Nahoon surfers pay tribute to Fish with sea memorial

The surf thundering onto Nahoon Reef was a perfect backround to a paddle out memorial for pioneering East London surfer, Dave Fish, 65.

Almost 200 Nahoon surfers paddled out, formed a circle, and threw flowers, splashed and shouted his name in farewell, while his family watched from the carpark.

Some of "Fishman's" generation admitted they had not been on a board for decades, wobbled as they paddled out, but most of the crowd took to the dark blue swells coming onto a clean, glassy Reef, and smashed some turns.

Prayers for Fish by surf forecaster Nick Pike affirmed the locals' love of their special point in the Indian  Ocean.

Fish's board-shaper son, Simon, spread his father's ashes and the giant circle broke up with some paddling into the breaking bowl, and others making a beeline for the shore. One rider said a wave dumped him onto a prickly anemone and that his wife would have to pick the shards from his butt cheek.