The absolutely stunning perfection of the Skeleton Bay waves is in danger, says a solid study by Australian meteorologist Craig Brokensha in a note that wrote for his country's site, SwellnetAccording to the evolution of satellite images, the effect of the permanent onshore wind has led to more and more sand accumulating on the coast, which is making the wave increasingly rougher and less perfect as it was before.

These are the images that the meteorologist shows in his studio:

“Namibia’s coastline is constantly changing due to persistent south-southeasterly winds blowing from the Namib Desert, which transport sand to the nearshore area. This, together with significant longshore drift, results in approximately one million cubic metres of sand reaching the bay every year,” said the Australian.

This has meant that the coastline has grown by 10 metres per year, and the most compelling evidence of this is the remains of the cargo ship “Eduard Bohlen”, which crashed into the coast in 1909 and now lies about 800 metres from the new coastline.

South African photographer Alan Van Gysen has visited the spot numerous times since 2008 and feels the wave has changed: “If you want to see the wave in all its glory, come here early. You can definitely see that it’s not as good as it once was. That’s a fact,” He said in an interview with Stab.

A faster wave

Brokensha's studies showed the change in the angle at which the wave breaks between 2009 and 2016. This measurement is made by looking at the angle formed by drawing a line over the crest of the unbroken wave and another line drawn over the foam (see images below). The oceanographer indicates that the ideal breaking angle is between 30 degrees, which creates fast waves, and 50 degrees, which creates slow but fun waves.

According to this calculation, Skeleton's angle in 2009 was 25 degrees and by 2016 it was 22 degrees, which means a much faster wave. "At this rate, the wave is approaching a point where even the best surfers in the world won't be able to ride it and it will become a glorified close," said Brokensha.

In closing, Brokensha added: "While all this may sound terribly pessimistic, there is a silver lining to all of this. Before 2000, Skeleton Bay was hardly anything like what we see now and was transformed into something beautiful by the slow migrating sand. Just like Skeleton, other waves can be created and transformed into beautiful swans when the sand falls in the right place."

This wave at Koa Smith, surfed a few weeks ago, proves that there is still time to enjoy this miracle of sand. The weatherman and some locals point out that it is not that long.