PPP Episode 34: Exploring Cape Town and Durbin Downwind Routes with Oscar Chalupsky

Peak Paddle Performance Podcast

It has been a long hiatus, but the Peak Paddle Performance Podcast is back in action. We’re going to try out a new format where we find paddlers enthusiastic about sharing their local downwind routes for the world to see. We’ll record via a Zoom meeting with screen share where the guest can walk us through a map view of the paddling hot spots as we geek out on all the wind and wave nuance they’ve discovered. Additionally we want to collaborate with and cross reference the great work being done by Lizelle Kemp and her team at Downwindable.com. Check out this link for all the downwind routes in SA, many of which Oscar describes in this podcast.

In this first episode, we start with the legendary Oscar Chalupsky as he walks us through the iconic Millers Run in Cape Town SA. Oscar gives us a great sense of the overall Cape Town paddling scene and what to expect out on the water. He then heads north to give an overview of his hometown Durban, SA where the water gets warmer, but the surf and swell gets much bigger and the conditions are about as gnarly as anywhere in the world.

It is never a dull conversation with Oscar, and this one was no exception. While the focus of the discussion is on walking through the downwind routes, there is inevitably a wealth of valuable information around paddling downwind and keeping it safe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNjXj_-jdR8

We made a few references to water temperature, below are the 10 year monthly averages for Cape Town and Durban from seatemperature.com