Whirlpools, Crocodiles and a Barreling Rapid: Sam Bradford Surfs the Zambezi (Video)

The mighty Zambezi River, flowing through the southwestern chunk of Africa, with wild rapids, iconic sites like Victoria Falls, and a wealth of biodiversity, is one of the world’s most unusual surfing destinations – and perhaps one of the most dangerous.

Sam Bradford, however, has been kayaking the whitewater rapids of the river since he was 10 years old, and surfing it for the past three or so years.

He is in a world of his own, perhaps the world’s foremost authority on Zambezi River surfing, a member of an exclusive club with very few (if any) other members. And below, Bradford takes us through what it’s like surfing the mighty Zambezi, the dangers that come with it, and his commitment and love for the African novelty river wave.

“This is the price you pay to surf arguably the sickest river wave in the world,” Bradford narrates. “On average, I’m surfing for five-to-eight minutes at a time. As you peel out of the wave, absolutely exhausted, you get sucked into a whirlpool. It’s just incredible how powerful the river is. Eventually, it will open up, and you’ll pop back up to the surface.”

“I thought I had a second to catch my breath, but I instantly found myself getting swallowed by another one. Trying to stay calm, and praying my leash does not snap. As I was about to run out of air, I eventually came back to the surface, and took a massive breath. And then you walk back to the top, and do it all over again.”

The main wave that surfers ride on the Zambezi is simply called Rapid #11. It’s perhaps one of the few river waves in the entire world that actually barrels. According to a Zambezi kayaking tour operation, number 11 is like this:

“The ocean tubing wave, twice a year during small windows (early July-mid Jan). For around 10-14 days this beauty works. It is the mother of all river waves, and the site for moves of the future! During low water the rapid allows two lines both avoiding a heinous hole. Watch out for the evil eddy line & whirlpool.”

And strangely, it’s not the drowning and the whirlpools and the raging river that’s the scariest part of the entire experience. As Bradford recently told ZigZag Mag:

“The main danger, and this sounds crazy, is that there’s actually a crocodile living in the eddy near the wave. I try not to think about it… nothing’s stopping me from surfing that wave.”

At least he doesn’t have to deal with crowds?