In this episode of Notes From The Line Up we talk with local Paul Van Jaarsveld, photographer, artist, surfer, spear-fisher, life-rescuer, multimedia tweaker and Great White Shark dodger to get a new perspective on your fantasy prospectives, read on…

Paul, first and foremost: how good is J-Bay, really?

Haha, I live here for a reason. So many wave options on such a short piece of shore. I much prefer J-Bay over a city vibe any day. I’ve surfed Durban, Cape Town, the West and East Coasts, Victoria Bay, and all the way up the North Coast. In Cape Town or Durban you could drive 2.5 hours through traffic, surf in crowds and then drive back, costing you a full day!

Supers you can surf at any tide, even though it works the best on a low. When it fires, it is very consistent, and if you know where to sit, you are almost guaranteed of getting your wave. It’s just such a privilege to live here, and I am very thankful for what we have.

How did you find yourself in such a paradise?

My wife and I went to J-Bay in 2000 for a 3 week holiday, and also later for our honeymoon in 2002. We had a soft spot for the place, but never thought that we would actually ever be able to live here. We were living in Uganda for about two years, teaching music and drama at an art school, when I was contacted about a job opportunity back in J-Bay. I immediately phoned my wife and asked her if she would like to live in Jeffreys. She answered with a resounding yes!

Lucky you. So whats your bread and butter?

I started my own business called Kalemanzi Media Solutions. Im involved in film and TV production, but a lot of my work these days is also web programming. I’ve also done a few stints in the surf media industry, shooting video, stills and writing for local and international events. I’ve covered all the CT events since about 2007.

If people want to get a hold of me for photography, video or web development, they can contact me on twitter @kalemanzi

Now, it’s probably a dirty word but there’s no dancing around it… Sharks: are they a factor?

Sharks are always on my mind when I am in the water. I spear fish in the area. When the last fatal shark attack happened in 2013, I was a few minutes from getting in the water at the exact same spot. I was actually delayed because my spear tip needed some sharpening.

Lucky again.

Ya, and last week I was out there and I spotted about 5 sharks in one dive. Before everybody freaks out, none were the big submarine GW’s, but they were all small Leopard Cat Sharks, Pajama sharks and shy sharks. Biggest one was maybe 2m long. Our most common large sharks over here are Raggies (Ragged tooth) and they are very chilled. I liken them to cattle, because they are so passive and lazy. They do get a little active when they want to chomp on your catch, but they mostly keep their distance and like to hang around in sand patches between rocks where they don’t have to do much swimming to get the oxygen moving over their gills. I’ve never spotted a Great White while spear fishing, and only once while scuba diving J-Bay. It’s the ocean, and sharks are just one of the kinds of animals you will encounter.

Hopefully no encounters this year.

I was there shooting the finals last year when the whole thing happened. I saw the splashes and registered it was a shark, and from my observation I think the shark got such a fright, because it just cruised past and accidentally hooked onto Mick’s leash.

Too bad it wasnt one of those shark-repelling leashes. Is anyone using them out there?

Those shark shield devices are too clunky, and they zap you and your mates, often causing more of a scare than anything else.

So you just take your chances?

I have personal theory. Every time I’ve had a legit shark sighting while surfing, it was when there was a lonesome bird sitting behind the back line. What I believe happens is that these birds follow particular sharks around that feed in the area. If they hang out close to the shark, they can pick off the scraps. The two specific times I saw Mako sharks breaching in the surf it was close to that bird sitting out there. Just my theory.

And sharks aren’t even a big factor. Yesterday afternoon I was involved in an NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) rescue, we saved a guy who was under water for several minutes. Some Australian surfers pulled the guy out close to Boneyards after they spotted him floating face down. His friends thought he was dead and they couldn’t find him because he was under water. It’s a miracle the guy lives.

There has been a flurry of media showing Mick at the Bay, already fins deep into it. How do you feel he has handled his return, given so much anticipation? Does he looked fazed at all?

I saw Mick sitting on the boardwalk today, but I havent seen him surfing yet. Surf was a bit slow with lots of lulls. Some junior Rip Curl guy was out shredding Supers, seems Mick is giving some inputs into the team. He was sitting next to a photographer and checking the scene and fiddling with his phone. Looked like he’s cracking a few jokes, but it also looked like he had some things on his mind. I am not sure how his ankle is doing, but I guess we’ll see.

It could be argued that the earlier a surfer shows up for an event, the more they have to prove. Who else has made an early appearance?

Adriano popped in and caught a couple of mellow waves this morning, just feeling things out. I saw him take one wave apart, so I guess he was warmed up by his third wave. I remember the year the comp was downgraded to QS. I took such a lekker shot of Adriano doing a bottom turn and getting barreled at car park section. He was looking super focused and in shape. The next day he went on to win the event, and I was the only photographer with a water shot of the winner on the finals day. Adriano normally comes to J-Bay early, so I am not surprised to see him here already. I think he really works hard on his surfing and gives 120%.

That seems to be a consistent theme for ADS, probably why he’s the World Champ. How about the local contingent?

Spotted Jordyon Sundayarvo sitting at boneyards, he was smiling and looked very stoked. I am sure being back in J-Bay was a blessing, after he got eliminated from Ballito (by fellow saffa Beyrick de Vries).

The J-Bay Pro is at a critical time of the season, make-or-break for many contenders. From your perspective, who is going to make some moves out there this year?

Such a hard call to make. The more experienced guys like Parko and Slater have surfed J-Bay so many times and have placed well in most events, but some of these young guys are razor sharp. I think in terms of style and flow, Parko is my favorite. Jordy definately has the strength and new school moves combination, but it looks to me like his priorities has changed or something. Perhaps getting a world title is not the most important thing in his life anymore. I can drop some names like Kerzy, Wilko, JJF etc. but ultimately all these guys show moments of brilliance at Supers. I think those who are the most focused and able to keep momentum going throughout the event, mixed with a little “Slater” kind of luck, will ultimately end up on top. And you cant rule out the Brazilian charge.

2016 has been the season of The Upsetter. Who do you rate as “most-likely-to-crush-dreams” this event? Does local boy Steven Sawyer have any tricks up his sleeve?

I’ve seen groms like Steven Sawyer, Dylan Lightfoot, Remi Peterson and Tobias Schroeder grow into their once-oversized wetsuits over the years. Steven is dangerous out at Supers, and I’ve spent many days on the beach next to his mom as she filmed him, and seen him land insane airs over and over. He’s also not afraid to charge Supers when it’s big and choppy. I think if he can control the nerves and have his head game on, he will cause some serious upsets in the event. I am a backhand surfer myself, so there’s a part of me that also wants him to take one for the goofies. I don’t think we’ve had a goofy win the event ever?

Paul, it’s been a pleasure getting your insight into whats sure to be a great comp. Any finalwords?

There’s much more to the comp than just the WSL surfing. The J-Bay locals have grown the Winterfest into a great annual event, with many sporting and entertainment events that go down as part of it all. Koffie Jacobs and his team has grown from strength to strength over the last four years, and I think it’s great that local guys like Koffie stand up in leadership and get involved in running things.

Forecast is looking great fromWednesdayonwards with 10 second periods and swell size over 10′ at a SSW angle. I can see the period going up to 16 seconds. If the NW wind don’t mess things up, I reckon we will see at least 3 days of competition beforeSunday.

Sounds too good to be true, some classic Bay!