JBay Surf Village & Rooftop Skateparks

As long as I can remember we’ve been that family visiting annually, catching the epic surf of Supertubes, home of one of the best ASL World Tour stops on the calendar every Winter. This place is surfers tourism central but luckily we are slightly ahead of season and can still catch a gap in the waves before the pro’s arrive in June and July.

The long beach walks are usually slightly wind swept and evenings are best spent by the fire (we call it a braai) with some meat on for the evenings dinner.

It’s been a treat staying in our friends’ BnB and made for great conversation and catching up. We even baked a carrot cake yesterday and sneakily kept it to ourselves to make it last. Nothing better than a home baked carrot cake.

We’re already talking about a month long remote working trip to JBay in August. Who knows it might just happen. When you homeschool and work remotely all things are possible. You’ve just got to pick a date and make it happen!

But I just love shopping and I just can’t help myself!!! I am a bargain hunter and usually when we visit Jeffreys Bay, South Africa’s surfing mecca, we are pumped to head to JBay Surf Village for the awesome specials and sales on all the best surfing gear.

Billabong is a household name in this town and you’ll find it on most corners as you drive down Da Gama Road.

But I’ve got to say, this time it’s been a disappointment. The prices are sky high and even the specials are expensive once the prices are cut by 50%.

I’m that mom finding a spot to sit while waiting for my teenage daughter to finish trying on bikinis! Unfortunately only a few things actually fit and we left with very little.

These days we are inundated with options and one of those options in SA is Cotton On. They just seem to have great deals and the right quality nailed down which is making it hard for these old school super expensive surf brands to compete. Lucky for them this little surf town doesn’t have a Cotton On otherwise I think they’d be closing their doors.

The village itself is sweet and the design always draws me in with the rustic natural wood finishes, succulents strategically planted and gorgeous frangipani wafting their perfume as you walk on by.

They also have some very decent coffee and local beer brews for the discerning specialists. I am not one of those but I enjoy a good coffee and fresh juice. They’re pretty good at showcasing local design but as I said their prices are premium for such a small town.

Believe it or not, this is a rooftop skate park where the local surf rats hang out when the surf is flat.

We have a few more days of book reading, surf photographing, walking and general doing nothingness which is required from a holiday. And then we head home Monday and back to our two little Chihuahua cherubs.

Catch ya tomorrow because who knows what can happen in 24 hours.