Frother of the Month… Dale Yeats

By Christie Bennett on November 21, 2013 in People

Photo: Brad Malyon

He’s only been out here for nine months but this plucky Sarth Effrican slider has already caught the attention of Frothers photographer Brad Malyon. We fired a few questions at him during the month…

Name: Dale Yeats
Age: 27
Born: Durban, South Africa
Local break: I’ve only been out here nine months but I live in Bronte so that’s probably the closest I’ve got to a local over here. I’m definitely not a local though.
Board dimensions/shaper: 5’9” Channel Islands DFR
Goofy or natural: Natural

How often do you get out there?
Probably two to four times a week depending on if there’s swell and a decent tide in the morning before work. I try to surf every weekend but it’s normally a bit too social around the Eastern Beaches, especially if the sun is out. If it’s rainy and onshore I’m straight out there.

What do you do for work?
I work at an economic consultancy in the city.

Do you have any other interests besides surfing?
Not off the top of my head, which I guess is pretty telling really. I’m guessing that betting on the WCT doesn’t count either…

Where’s your favourite wave? Do you travel in search of them?
I haven’t had a chance to travel around New South Wales too much yet, but I took last year off work and went surfing around Indonesia, Central America and South Africa. My favourite waves are probably Jeffreys Bay in South Africa or Lagundri Bay in Indo.

Your accent has a bit of a Kiwi twang to it; have you spent some time in NZ?
I’ve lived in NZ for the last 15 or so years. It’s cool and really laidback but it doesn’t have the beach lifestyle or weather you get over here. In terms of surf and weather Sydney is pretty similar to where I grew up in Durban, just more developed and less dangerous.

Given that you hail from South Africa, have you had any shark encounters?
I saw a pretty big one about ten metres away from me when I was over there about four years ago. It sucked because I was staying right on the beach and it was pumping for the next week with no one out most of the time. For the rest of the time I was there I’d freak out at every shadow, including my own.

What’s your worst surf experience?
I don’t know if I’ve ever really had a bad experience, even seeing sharks is pretty cool in hindsight.

What about your best surf experience?
It’s way too hard to pick a best one, or even a top five. The other weekend I was up the coast with a few mates and we were surfed out, eating burgers with a box of beers on the curb outside a superette like full-on 27 year-old groms (except for the beers). That’s probably about as good as it gets for me.

Any last words?
Thanks to my girlfriend for waiting on the beach!