Mossel Bay’s Llewellyn Whitaker will extend his ‘Ocean Awareness’ mission of making our beaches safer and more fun for everyone when his Waves S’cool of Surfing launches its week-long Holiday Beach Club at Santos Beach in Mossel Bay on the 6th of April.
The school will also launch a Saturday Beach Club in the new school term.
“The Club will focus on having loads of fun in a safe and secure environment,” said Mr. Whitaker.
“Activities will include surf lessons, body boarding, building sand castles, and our Ocean Awareness sessions – as well as many other activities that’ll keep the kids entertained from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from the 6th to the 10th April.”
An International Surfing Association (ISA) level 2 coach, 2009 and 2011 SA Surfing Champion, and a podium finisher in the 2014 SA Open Championships, Mr. Whitaker founded his school as “a way of sharing my years of experience and knowledge with young people, and as a place of learning, motivation and encouragement where kids can build their self esteem and find their strengths in a secure and controlled environment.”
Safety at the beach
Besides coaching and surf development, Mr. Whitaker also conducts customised surf tours out of Mossel Bay. And he regularly takes his Ocean Awareness programme to both junior and senior schools in the area.
“It’s amazing and often tragic that people who live at the coast don’t know what to look for and how to act when they go into the sea to swim,” he said.
During his Ocean Awareness programme, Mr. Whitaker teaches the ‘Five Golden Rules’ of swimming at the beach (Never swim alone; Always keep an eye on a fixed marker on the beach; Stay waist- to chest-deep, and keep your feet on the ground; Swim between the flags wherever life savers are on duty; and after eating, wait at least 30 minutes before you swim), as well as how to recognise and avoid rip currents, and what to do if you do happen to get caught in one. (Stay calm; Don’t swim against or directly into the current; Stay on your surfboard or body board if you have one with you; Use one arm to keep you afloat and hold the other one in the air to signal for help; Allow the current to take you – you may be washed away from the beach, but currents work in circular patterns, so you’ll most likely also be washed back again.)
Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm welcomed the launch of the Holiday Beach Club, and urged everyone – visitors and locals alike – to familiarise themselves with the rules of beach safety.
“Our beaches are undoubtedly our most important visitor attractions, and they contribute enormously to the quality of life in the town – which are just two of the reasons why Mossel Bay boasts four seasonal Blue Flag Beaches,” she said.
“But as Llewellyn is always at pains to point out, you need to know how to behave at the beach in order to get the most out of the experience.
“For this reason, we encourage everyone to visit the Beach Safety page on our web site, where you’ll find the information you need, as well as clear illustrations and a really great video called the ‘Beach Survival Guide’ from Australia’s ‘Dr. Rip’ – Rob Brander of the University of New South Wales.” (See www.bit.ly/mbBsafe.)
Ms. Holm also invited visitors to collect a copy of Mossel Bay’s new ‘Things to do’ brochure from Mossel Bay Tourism (corner of Church & Market Streets; open 7-days a week), or to download it from www.visitmosselbay.co.za. (pdf 1.2 mb)
“Besides being a guide to the activities, cultural attractions, mountain biking and golf in the area, it also provides an overview of our beaches – so you’ll know exactly where to find the best sand while you’re here in Mossel Bay,” she said.
More information:
Waves S’cool of Surfing: www.wavesschoolofsurfing.com or call 078 297 3999
Mossel Bay: www.visitmosselbay.co.za
Follow Mossel Bay Tourism on
- Twitter: @GetMe2MosselBay or @MBayTourism
- Facebook: VisitMosselBay
