South Africa
South Africa has a 3000km coastline offering a range of sea kayaking
opportunities; from paddling on seaside estuaries to paddling on
protected bays and the open ocean. It has long stretches of beach
interspersed with rocky headlands and is one of the world's most
active coastlines in respect of wave and weather action, but also
one of the most diverse, being washed by both the Antarctic Benguella
current as well as the sub-tropical Mozambique and Agulhas ocean
currents. The coastline spans four provinces from west to east around
the far southern tip of Africa, namely the Northern Cape, Western
Cape, Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal. The areas are quite distinctive,
with a harsh, arid coastline in the west on the Atlantic side of
the continent, a temperate one in the south-west and south-east
and a subtropical stretch in the east, on the Indian Ocean side
of the continent. Water temperatures range from 9-11 degrees Celcius
in the west to 22 -24degrees Celcius in the east. The following
sea kayak routes have been identified and form a good basis for
additional routes being "discovered". Some areas also
offer opportunities for "canoe trailing" in open canoes
on coastal lakes through forests and mangroves.
|