Skeleton Bay

Skeleton Bay is a purely sand-bottomed wave – something between a point break and a beach break/shore break which by chance started to exist and improve itself since the early 2000s. The shape of Donkey Bay’s shoreline and banks is ever-changing and no one knows how long it will continue to exist – if we are lucky it will be around for another couple of decades

Season

• The best months to score Skeleton Bay are May-August when the South Atlantic produces storms that create powerful swells headed towards Namibia, which light up the magic 2km stretch of sand in the Namib Desert
• And then there are those secret swells which are only surfed by those who can be there on time

Crowds

• Salty Jackal often gets asked if Skeleton Bay gets crowded. Since footage of the longest surfed barrels in the world was released and word of this freak of nature spreads, it is not uncommon to see over 200 surfers at the spot when the forecast is just right – many of these being repeat visitors
• However due to the immense current sweeping down the point, which on most days is impossible to paddle against, the crowd is so spread out that every person generally gets waves. It is also a marathon session lasting sometimes from sunrise to sunset as, after every long wave, a 15-25 minute walk up the point is needed to get back to the start
• Surfers visiting Skeleton Bay have repeatedly reported that of all the top surf spots in the world they have visited, the Namibian freight train barrel has the best vibes in the water and on the beach – there is enough barrel for everyone, and nature’s show of perfect barrel after barrel leaves everyone stoked and in awe

Dangers and challenges

• Skeleton Bay is a heavy wave – on big days many surfers compare its intensity to that of Teahupo’o, and this is certainly not a wave for everyone. So who can, and should surf Skeleton Bay? t is important to note that no matter what size of waves, a very high degree of surf fitness is required to navigate Skeleton Bay’s line-up
• There is no sea rescue institute and no lifeguard organisation present at Skeleton Bay – surfers are on their own and an hour’s drive from the closest hospital
• Other dangers, even on smaller days, include hitting the sand bottom hard (injuries are common here) and fog, which can make the visibility so low that it’s not possible to see the beach from the line-up anymore, not great when a rip can take you hundreds of meters away from the beach in minutes