Jeffreys Bay, South Africa: The Supertubes

Think performance, but with a touch of extra glide. A standard shortboard around your everyday volume works, but many opt for a slightly longer, narrower outline—a step-up or a “gun-lite”—to handle the speed and connect through the sections. You need drive down the line and hold in the barrel. Thrusters are the go-to for control, but some legends have been known to ride quads for extra speed. Don’t bring your groveler; bring your good board that you trust on a fast, walling face.

Most crew base themselves right in Jeffreys Bay town. You can score epic views of the point from spots like the African Perfection hostel or various guesthouses. For a more laid-back feel, check out the nearby town of St Francis Bay. The key is being close enough to check the surf at dawn with a coffee in hand. There’s everything from budget-friendly backpackers to slick Airbnbs. Being walking distance to the point means you can sprint when the siren call of a perfect set rings out.

The whole region is stacked! If the main point is a zoo, check out spots like Kitchen Windows for a more forgiving right, or the Boneyards section for a heavier, shifty barrel. Point further down, you have Magna Tubes. For a complete change, the beach breaks at Main Beach can offer fun peaks. And don’t sleep on a mission to Cape St. Francis (Seal Point) for a long, walling left. Scout around, there’s something for every mood and ability when the swell is in.

The legend starts in the 60s. While the GQ crew were doing the Endless Summer thing, they missed it! It was actually a few pioneering South African surfers, like John Whitmore and Gary Koopman, who first paddled out and discovered the perfection in the late 60s. Word spread like wildfire after a surf movie featured it. By the 70s, it was on the global map. The first contest was in 1977, cementing its status. It grew from a remote secret to a must-surf destination that defines high-performance pointbreak surfing.