Bruces Beauties | Rare Endless Summer wave | St Francis Bay | Cape St Francis

This was shot during full lockdown in St Francis bay, South Africa. We sat for a month watching absolutely perfect waves go unridden during the covid lockdown. Eventually we couldn't just watch iut any longer and decided to risk getting arrested to surf this super fun swell at Bruces and Killers.

[@johnsmith-gu4sn]

Read a lot of print over the years on how this wave has gotten so degraded from when it was filmed in the Endless Summer. Looks pretty dam spectacular to me.

[@henniebester9437]

The Endless Summer footage with the "machine like" wave was shot at Seal Point. It's called "Seals". This clip is of a much rarer break on the opposite point or cape (the actual "cape" of Cape St. Francis) toward Jeffreys Bay. It pumps on a big east swell and northwest (offshore wind) - which dies fast. These breaks are referred to as "Bruces" or "Bruce's Beaties" probably though an anomaly of history. Close by, further towards Jeffreys, opposite the town of St Francis Bay is also a break called "Killers". Seal's can still get very good, but it lost much of its sandy bottom due to vegetation brought in to stabilise the sand blow. So less smooth than in the 1960's. It also picks up on an east swell, but sooner, and is way more consistent than Bruce's. I will put up the full story of Cape St Francis wave on the Endless Summer clip of Cape St Francis here on RUclips.

[@pred7949]

yea its always comments from these bitter old men who had their view of life blurred by endless summer

[@nickchristyfilms]

The wave in Endless Summer was not Seal Point, a NW wind is also not a good wind for any of those waves you've mentioned. Killers is also not more towards Jbay.

[@henniebester9437]

@@nickchristyfilms Hi Nick - thanks for correcting me. Killers I got wrong, it's the other way. But what is a good wind for surfing that area though ? NW is offshore .... As for Seals being the spot - my source is purely anecdotal. Way back in the 1980's when I was little kid there was litigation by (I think) Leighton Hullett to have Sea Vista's name changed to Cape St Francis. This was opposed by the Cape St Francis civic. (I was told) Hullett used Endless Summer as part of the evidence and argued that X ("Bruces" today) "marks the spot". This was disputed by the civic who argued that the spot was actually Seals. Those where the arguments. Hullett lost, Sea Vista became St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis kept its name. I don't think he lost because of this point though, but it remains contentious. I had a close look at the Endless Summer footage and I think I spotted Full Stop. I also listened to an interview with Mike Hynson here on YT, and from his detailed description it sounds like they surfed Seals. But of course, I may be wrong. For the sake of surfing lore, I'm sticking with the idea that it was Seals that was featured in ES. In any case, even if I am wong, the historical reality is that many thousands of surf trips inspired by ES were redeemed at Seals - people thought they were surfing the ES spot, since Bruce's is so inconsistent.

[@henniebester9437]

​@@pred7949 you referring to me ? If you are: I am neither bitter or even that old. Gen X all the way. 🙂

[@ariktm7479]

Sick waves bro. Keep up these good edits🤙

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks so much bru! Really appreciate the comment 😄👏🏻

[@burtbenz9964]

Made it 2 Hawaii 3 times Mexico 2 always wanted to go Africa surf it now than 2 your vids im ther!

[@nickchristyfilms]

That’s awesome! I’ve always dreamed of going to Hawaii, it looks like I’m going to be there in December! My first proper surf/work trip! 😄🙌🏻 Let me know if you come down to South Africa man!

[@daggapig]

Why does this not have more views? Love your style man keep it up

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks so much bru! Really appreciate the kind feedback, stoked you like the edits! :) Looking forward to uploading a lot more :)

[@ralphkeenan1589]

Top notch editing 👌🤌

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks so much man! Really appreciate the comment! 😄🙌🏻

[@clarkewi]

Awesome.

[@StaunchIndustries]

Best Bruces edit on youtube. Frothing for more!

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks so much! So stoked you enjoyed it! 😄 been crazy down here lately, hoping to release another edit soon! 😄👏🏻

[@wrxstock2820]

Ahhhhh … the curse of slow motion

[@nickchristyfilms]

Yes, I preferred using slightly more slow motion for this edit. Good observation

[@mark703]

Great video and beautiful waves but i had to turn the sound off.

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks Mark! Glad you found a workaround 👍

[@Saltdriverdiver]

Everybody ripping the music but its pretty cool. Goes good with the edit. Rad edit.

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks so much Greg. I appreciate the kind words :)

[@dantakeoff]

lovely...

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks so much bru! Really appreciate the comment! It was a good run of swell! :)

[@matthewwillis4892]

Should have been named Hynson's or Mike's because he discovered the wave, when he snuck away around the point to smoke a joint and he manifested this gem. That's the story I was told.

[@billyromero3633]

Does this place still break like it did in endless summer?

[@nickchristyfilms]

Hey Billy!
It’s not as perfect as back then since the sand dunes have been stabilised and there isn’t a constant flow of sand onto the point. It still gets really really good, but it needs the perfect swell direction and it needs sand to fill in the holes between the rocks.
😄✌🏻

[@johnlemunyon9812]

i have a headache after hearing whatever song is playing

[@nickchristyfilms]

You’re a hero. There will be memorials erected in your honour for enduring such hardships.

[@lloyddillon2244]

@@nickchristyfilms hallo duku, maybe you should play boys to main, and of the rod? I harvest good iphokwe samp with this one. Mouch luv

[@chriswilliamoneil]

my local

[@77Cfriend]

turn the sound off

[@nickchristyfilms]

You’re a hero.

[@pred7949]

your mother shouldve turned your dad off

[@wernerthetard-ow8rp]

Maybe once a year like this. And the video clips with thr cape town hooded surfers always make it appear better than it is. A novelty wave....

[@nickchristyfilms]

OK Werner

[@pred7949]

jisses what a poes.

[@glens51]

Wetsuits?????

[@nickchristyfilms]

The water is about 18 degrees celcius on average, a 3/2mm is usually enough.

[@wavehaven1]

Not rare anymore... its another popular spot.

[@nickchristyfilms]

It only breaks a handful of times a year, still very rare. But when it breaks it’s usually crowded…unless you know where to sit and catch all the sets 😜

[@STLT]

Hit mute and it's great.

[@99somerville]

Lockdown? Get arrested for going in the ocean to surf? Any one who put up with this nonsense is crazy.

[@michaelnichols7276]

MUSIC BACKGROUND HORRIBLE

[@nickchristyfilms]

Michael Nichols kook

[@gradyunderwood3776]

Music sucks

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks for the feedback. Hope your day gets better :)

[@mikevv]

Lovely EDIT, great waves, well done...

[@gregson99]

@@nickchristyfilms lol

[@pred7949]

hey grady, im so sorry that your mother never gave you the love that you needed

[@ED-wj5tp]

Not a fan of the edit and jerky production, the music is annoying, the waves and surfing are awesome.
Carry on

[@nickchristyfilms]

Thanks random kook. Carry on