My best photos from Jeffrey’s Bay South Africa.
Jeffrey’s Bay is one of the best surf spots in South Africa.
Surfers from all over the world travel here to surf the pristine right-hand point breaks. The World Surf League even hosted their Corona Open 2019 competition here in July.
From professional athletes and avid surfers to surfing fans and beach lovers, no trip to South Africa is complete without a stop in Jeffrey’s Bay.
The best time to visit Jeffrey’s Bay is between April and September. It’s winter in South Africa and can get a bit cold, but the waves are better.
Gabby, since when did you become a surf expert??
I’m not. And I’m still not very good at surfing. I probably wouldn’t have come to J-Bay at all if I was traveling alone.
But I was traveling with my boyfriend, and to say he loves surfing is a severe understatement. This guy lives and breathes surfing, so of course, we had to stop in J-Bay.
After spending one week in this charming surf town, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had.
You don’t have to be a surfer to enjoy Jeffrey’s Bay South Africa!!
The soft white sand stretches on for miles, making it perfect for walking and jogging.
Nina’s Restaurant has a HUGE menu, with lots of delicious vegan and vegetarian meal options.
The hostel we stayed in, Beach Bums Dijembe, was super cozy and only a 2-minute walk to the beach.
They also offered a free pancake breakfast and the staff members were awesome, so I loved staying here for a week.
What are the best beaches in Jeffreys Bay South Africa?
Dolphin Beach is ideal for beginner surfers. There are lots of surf schools here for those who want to learn.
This is also a nice place for swimming! The areas with bigger surf have strong currents and more rocks and reefs, so they’re not great for swimming.
Supertubes is a famous wave where the pros surf. The waves here can get really heavy and huge, and there are lots of locals out that take priority over the foreigners.
Probably don’t surf here unless you’re a confident and experienced surfer.
There are lots of other waves in J-Bay but this is the main one.
I don’t know enough about surfing to discuss those waves anyway. I’m just here to share my photos 🙂
The camera I used
I was super excited to try out my new camera and zoom lens in J-Bay. (It’s a Canon EOS Rebel T5 with a Canon 75-300mm lens, the first decent camera I’ve ever bought!).
I love watching Matt surf, and it’s even more fun to try and capture the action through photos.
Since I spent many hours on the beach with my camera, I wanted to share some of the photos I took.
Photos of the waves in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
These next few photos reveal how perfectly-shaped and powerful the waves at Supertubes were.





Faithful dogs in Jeffrey’s Bay
The next four photos are some of my favorites.
Local surfers clearly train their dogs very well.
While the surfers were in the water, the dogs would always sit and wait patiently for their humans to return.




My attempts at surf photography
Of course, I had to include some shots of my amazingly talented boyfriend.
I struggled to get some of the shots in focus because I was zoomed in so far and he was moving quickly. But I did my best! My photography skills are still at a beginner level.
Check out Matt’s blog, Seathrills.com, for more of his surfing stories!





Sunrise and sunset are the prime times to surf, due to the lack of crowds and less intense wind.
The next two photos show a beautiful sunrise, and then a sunset.


Traveling to South Africa?? Visit iVisa.com to check visa requirements.
Also consider getting travel insurance, especially if you’ll be surfing J-Bay!! I used Squaremouth Insurance for my trip to South Africa and had a very positive experience with them!
To read about more of our adventures in South Africa, check out these articles!
How To Visit The Drakensberg On A Budget
Transkei, South Africa: Women Power in the Nquileni Village
Learning Permaculture in the South African Forest
Volunteering on a Chicken Farm in East London, South Africa
Budget Travel Guide to Cape Town, South Africa

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