations are not exactly foreign to us given we made a feature film, Chase That Feeling, documenting exactly these kinds of trips. However, the Skeleton strike mission was far more elaborate and expensive; comprising of more moving parts than anything we’d ever experienced. It was far from roses and chocolates like the videos may have you believe. And so the adventure began.
The Research
Now if you’ve come here hoping for a step by step guide on what to look for, how to get there, etc. this is not the article for you. The reality is there’s a heap of study and planning you need to do to score here and that’s as big a challenge as the wave itself. Spelling it out will just spoil the sense of satisfaction you get, if you do pull it off. I will say that things change quickly in this part of the world and you can’t pull the trigger until 5-7 days out max, as the ocean and land masses are so volatile you could get skunked with a total shift in the forecast within that window. This has happened to plenty of guys who had been there before. If it wasn’t for a certain forecasting platform blowing this swell up to its large audience, the crowd factor most likely would have been much smaller than it was and if conditions didn’t pan out, there would have been a heap of disappointed surfers standing on a lonely strip of desert sand as the resident jackals laughed at them.
The expectation and intensity
After tracking the long range swell and confirming the models were holding, we decided to pull the trigger 5 days out from it hitting. Once that call was made and we got the all clear from work, the missus and any other commitments we had, the expectations really started to soar and the planning began. Like everyone else, I’d seen the same clips of people threading multiple long barrels on kilometre-long waves and that’s what I was expecting. However, this thought process seemed to induce anxiety and put me under intense pressure, resulting in sleepless nights and a vicious cycle of thought patterns – ‘how it would be? would I get that wave? I better get that wave after what I’ve sacrificed and hopefully it’s not crowded’. I guess these are typical concerns for any genuine surf frother who is about to embark on a surf mission. The thoughts stuck with me throughout the trip and are perhaps a reminder to all that when you stop fantasising over a wave and actually commit to going, the mental process quickly shifts from contemplating the possibilities to facing the reality.
The journey and costs
Africa is obviously not close to Australia and so at the best of times it’s going to take major travel hours and cash to get you there. It was 35+ hours of travel with the connections. Airfares alone (given the last minute nature) were north of AUS $5000. Car hire, accommodation, excess baggage fees and living expenses will have you forking out a pretty penny to make a trip like this happen. Forecasts are not fool-proof and conditions can change faster than a wild, African animal turns on its heels and runs. Getting skunked is always a possibility so you gotta calibrate expectations, take a risk and be equipped to deal with the sense of defeat if you don’t score – not to mention forfeiting that amount of cash.
The hurdles
As mentioned, once the forecast dropped, a scattering of surfers from various continents were trying to cram onto a restricted number of small connecting flights. The equipment needs of surfers are not always the first priority of these small carriers and invariably a tonne of boards did not show up. If you were lucky enough to have a friend whose gear did arrive, like a colleague and good mate of mine did (Leroy Bellanto to the rescue), then you could possibly borrow gear. Many others were stuck high and dry, reduced to the role of envious spectator for the first couple of days. You can’t blame guys for not wanting to part with their own equipment and this wave has a reputation for eating surfboards. Imagine going all this way, only to find your boards hadn’t turned up. It’s all too common unfortunately. The other issue is 4WD hire as it’s a mecca for traveling and touring 4WD enthusiasts, so these get snapped up quickly irrespective of surf conditions. You have to be crafty to arrange alternative transport to the wave because a VW polo or 2WD ain’t going to get you there. Luckily we had a trick up our sleeve.
The weather
The gamble is real and the stakes are high and expensive. As mentioned, the conditions can change at the flick of a jackal’s tail. Leading into our departure the biggest and best day seemed a foregone conclusion on all the forecasting sites, however that prediction quickly got turned on its head when an onshore draft wafted in and wrought havoc on what ‘should’ have been ideal conditions. Luckily there were waves prior to the swell’s peak and we still scored.
“There was an A+ assembly of surfers there for the swell including Slater, Jamie O, Nathan Florence, Koa Smith, Craig Ando.”
The crowd, vibe and playing field
Even though this was my first time, I’m pretty confident this is the most crowded it has ever been; likely a result of the spotlight recently cast on the wave. That being said there was still a tonne of opportunity for most surfers who had the ability to ride these waves. There was an A+ assembly of surfers there for the swell including Slater, Jamie O, Nathan Florence, Koa Smith, Craig Ando and a shit tonne more pro/semi pro surfers. On top of that you had the core surfers from all corners of the globe, the bodyboard tribe and I even saw a kneeboarder in the mix. When it comes to catching waves here though, it’s a real level playing field, as everyone jumps off at the same spot and drifts down the line at the same speed. Riding the wave is a different story. The goofy footers have a distinct advantage and unless you’re a really capable backside tube rider you’re going to struggle big time. I watched a bunch of the biggest names in surfing become increasingly frustrated when they just couldn’t snaffle the wave that they wanted or had imagined they might get. I was told a certain someone was even disappointed I didn’t fall inside a tube. This apex surfing predator was down the line and looking to swoop and go ‘haha’. Instead he had to watch me fly past and splashed the water in apparent disgust. However, the overall vibe, compared to other long lefts in the world, is good. You’ll find yourself chatting to random crew in the lineup, on your walk up the point and even parked up for the day. Unified by the struggle to get here and overwhelmed by the hypnotic throttle of endless lines, the wave does create a collective consciousness, a genuine sense you are participating in something unique and special.
Filming
Unlike the big names who travel with a small production team, we had set out to do some filming ourselves. We were equipped with a GoPro, a 4k handycam, tripod and a drone. However, the reality was once we arrived and processed what it had taken for us to get there, filming took a bit of a back seat as it was a clear distraction from actually riding the wave. Myself and Matt only did a couple of laps with the GoPro each. We set the camera and tripod up for about half an hour and the drone got flown a couple of times, and that’s the extent of our imagery. This lottery we’d won with the conditions aligning felt it needed to be crystallised in our memories, not squandered by scratching around to capture film. Based on our brief attempts at filming, we must say it’s a tough wave to capture and unless you have a filmer who can handle watching reeling perfection from the sand, your waves will likely go undocumented.
“I watched some of the best guys in the world struggle at times “
The hard reality
Skeleton bay is a beast. It’s the fastest, thickest and most hollow wave I have ever seen at that size. It’s super heavy and a real test for even the most accomplished surfer. The takeoff is generally fast and sucky and if you can’t pump in a barrel you’re likely going to struggle to make a good one. As mentioned, I watched some of the best guys in the world struggle at times and I think that makes scoring some bombs even more rewarding. Not every wave is perfect and the current after a set pushes through is insane. Luckily for us, we managed to log a few keepers in the memory banks that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. It’s not uncommon to do a full lap down the 2km point without catching a wave. I spoke to guys who had done six laps in a day without catching a wave. If you’re not fit, this place will destroy you. I consider myself pretty fit and by the afternoon of day one, combining the long walks up the point with the changing body position whilst pig-dogging, I had these hamstring cramps that made it feel like my legs were about to explode. Your shoulders will burn in ways you’ve never felt, from fighting the current and the paddle. Plenty of waves look perfect but run away from you, or they don’t fully barrel on the bank properly. You’ll eat shit on take offs, you’ll miss waves from fatigue, you’ll get proper floggings onto rock hard sand and when it’s got some size it packs some serious punch; you’ll do dry runs without catching a wave. The waters are dark and chilly and it’s super sharky thanks to the resident seal colony in the bay. The presence of half eaten corpses along the shoreline only adds to the sense of discomfort. This is all the stuff you don’t think about before you go, but it’s the reality of the challenge this wave presents.
So, was it worth it for us? Yes it was, given the cost, the effort, the logistics, the fatigue and the hurdles, we returned with a genuine sense of conquest, and the sort of round-shaped memories that will provide comfort in quiet moments for the rest our lives. However, while it did all work out for us, others weren’t so lucky. If you are contemplating a Skeleton Bay expedition, I think there needs to be an honest assessment of all the variables referenced above. Your decision should be made in full awareness of the fact that, at the end of a long journey, you might be greeted with nought but wind-blown sand and half-buried bones.
Click here to watch Blake’s and Matt’s film ‘Chase That Feeling’ for free.
