"It's good, it's good, yes?"

...the clapped out Renault Clio we were being offered didn't look anything like the 4x4 we'd paid to rent.

The Škoda we settled for was far from 4WD, but the surfboards fit inside and the aircon was pure respite after the 30° discussion in the car park.

An hour later we'd spotted an empty point between the legions of foamies, any car worries quickly fading as fins and leashes were attached.

Škoda:

Stay with me.

In 1978 Edward Said published his breakthrough book Orientalism, stating - among other things - that the "Orient" is a fabricated concept, designed as a generalised antithesis to the West (Occident).

Thus where we're told that the people in the West are powerful, masculine and rational, in the East they must be weak, feminine and irrational.

Let me tell you: the man who crashed into the back of our Škoda was none of these things.

With his bald head, chiselled features and impressive physique, he was a (rationally) angry Moroccan Kelly Slater.

Initially determined not to have the authorities involved, slowly subdued by the local rice wholesaler who'd seen the collision and was keen to do right by the tourists.

He sorted us completely, from organising a report for the insurance, procuring water and a seat in the shade, and calming Moroccan Kelly whos hand movements - after the two hours - had changed from wildly erratic to heart taps and handshakes of appreciation.

After the crash, excitement only rose as we finally made it to the airport to pick up Dr Hackenstein himself - founder and mastermind of Hackbrett Longboards.

Though now technically out of production, he did let slip that he will be pressing a limited run of Wassers next springtime. Please let me know ASAP if you'd like to be on the list for one!

The Škoda did a fine job until it came time for us to try and reach more remote pointbreaks. Not far from the circus at Imsouane, the same swell lines create a plethora of deserted waves.

We never did reach the one above - the track down demanded more than the car could give even with some serious offroad experience at the wheel and I didn't have the legs for the hike in the heat. But we did have the beach to ourselves all day whilst hundreds of people fought for the same few waves scant miles south.

Sun, sand, swell and strays:

If you like any combination of the above, you'll love Morocco.

The strays represent a contemptuous issue. 80 people per year die of rabies in Morocco and the authorities have been known to round up and shoot the animals.

Thankfully we saw none of that - every dog we met was tame and gentle; many had been tagged (neutered, vaccinated and released). Pet dogs are rare, but people take a collective responsibility to ensure their local canine friends are fed and watered. Keeping the local vaccinated pack happy means they'll in turn keep any unknown or rabid dog out of the village - everyone benefits.

And did I mention the consistent swell and warm water?

Soft tops:

It was with morbid fascination that I watched tens, hundreds, of foamies struggle their way out into head-high surf. Like a colony of ants, the suffering of individuals seemed irrelevant. Slowly, enough of the pack had made it out back that it could be deemed a success.

Even more amazing was that while the stragglers gasped for breath in the whitewater, the luckier/stronger learners were dropping into the waves of their lives.

I was equally stoked and appalled - it took me years of surfing to ride waves half that good.

I was equally satisfied and sad to see them riding straight on whilst the pointbreak reeled off for hundreds of metres without them.

Luckily the canny surf coaches have a product that can help with that...

Surfskates:

Ah, that silver bullet again. Sorry, stragglers, but no amount of "hop, hop, hopppa" as you surfskate around with your arms in the air is going to get you through that whitewater.

But its a part of the package now, and its easy to see why. It doesn't depend on the swell or wind conditions, its got surf in the name, and time flies when you're having fun.

Taghazout is full of surfskates for rent - less for sale - and we saw multiple lessons going on in the streets of Imsouane. Both Carver and YOW featured prominently... watch this space for a new brand in Vandem soon...

Between hop hop hopping, trading boards and resting in the shade, you'll feel surfed out even if conditions only allowed one session that day.

And you know what? They've got something for that, too.

Sugar:

Moroccan mint tea. Thé à la menthe. Atay. أتايْ

I mistakenly believed Moroccan mint tea to be, well, mint tea. Having been caffeine free for a good few years, my surprise was only equalled by that of my gut when the first cup revealed that it is actually green tea, poured over mint leaves.

And it doesn't even have to be mint - thyme, oregano, sage and wormwood are also used.

So green (or black) tea, a herb of choice and a sugar cube big enough to sink the Titanic - that's Moroccan mint tea.

A cornerstone of Moroccan social and business interactions, marking festive occasions and framing daily routines, the sweet tea feels like it's been an integral part of Moroccan culture for millennia.

That's not the case. It became a true staple only in the 20th century under French colonial rule, as one element of Moroccan culture that could be made productive - and profitable.

As such, Moroccan tea culture also represents a mourning, a sadness, at the loss of lands and traditions as people moved from their farmlands into cities, working wage labour as Morocco was drawn into global capitalist networks.

I lost count of how much we drank. Hours south of Agadir where the tarmac and tourists thin out we drank our last cup, after our last surf.

Stoked:

My feet are cut, my fins are busted. My hair is salty, my nose is peeling and I'm utterly exhausted.

But my life batteries are recharged to the point of overflowing. Just in time for British wintertime.

Things I'll miss:

• Endless righthand pointbreaks
• Taking racing lines across roundabouts
• Welcoming, friendly faces
• Energy boosting sweet tea
• The desert wind, a warm blanket after the evening session

Things I won't miss:

• The guy in front's racing line across roundabouts
• My stomachs reaction to energy boosting sweet tea
• The relentless, pounding heat of midday

And now, back to reality.

A tonne of exciting new product to get online in the shop, mates to catch up with, (colder) waves to catch, and a few secret projects that need skating hard to work out the last details...

Reality is worth coming back to.

Come by if you like. I've got a new teapot,
Matt @ Vandem