World's biggest surf in South Africa

Organisers of the world's biggest surf on one wave have claimed that they have set a new world record.

Currently the record is held by a team of 44 surfers in Ireland who rode the same single wave, but a group in South Africa claim to have succeeded in getting 73 surfers to stay upright on the same wave.

The Guinness Book of World Records has not yet confirmed the attempt, but should it be successfully ratified, a new world record will have been set at Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town.

Dene Botha from Kahuna Surfing Academy told Global Surf News: "We're ecstatic! It was unbelievable! We expected around 200 local surfers to participate and 349 registered which stretched our organisational capacity to its limits.

"We made six attempts in an hour and also registered 69, 68 and 64 on the three other waves."

The event was organised to raise money for local spotters who warn surfers of sharks in the water. One lifeguard was recently attacked by a Great White shark and lost a foot.

Water sports holidays are a big draw to South Africa every year, but the dangers of sharks in the beach areas are clearly evident.