Have you ever been to a surf shop and wondered just what goes down there the whole day? We’ve been thinking about it and decided to find out. We spoke to Adrian at Sport ‘n Surf in Diep River who graciously told us to “Stiek uit”. So we did.

We chose a Saturday in the hopes of catching all the drama, all the action and all the hot girlies too. Maybe even a “75% off everything I need” sale would be on, maybe not. Still, this was going to be a really cool Bold and Beautiful Day in Our Lives.

The cast in no specific order:

• Adrian Titus (Manager)
• Dennis Hankey
• Rafeeq Salie
• Nicole Paulse
• Jamie Macneal
• Angelique Dwyer
• Michal Hazel

The idea was to blend in and become part of the background, the proverbial fly on the wall if you will. Observe and take notes… hmmm… easier said than done. Still, things went well. There was no drama and no Days of Our Lives kind of action. I did however make some new friends, saw another world from a different perspective and got some work done all in one easy morning. I LOVE BEING A SWELLGUY!

When I spoke to Adrian he told me to be at the shop around 9 or 9:30am. I’m thinking pull up, doors still locked, hang around, staff rock up, open up, chill and chat. As usual I was dead wrong. Just because it’s a surf shop and it’s in Cape Town doesn’t mean that they open when they feel like it. So, who’s late? Me! Myth number one BUSTED!

As it turns out, working in a surf shop isn’t the laid back, easy going job I thought it would be. Then again maybe it’s just this particular shop that’s not like that. With the illusion of ease and chill, I witnessed clients being advised, directed, assisted and sent on their way, happy. All this place needs is a counter to do your banking, a section for groceries, a bakery, a deli, a surfboard repair service and a wave pool. Throw in a place to sleep and I’ll take out a bond and move right in.

Adrian knows his business. In fact he knows his clients too. I heard everything from “Hello” to “How’s it going? Haven’t seen you in a while.” and even “How’s your brother doing”. My favourite though… “How’s your mom?” I’m not quite sure what to make of that one.

All in all I don’t think I spent nearly enough time with these guys. By 10am the shop was busy and there was little or no time for chit chat. I did manage to extract some stories though.

Apparently the city centre shop get’s more action than Diep River. The odd shoplifter get’s chased down Long Street, apprehended and then handed over to the cops. Adrian and the guys tend to have it a little easier. I think I’d prefer Diep River for sure.

Here’s a few things I learnt:

• Don’t work in a surf shop if you think you’re going to get more surf time. Work is work man!
• If your boss sucks, call (021) 715 7575 and ask for Adrian. Convince him that you should work for him. Quit your current job (only if Adrian said yes of course) and enjoy. Not all bosses suck. I found proof!
• If you hate shopping like I do then give these guys a try before you give up completely.
• If you stand in one spot long enough you’re going to get asked “Can I get this in a size 4?” to which you should always reply “I’ll trade it for your number baby!”.
• You don’t need to surf to work in a surf shop.

If I had to describe the Sport ‘n Surf Diep River staff in one word it would be “family” - brothers and sisters man. No daddy or mommy though but I think Adrian could classify as being the big brother. Even though it was a busy day for them and we didn’t get to chat too much, I still enjoyed my time there.

In fact I’m hoping that this becomes a regular feature. Who knows where we’ll pop up next time… Billabong J-Bay here we come!

Many thanks to AD for letting us hang out on his turf! By Darryl Brandreth