Welcome, Welcome, Welcome

Surfski started in Durban back in the 1950’s – the first surfski race was the Pirates-Umhlanga-Pirates which first took place in 1957 and has been held every year since. The 2025 Pirates-Umhlanga-Pirates will be holding the 68^th edition of this annual surf-ski race on the weekend before the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champs.

Welcome to the Races

There are two race courses that are likely to be used for the ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champs – both will start from DUC where the launch conditions are very safe and protected. DUC is based at the harbour end of the Durban beachfront and the protection of the wall usually makes for an easy launch. If the wind is south west, then the race course will go north from DUC to Umdloti Beach (a distance of about 24km), and if the wind is north easterly then paddlers will head south from DUC to Amanzimtoti Beach (28km).

The ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champs will be held within a three-day race window period with only two of those days used for racing: One day for the singles race and one day for the doubles race.

Although this is the World Championships, there is no restriction on who can enter and the event organiser welcome all paddlers who wish to take part – in other words this event is NOT restricted to official teams or elite paddlers.

As dedicated fun-seeking paddlers who enjoy the competition, are fit and don’t get much experience of the winner’s podium, the event organisers affectionately refer to themselves as ‘Fish and Chip’ paddlers and welcome all other ‘Fish and Chips’ from around the world to join us in the fun of the World Championships.

In the days leading up to the world champs, there will be training paddles over the official race courses (depending on wind direction).

Welcome to DUC (Durban Undersea Club)

The ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champs will be based at and hosted by DUC, one of the water sports clubs that make up the Point Water Sports Club (PWSC). DUC began as a spearfishing club (hence the “Undersea” Club”) but over the years has expanded and now includes surfski paddling. A number of years ago there was a development of the Point Area of Durban, and DUC was offered the chance to join with the Durban Ski Boat Club and form the PWSC. The PWSC now has an impressive membership of approximately 6 000 members, including the DUC paddling members of about 600 paddlers.

The DUC members believe they have the most impressive and amazing surfski club in the world, with access to a fantastic à la carte restaurant, dedicated coffee area, two bars, modern facilities, lounge areas and children’s play areas – all right on Vetch’s Beach, a protected beach based at the southern end of Durban beachfront and a few metres north of to the Durban Harbour entrance.

The DUC club will be the place where World Champs participants, spouses, partners and children can relax, eat meals and chill while the paddling action is going on out at sea.

Welcome to the Fun Activities

The ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Champs organising committee have activities planned every day. Activities include wine tastings, beer promotions, bunny chows (out of towners will find out what those are), Durban curries, Mozambican peri-peri, braais (or barbecue for those who do not speak South African), local cuisine and Zulu dancing. Each day the DUC restaurant will produce themed meal offerings that reflects the myriad cultures that make up the cosmopolitan Durban community.

We will also offer cultural walks in the area and a walking tour to the Durban Whaling Station (which was one of the largest land based whaling stations in the world and closed down in 1975) – this tour starts from DUC and involves walking through an underwater tunnel that goes under the harbour entrance, to the Bluff. Visitors can also take tours to the Other tours to KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence for a history of shark-control measures, which may include a shark dissection. There is also the possibility of going out on a Sharks Board boat when they check the shark nets that line the Durban beachfront.

We are also hoping that the NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) will extend an invitation to the paddlers one evening to visit their base (a short walk away and in the harbour) for a harbour-side outdoor braai – and a lucky few might even get a trip out the harbour mouth on one of their rescue boats.

Welcome to uShaka Marine World

A short walk away from DUC club is the Ushaka Marine World and associated water theme park. The aquarium is the largest in Africa with some interesting fish species, a dolphinarium and the water theme park is great fun for the kids (and adults too!), including a restaurant where diners are seated alongside a massive shark tank.

Welcome to the Indian Ocean and Durban Bay

Durban is a treasure trove of marine wildlife – the home of whales, dolphins, rays and turtles. There is a good chance you will see whales with their calves (mainly humpbacks) and loads of dolphins – and we have a resident loggerhead turtle, Jina, who is a shark attack survivor that was released in Cape Vidal and moved to Durban where she is regularly seen on Vetch’s Reef on front of DUC.

Welcome to The Weather

October is Spring in Durban and that means the average sea temperature for October is 22.3 Celsius! The average air temperature in October during the day is 25 deg C dropping to a very comfortable 17 deg C at night, so leave your wetsuits and warm jackets behind.

Welcome to Safety
Because we are appealing to paddlers that have a wide variety of skill levels, we understand that there might be some fear and trepidation. We know that the unknown can be scary, but we want to reassure you that DUC is a very protected launch site, with manageable small surf. When you get to Umdloti or Amanzimtoti there may be some surf to go through, but we will have safety crews in rubber ducks and jet skis and life guards will be on hand to help if you are worried.

And we will have practice runs before the main event – where you can hone your skills at reading the surf and paddling through it. We will also be calling upon some of our more skilled paddlers to offer practical workshops for those paddlers interested.

Welcome to our homes

We will be offering limited ‘home hosting’ to those paddlers that would like to experience South African hospitality first-hand. South Africa was recently voted ‘The Friendliest Country in the World”, and the Durban Paddlers would like to show you the kind of hospitality that earned this accolade!

There would be no charge for this accommodation.

Welcome to Africa

We strongly suggest that you make this a holiday, not just a race. Bring the family and take in some of the stunning tourist attractions.

For more on some of the places to visit, go to SA’s traditional centre for tourism

When you leave, we’ll wish you “hamba kahle” (Zulu for “Go Well”) and we’ll look forward to welcoming you back soon