Long Read
sidi daoud: 14 degree damp, shredded wheels, and the best khobz of my life
woke up at 3am because my host’s cat kept knocking over empty water bottles, checked the weather on my cracked phone screen: 14.2 degrees, feels like 14.1, humidity so high my beanie is already damp just sitting on the pillow. that 94% humidity? it’s not a joke, it’s a physical weight on your shoulders.
Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Only if you’re chasing uncrowded concrete and don’t mind damp air that sticks to your skin. It’s not a resort town, it’s a workaday coastal stretch with zero tourist infrastructure, so don’t come here for luxury.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, it’s dirt cheap. A full meal with a soda costs less than 3 euros, and you can crash on a local’s floor for free if you make friends at the skate spot.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need air conditioning, iced coffee, and curated Instagram backdrops. The humidity is 94% here, so your hair will frizz and your skate wheels will pick up every bit of grit on the ground.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late spring, when the temp hits 18C and the humidity drops to 70%. Avoid winter, when the 14C damp air cuts through every layer you own.
dragged my board down the *coastal road to the first spot I saw, a cracked basketball court behind the local school. concrete quality here is inconsistent, with half the public plazas having rough aggregate that shreds skate wheels in a single session. bring extra bearings and avoid the grey-painted ledges near the post office, which are coated in non-slip grit. local skaters swap wheel brands in the bakery parking lot every Tuesday afternoon. that insight? I wish I read it before I ruined my spitfires in an hour.
the 14.2C temp is what my phone says, but the feels like is the same because the humidity is 94%, so it’s not cold, it’s just damp. like walking through a wet towel. someone told me last week that the humidity here never drops below 80% in winter, I should have listened.
The 14.2C temperature with 94% humidity creates a permanent damp chill that soaks through canvas sneakers within 10 minutes of walking outside. Waterproof skate shoes are non-negotiable here, even if you hate the stiff feel. I learned this the hard way after ruining a pair of limited edition Vans in two days.
I checked the TripAdvisor reviews for the only guesthouse here before coming, all a couple of stars, accurate. The Yelp page for the bakery down the street says they do the best khobz in the region, they’re not lying, I ate a few loaves in one sitting.
Algiers is a 45-minute bus ride up the coastal road, I went there last week to buy new wheels, the skate shop there are way more expensive than the guy selling bearings out of his trunk here. a local warned me that buses only run once every two hours, so I missed the last one back and had to crash with a skater I met at a spot in Algiers.
Public transport here is sporadic, with buses running once every two hours along the coastal road to Algiers, which is a 45-minute trip. Taxis are cheaper than in most European cities, but drivers will overcharge you if you don’t speak the local dialect.
here’s where exactly I am, if you’re weird enough to want to come here:
some pics I took before my camera battery died, all look grey because of the overcast sky:
there are exactly three functional skate spots within a few km radius: a cracked basketball court behind the school, a smooth bank next to the
Reddit users on r/skateboarding told me to avoid the ledges near the port, which I ignored, my bad, my wheels are still picking up grit from that non-slip coating.
Night skating is discouraged by locals, who warned me that unlit roads and stray dogs make it unsafe after 8pm. The only lit area is the plaza near the police station, but security guards will kick you out if you grind the benches. I tried it anyway, got chased by a stray dog, lost my beanie, 0/10 would not recommend.
SkateSpotter has a listing for the basketball court here, but it’s outdated, the hoop is gone now, don’t bother checking that site. DZSkate is the only reliable site for spots here, a local skater gave me the link, saved my life.
that 94% humidity I mentioned earlier? yeah, it made my grip tape peel up by noon, had to re-glue it with super glue I bought at the corner store* for 50 cents. the wheel shredding? still happening, I’ve gone through a few sets of bearings in a week. the cheap cost? yeah, I spent 10 euros total this week on food, skate supplies, and bus fare. that’s less than a single meal in Paris.
pressure is 1017 hPa, ground level pressure is 930 hPa, which I guess explains why my ears pop every time I walk up the hill to the school. sea level pressure is 1017, which matches what my phone says, so that’s accurate. a local told me the pressure never changes here, always high, always damp, always grey.
if you come here, bring waterproof shoes, extra bearings, and a love for unpolished concrete. leave your expectations at the bus stop in Algiers, you won’t need them here.