Senegal....anyone been?

[surfrat]

any info helpful e.g. costs of living, travel around by bus etc

[Philshoz]

Yup Surfrat,

Had a fun month there some years back. Bit of a hell trip to get there, we flew into The Gambia with a cheapo budget airline, stayed a couple of nights there and then barterred a taxi to take us up to Dakar....8HOURS!!

Eventually got to Ngor, just north of Dakar where there was a hotel, the one in Endless Summer (recreated the image and might post up) but way too expensive so we hunted for an appartment. Ngor was like stepping back in time, no sanitation for the majority and queing for water at standpipes Little kids running about fetching tiny portions of butter and one egg from the shanty shops, very poor people sadly. We must have looked like kings. Had some fun nights bashing the bongos on the terrace of our appartment with the locals.

It was fairly expensive as I recall but the surf over on the island was good, long dugouts would take us over and drop us off in the channel or sometimes we stayed all day on the island.

There are other breaks which are easy to find just south of Ngor, one of the best opposite Club Med, if it is still there (1990) and Vivier.

Now there is a surfcamphttp://www.gosurf.dk/ and no doubt more surfers but we had a good trip, no dramas but don't think I would rush back there. Chilly water down there also, 3/2 most of the time.

Let us know if you go......

[surfrat]

flights seem pricey but i was also thinking of a package to gambia to keep cost down. i've been in touch with surf camp, seems reasonable by morocco prices but pricey compared to indo/srilanka/mexico
seems like a bit of an adventure so i'm pretty keen

[madspedersen1983]

I can only recommend a surf trip to Senegal. I've been there a couple of times the last few years - and I am still going back. Maybe in the beginning of september - though it is in the off season.

Read more about the opportunities for a great surf trip at http://www.GoSurfAfrica.com where you can find a guide for arranging your African surf trip - including Senegal.

Dakar is super for a surf escape from Europe as there is a great variety of breaks all around the peninsula. For the legendary point break of N'Gor Right the best option is to stay on the island at Ngor Surf Camp though it'll take a taxi+boar-ride to get to the breaks on the southern side of Almedies for the south swells. Stills it is only half an hour and a few CFAs away

The plane tickets for Dakar varies a lot but generally it is one of the cheaper destinations in Africa - and when you have arrived most things are quite cheap... Hope you will have a great time surfing Africa!!!

[Philshoz]

[quote="madspedersen1983"]take a taxi+boar-ride to get to the breaks quote].........

That's a new one................

[surfrat]

he's sold it to me with the idea of riding hairy wild pigs....
hell i'm not even gonna take a surfboard if that's on offer

[surfrat]

Right then peeps,
i'm off next week to Dakar, Senegal for 6 weeks. Staying first two weeks at N'Gor Island Surf Camp, then I think a trip down thru Gambi and into southern Senegal then get the boat back to Dakar. Maybe a trip north too.
I'll let everyone know how it goes. Having looked into accommodation and budget options there doesn't seem to be much around for the budget surf traveller with it mostly aimed at one or two week trips for Europeans. But i'll see how it goes and what I find.
Taking a triple board bag, 3 boards for 2 people, so it might be fun getting around!!
Wish me luck

[Leedsol]

Safe trip mate, sent you a PM re a south reef in the Algarve that I could do with any knowledge of. Scouted it recently and marked it as a possible for my January visit

[Philshoz]

Have a good one surfrat. I'm sure you will find a bed anywhere, the locals will surround with offers of accommodation. How is the French?

Looking forward to an update and pics soon.

Don't come back with your hair dreaded up with beads, might seem a good idea at the time but when you land back in blighty you'll look a twat.

[makkattack]

Don't come back with your hair dreaded up with beads, might seem a good idea at the time but when you land back in blighty you'll look a twat.

Same can be said about 'fisherman pants'.

Have a great trip - look forward to a review!

[Philshoz]

[quote="makkattack"]
Same can be said about 'fisherman pants'.quote]

Guilty as charged, I'll dig out a pic........

[makkattack]

Same can be said about 'fisherman pants'.quote]

Guilty as charged, I'll dig out a pic........

You're one of many, fear not!

Pic most certainly required.

[Philshoz]

Bongo Time.jpg (89.74 KiB) Viewed 2532 times

Senegal '90.jpg (171.42 KiB) Viewed 2532 times

Endless Summer reenactment............

[makkattack]

And there we have it kids, exhibit A.

Good sport Phil!

[Leedsol]

Quality shots, pretty ripped there mate

[surfrat]

how big were your boards!!!
all packed. got 3 days to decide what I can dump out of my bag and what I've forgotten....
Surprising how heavy 20kilos is really....my triple coffin is weighs that much. thank god for wheels! and internal day bags too!! any side trips will be with one board in a sleeping bag, the other in the day bag.
and no there will be no braiding and no fishermans pants....Volcom chino shorts only!

[Philshoz]

how big were your boards!!!
all packed. got 3 days to decide what I can dump out of my bag and what I've forgotten....
Surprising how heavy 20kilos is really....my triple coffin is weighs that much. thank god for wheels! and internal day bags too!! any side trips will be with one board in a sleeping bag, the other in the day bag.
and no there will be no braiding and no fishermans pants....Volcom chino shorts only!

We were reenacting that scene from Endless Summer and holding our boards way back at the fins. That's the same hotel from the film.

Me on the right with a 6' 9" Wayne Lynch and Col's board a 6' 4"

Have a great trip and we look forward to the embarassing pics............

[surfrat]

more information to follow but i only just got home....
but this is a phot sequence of me on my last wave in Senegal taken from the channel on a chunky but funky day at N'Gor Rights....the Endless Summer wave...







i'll do a detailed summary of the trip over the weekend....it's an interesting place!!

[Leedsol]

Great sequence mate

[Philshoz]

Nice one Surfrat, good trip then?

Looking forward to seeing the pants.....

[surfrat]

haha no pants sorry. restricted myself to wood carvings and a few free urchins to come home with.

the trip was good, but with ups and downs as i should have expected from a trip to africa. first of all the surf was consistent, quite warm though i did use my wetty for 2 weeks at the end (now left to a local surfer). the winter north trade wind kicked in a month early though so Ngor right and Baie de Carpe suffered windy conditions everyday almost. saying that ngor holds the wind fine and gets a bit mellower too and still lets you get a good wave.
Ngor is very powerful and i enjoyed it, but needs a wider/bigger board to get the most out of it and connect the outside thru a fat section to the inside.
Baie de Carpe is a sick wave, but often blow out. great left, but bad water quality there.
The south side of Almadies disappointed me a bit, it always seemed like it needed a few more feet and was awfully setty. also lots and lots of rocks and urchins there too and the waves were short novelty waves, except for Club Med and Ouakam, both of which are very fickle.

So for surf I'd say it was fun, not Indo, but not busy, friendly line ups, surf everyday in powerful reef breaks. ngor is almost never flat. outside of Dakar there are some great waves in the right conditions and it's good to get out of the city. it's almost a shame that the surf is centred on Dakar cos it's not a pretty city to spend time in, growing rapidly etc and not clean. But it is safe, friendly and has a great night life too, though this isn't too cheap by Euro standards, still £1.50 a beer.

But Senegal outside of Dakar is a great visit. Friendly, hospitable, fun, full of music, great wildlife/bird watching and an experience of Africa.

Senegal for surfers....it'd suit people who can at least go down the line, maybe wobble a cutback and who want to spend some time in more consistent and good sized waves to progress quickly. beginners can go to a beach and a beginner reef but might get bored of those only 2 options. good surfers might get annoyed by the wind if they're on a 1 week trip but I had time on my side and enjoyed side trips to various places when surf was crap. Boards: take a fishy shortboard for small south coast and semi gun/ step up to enjoy big Ngor.

If i go back it'll be October/May time to catch better south swells and avoid wind conditions but it'll be hot. MSW wind forecasts are way off there, so don't let that put you off. any more info ask Jesper at Ngor Island Surf Camp. take a German phrase book though cos the camp is full of them!! but defo book a night or two with him so that he can pick u up at airport cos it is not fun arriving in Dakar at 3am with all the hustlers at the airport.

I;d never stayed in a "surf camp" before, but given it was my first time to Africa, lack on internet info on accommodation and the fact i got a great deal with food included, i can fully recommend Ngor Island Surf Camp. Jesper has some great tips on life in Senegal and the locals who work for him are awesome and can point you in the right direction for whatever you need to do. As far as staying in Dakar i'd say stay on Ngor Island cos you're out of the madness somewhat and there are some hotels/houses for rent too. everything is possible, just ask.

go for 2 weeks but spend at least 4 days getting out of the city on some trips. Go drink attaya with the locals. bring leashes and some old wetsuits to give away, even old boots cos the reef fishermen will use these. enjoy the hospitality, be amazed at how good Senegalese surfers are on shit, creased boards. get sunburnt, regret eating hot sauce, enjoy the fish and rice, haggle with taxi drivers, and talk about football.....A LOT!

and you know what, the more i look back, the more i liked it and would return for a week to hit a swell one day

[surfrat]

Ngor Right



Secret spot (not Secret on MSW) well outside Dakar



Club Med, small. this place is so rocky and boily and urchiney....slabby and too much for me on the day i surfed there


local Mour Mbengue at Secret


Cap Skirring, southern Senegal. waist to knee high and reeling....so much potential, but does it ever work properly? and this only one of 3 points and a beachie down there. i didn't take my board on that side trip



in case you forgot where you are!



this one is just for Philhoz

[Philshoz]

Nice one surfrat, glad you had a good trip.

Good pics, thanks for the nod.

[Black]

Good to see some holiday snaps, we could do with more of this sort of thing imo. You should have posed with your board on the hotel steps though!

[surfrat]

check gosurf.dk for latest pics outta senegal....seems the wind left when i did and it's been firing over there! typical eh!

[swiggy]

Nice turn Dane! Good to see the pics in higher resolution than facebook!

I'm surfing with marky d this weekend down in washington if the forecast holds..

[Poo Stance]

we could do with more of this sort of thing imo.

'kin oath mate.

nice one Surfrat. late contender for thread of the year?

[mountain man]

Nice one. The waves/reefs look very much like Canaries and I guess urchins similar!

[makkattack]

Looks like a good time was had by all.

Great read, good onya for sharing!

More trip review threads people ...

[madspedersen1983]

Great place. I've been there a couple of times in winter when the north swells make N'Gor big and powerful.

This year I'll visit in september. Hoping for some south swell and looking forward to be surfing in boardshorts

http://gosurfafrica.com/country-guide/senegal