Paddle Fest off to a great start

Paddle Fest 2025, running in Durban and the North Coast from 18 to 20 April, welcomed seasoned paddlers and interested newbies to the Durban Underwater Club for an epic first day! Spectators were treated to some top action as paddlers battled it out in the 800m Reef Shootout at Vetchies across 7 categories.

This three-day festival, organised by South Africa Surf Ski and sponsored by Engen Ballito and The Pumpsmith, includes the popular Engen Ballito Downwind on Sunday as the headliner, as well as hosting the KZN Singles Surf Ski Championships. The kick-off event was the Reef Shootout at Vetchies – a knockout format where paddlers raced out around some buoys, and back to the beach at DUC. The paddlers lined up in 7 categories, with each round knocking out others until the final 5, who raced in the final for a cash prize.

Durban paddling legend Luke Nisbet and Olympic paddler Tiffany Koch dominated the day, claiming victories in both the Long Distance Ski (Men/Women) and Lifesaving Ski (Men/Women) categories.

“We’d like to congratulate all the competitors who participated in what was an amazing start to the first-ever Paddle Fest,” said Barry Lewin, Event Organiser.

“This was a nail-biting event that gave spectators the opportunity to witness all the ocean-based action. We were also excited by the response to our free SASS Coaching Session ahead of the race, where people who’ve never tried the sport were given some tips and expert insight. We hope this will open up paddling to a new group of people!”