Skeleton Bay

A 2km desert sand-barrel that might be the best left on Earth

Skeleton Bay is arguably the best left-hand barrel in the world — a flawless, sand-bottom tube machine that can reel for nearly 2 kilometers along Namibia's desolate Skeleton Coast. The wave breaks in ankle-deep water with an impossible drop and breakneck pace, producing deep, draining barrels that demand total commitment from the very first turn. It requires large, long-period southwest groundswells (3m+ at the buoy) to even begin breaking, and the more westerly the swell direction, the more energy wraps in and the more makeable the wave becomes. The Benguela Current keeps water temperatures frigid at 14-16 degrees C year-round, demanding a 4/3mm or thicker wetsuit with booties and hood. A ferocious rip current runs down the point at roughly 20 km/h — miss a wave in your first five minutes and you will be swept to the bottom of the point, facing a 2km walk back up the sand. Access is remote, roughly a 20-30 minute drive from Walvis Bay through barren desert landscape. The wave only fires from roughly May through September when Southern Hemisphere winter storms generate the required groundswell.

Best months to surf Skeleton Bay

Wave consistency

Inconsistent

Things to do nearby

• Explore the eerie Skeleton Coast shipwrecks and seal colonies
• Sandboard the massive dunes near Swakopmund
• Take a scenic flight over the Namib Desert and Sossusvlei
• Kayak with Cape fur seals at Walvis Bay