“There will be spring high tides, and beachgoers are advised to watch out for strong rips and surges. They are advised to show caution this weekend.” Said NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon, or words to that effect, on Algoa FM, carefully pronouncing each word as a spokesperson does, with specific inflexions and emphasis from years of public speaking.
‘Surely this doesn’t need to be an announcement on radio,’ I thought. ‘Surely people see the level of the tide or the strength of a possible rip and react cautiously?’ Is this not a case of making something bigger than what it is. It’s just a spring tide; we get them every two weeks on the full or new moon. C’mon, Mr Lambinon.
We often forget, as surfers or ocean-goers, that we are so in tune with the ocean, with tides, waves, surges, swell period, swell direction, ground swells, wind swells, rips and sandbanks and winds that we don’t even think about the. For people who don’t live at the beach and go into the ocean often, this is all foreign to them.
I got to the beach late on Saturday, and my friend Tim was coming out of the water. “That ou paddled for 40 minutes against the rip, ” said Tim. “Eventually I had to paddle out there and show him how to get in. He just kept on paddling against the rip, going nowhere.”
The rip current at Seal Point was moving, super-strong and fast, as the tide was close to full high. All that water surging in had to get out somewhere and somehow. There was no way to beat that thing, with the two options being either swim over to the rocks and negotiate a way in with the waves hitting you or paddle across to the beachbreak.
As we stood there by the showers, a couple were swimming on the inside and were suddenly swept off their feet. They tried to swim across and away from the current, but it was sweeping, and they were caught. It took literal seconds for them to be racing out to sea past us in the carpark.
Dirkie jumped into the rip; he was going for a swim anyway, and he calmed the situation down. It took a while, as the Seal Point rip was, in fact, roaring out to sea. He eventually got the guy to the rocks, where he clambered to safety with several people there to help him, with just a few grazes as collateral damage from bouncing on the rocks. However, his partner was having some difficulty, and Dirkie couldn’t get her onto the rocks.
Dennis paddled out and offered to help them across onto the beach break with his twin fin, but the solution was the much shorter route to the rocks. Still, she was very hesitant. So Billy stripped down and jumped off the rocks to help. It turns out that she had recently had hip surgery, so her leg wasn’t fully functional at all, and she couldn’t negotiate a way onto the rocks.
Pudding ran down onto the rocks and threw them a bodyboard, which was gratefully accepted, and she clambered onto it. With her being on the bodyboard, Dirkie and Billy were able to push her through the rip and onto the rocks, where she was helped by several people, as a throng of people had gathered to watch this all go down.
It was a minor incident, but no seasonal lifeguards were on duty yet. Had it been a bad day of waves and no surfers around, then this might have played out differently.
The couple were shaken at how fast it all went down but seemed very grateful and thanked everyone involved.
It was inspiring to see everyone work together, especially how the situation was handled calmly and clearly.
Well done to everyone involved, and this situation had a positive outcome. People need to watch that rip this summer. Please keep sending out those NSRI radio broadcasts, Mr Lambinon, sir.
Rea more: First Surfers In St Francis – Photo Of The Day
Kouga – The Kouga community rallied for a safer festive season as the Sarah Baartman District’s Safer Festive Season Operations launched with a second event at Tokyo Sexwale Stadium in Jeffreys Bay on Friday, 8 November 2024.
This high-profile event, led by District Commissioner Major General Zolani Xawuka, brought together law enforcement, community members, key stakeholders and others to reinforce safety efforts across Kouga and the broader district.
“Kouga is proud to support this district-wide initiative, uniting our community and stakeholders in a common goal of safety and security,” stated Kouga Executive Deputy Mayor, Timothy Jantjes. “With heightened operations and the addition of new vehicles to bolster police mobility, our commitment to a safe and enjoyable festive season remains unwavering.”
The Sarah Baartman District received five new vehicles from SAPS Provincial Supply Chain Management, which will aid in increasing patrol coverage and response times during this high-traffic season. Under the theme “Combating Crime through Decisive Police Action and Robust Community Involvement”, the operations underscore the importance of collaboration. We need to all work together.
Emphasising the role of the community, Major General Xawuka highlighted that the police alone can only succeed with strong community support and involvement. “As we launch these Safer Festive Season Operations, we call on stakeholders, private security companies, and community members to join us. This is a message of unity we must spread throughout our communities, ensuring a safer environment for all this festive season.”
“Together, we create a formidable force against crime,“ added Jantjes. “Kouga’s resilience and solidarity will be vital as we enter this period.”
Read more: Kouga Residents Must Exercise Caution Amid Reports Of Food Tampering
See more: Coca Maak Skoon To ‘Sweep’ Kouga’s Streets – Again
Read More: Kouga Municipality Workshop advances knowledge on land disposal and acquisition processes
Kouga – Kouga Municipality is gearing-up for its fifth annual clean-up campaign, reaffirming its commitment to fostering a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable environment as Kouga kicks off Coca-Maak Skoon.
This year’s ‘Coca-Maak Skoon’ initiative, part of the ongoing Keep Kouga Clean campaign, will run from 18 November 2024 to 29 November 2024 and will be held simultaneously across all towns in the region.
“We are dedicated to creating a healthy, sustainable environment for all our residents,” said Kouga Executive Deputy Mayor Timothy Jantjes. “Each year, this campaign brings us closer to that vision, offering residents the opportunity to declutter responsibly while contributing to our shared goal of a cleaner Kouga.”
Residents are encouraged to participate by disposing of larger items not typically collected through regular refuse services, such as electronic waste, and old furniture.
A maximum of four bags of garden waste will be collected per household.
Exclusions are limited to food items, to deter scavengers, as well as builders’ rubble. Food items should be disposed of in wheelie bins on regular refuse collection days, while garden refuse and builders’ rubble must be taken to designated landfill sites.
Also read: Kouga Municipality Workshop advances knowledge on land disposal and acquisition processes
Much has been written about the intergenerational wealth transfer currently taking place, where assets flow from one generation to the next. However, another equally significant transfer occurs every day, often unnoticed: the transfer of wealth from investors to asset managers.
Many financial planners mistakenly see their role as only picking funds for clients, acting more like asset managers than holistic advisors. The truth is that this approach often detracts far more value than it adds, with asset managers becoming the primary beneficiaries. While the most successful asset managers achieve respectable returns, it’s their marketing strategies that often attract clients, creating brand loyalty rather than focusing on actual investment performance. Investors often remain unaware of how their returns compare to the market or what portion of their wealth goes to fees rather than their own growth.
One baffling aspect of the industry is how asset management fees remain static even as fund sizes grow significantly. For instance, a fund managing R1 billion might charge a 1.5% fee. Years later, when the same fund has R5 billion under management, the fee remains unchanged. This defies logic. In most industries, larger volumes typically result in discounts, but in asset management, the opposite holds true. Additionally, as funds grow larger, their investment options narrow, reducing their ability to capitalise on opportunities and diminishing potential returns.
Despite these challenges, fee pressure disproportionately falls on financial advisors rather than asset managers. Studies show that skilled advisors can add up to 4% annually in value through proper financial planning, but this fact is often overshadowed. Many asset managers, meanwhile, fail to consistently meet their performance mandates while charging fees that escape scrutiny.
This isn’t to suggest that all asset managers are problematic. However, investors must align their long-term investment strategies with their lifestyle financial plans, crafted with a capable advisor. By doing so, they can ensure that their wealth serves their goals rather than inflating marketing budgets. Choose wisely and make sure the wealth transfer benefits the people and priorities that matter to you.
Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner.
Previous Columns:
Recent Comments