Cool Surfing Videos

River surfing in Africa

If getting to the infamous Pororoca in the Amazon River wasn’t challenging enough for you to get to and survive, consider giving this African river wave a try.  Though it’s a much different type of wave than its famous Amazonian cousin, this river rapid in Zambia is every bit as deadly and challenging.  While the challenges to those hunting the Pororoca are well documented and known, from crocodiles to piranha to the infamous candiru, who like to swim up and attach themselves to the inside of men’s eurethras, the hazards in Zambia are a bit more of a wildcard.  Going over the falls in Zambia literally means getting sucked down the river due to the rapid current and going over a set of world class waterfalls.  Kind of makes the whole idea of surfing there a little less enticing.

Essentially, the wave in this case is a standing wave, formed by the water pressure moving over a quirk in the river’s rocky bottom.  As such, it forms a standing wave similar to that on one of the man-made flow riders.  While the river’s water movement is constantly pushing you towards the lip of the rapid, gravity works its constant downward pull, offering you a standing wave complete with a mini lip and barrel section.  It looks like a load of fun, but given all the dangers involved in surfing it, I’ll stick with the flow rider for now.

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