Simon Alexander, surfing correspondent and broadcaster for BBC Plymouth, writes on where to surf in May to catch the perfect weather - and the perfect waves!

It's a jungle out there - but to truly experience surfing's primeval instincts, South Africa's wild coast promises a surf safari of truly vintage proportions. While the inland plains are home to some of the world's most dangerous animals, the country's inhospitable coastal fringes and the often stormy relationship with the weather help produce some of the most beautiful and challenging waves you're ever likely to experience.

With cliffs rising sharply from the sea like a preying mantis and endless sand dunes stretching out like a lizard in the sun, the seascape has lured expectant travelling British surfers for decades. May is the time to search out the ultimate perfect wave. The weather, renowned for its tempestuous nature at this time of year has the habit of turning a glassy ocean into an uncontrollable mess without warning. Sitting on the edge of the Indian Ocean and the much cooler Atlantic, South Africa is a magnet for the powerful ground swells created by deep low pressure systems far inside the Roaring Forties.

The wind plays a major part close inshore too with sea breezes often whipping up into short-lived and localised gales that can easily catch out the unwary and ruin wave quality in minutes. With a mostly subtropical climate, though, you can expect sunny days and cool nights The water gets colder the further you travel south and rogue mists often drift onshore when the sun is at its hottest.

The surfing capital is without doubt Durban, where warm water and kind currents have created a thriving surfing scene. New Pier is at its heart, with sand-bottomed tube rides guaranteed on good days. At the other extreme, expect to be scarred or scared at the unforgiving exposed reefbreak at Cave Rock.

The jewel in South Africa's crown is without doubt Jeffrey's Bay, near Port Elizabeth. The venue for one of the world's top professional contests and home to some of the world's most influential surfers the waves that peel down the point from Supertubes can give rides of over half a mile. For the pure thrill seeker, giant waves bombard the coast at such exotic locations as The Hoek, Dungeons and Dunes, while Nahoon Reef, Ballito Bay and Stilbaai are swell magnets in their own right.

For lifelong surfer Warren Latham, Managing Director of Urban Safari Productions and organiser of the Gold Coast Ocean Fest in North Devon, South Africa offers the ultimate surfing experience. "It's a truly stunning, a world in one country. From tropical coastline to the mountains to the savannah to the dsert coast. It's a place of extremes with the weather and the geography as radical as you'll find anywhere in the world," said Warren, who was born and brought up in Durban.

"I've surfed all over the world, but there are places in South Africa that are comparable to any exotic location. The coastline is made up of endless rugged bays, big point bluffs and river mouths. The continuous supply of sand dumped into the oceans during the rainy season makes for awesome beachbreak waves.

"There are three main currents influencing the country, in the Kwazulu Natal provence its the warm Mozambique current; in the Jefferys Bay area it's the colder Agulhas current; while on the west coast you get the full affect of the very cold Atlantic Benguela currents from the south. It is a difficult territory to surf in - desert during the day, freezing temperatures at night and misty in the mornings. You can feel very vulnerable in the line up,"

Warren says being aware of the country's weather and natural hazards around the coast are of vital importance: "Sharks are an accepted risk but there really is no better place on earth to experience some of the best waves on the planet. "Wherever you surf you can expect a warm welcome, but just be aware of the conditions around you in the water. Always ask the locals where it is best to surf and don''t go in alone. Follow those rules and South Africa will be an experience you will never forget."

Next month: The Brits find a Pacific paradise which boasts the world's most dangerous wave.