Photo from the Jean-Pierre van der Merwe Letoit family archive.
Early morning surfers at Seal Point were met with an unexpected development as officials began trialling a structured “wave queue system.”
Conditions at Seals were far from ideal. A light onshore wind ruffled the surface. The swell looked uneven. Overall, it was pretty average out there. Still, the system went ahead.
Whistle Control From The Rocks
The pilot project uses a colour-coded wristband system. It assigns a rotating priority order for surfers waiting to take off.
Monitoring and control are handled by a whistle from the rocks.
Surfers arriving at the point were issued with coloured wristbands. Each band links to a rotation slot. A sharp whistle signals whose turn it is to paddle.
“Blue band, you’re up. Orange, standby.”
Organisers say the system aims to reduce drop-ins, improve safety, and give everyone a fair shot at the best waves as it is starting to get out-of-control crowded at the point.
Rules Tighten The Lineup
Officials also introduced a clear set of rules.
“Close-outs do not count as completed waves. However, if a surfer attempts a take-off and fails to get to their feet, the wave still counts. That surfer goes straight to the back of the queue.”
The system is managed by a newly formed Cape/Franco coordination team. The group includes recent arrivals from Cape Town and France.
The Seal Point Boardriders Club confirmed that it was not informed of the trial and is not affiliated with the system, and made subtle threats of sorting a few people out.
Mixed Reactions In The Water
Reaction in the lineup was immediate.
Some surfers tried to follow the rotation. They sat wide and waited for their colour to be called. Others ignored the system and paddled into position as sets approached.
From the rocks, the commentary started early.
“Bru, check Shane calling priority on a 2-foot burger.”
“Blow the whistle one more time, I dare you to. In fact, come blow it in my face.”
“Yuss but Stevo is surfing so crap today. Must be the pressure from that whistle.’
“Screw this jol. I’m going to the groynes, Does anyone actually know these ous?”
Tension Builds As Sets Roll Through
Frustration grew as the morning wore on.
One surfer in the lineup summed it up: “If that skinny oke blows that whistle at me one more time, I’m paddling straight up the rocks to moer him.”
By mid-morning, one surfer claimed his band had “faded in the sun” and was now “technically neutral” and would no longer abide by the rules.
Trial Continues Through The Day
Official Cape/Franco spokesperson Jean-Pierre van der Merwe Letoit said the trial will continue through the day. They may adjust the system based on community feedback and wave quality.
At the time of writing, the whistle is still going, but local surfers were getting rather tense and had started drinking heavily.
A local filmer got some harrowing video footage
Be cool out there today, 1 April 2026.
Recent Comments