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How often do you surf?

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  • 16-08-2015 3:48pm
    #1
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭


    i live in london, but have been a keen 'surfer' for a few years since i lived on the gold coast in oz. Im hoping to get back to shannon once a month to catch some waves in lahinch. It made me wonder if people actually live their lives with surfing as a bigger priority over career/work.


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    #2
    rodento
    Registered Users Posts: 1,728 ✭✭✭rodento


    lufties wrote: »
    i live in london, but have been a keen 'surfer' for a few years since i lived on the gold coast in oz. Im hoping to get back to shannon once a month to catch some waves in lahinch. It made me wonder if people actually live their lives with surfing as a bigger priority over career/work.

    Once you add family it gets a bit tricky


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    #3
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,968 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    rodento wrote: »
    Once you add family it gets a bit tricky

    Try having twins


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    #4
    pablosan
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭pablosan


    It depends on what you want for your life, your career or your passion. Usually we decide for career, because we afraid. But there are good examples of lads living next to beach, working of whatever they can find, and surfing a lot. I admire those who do that. Media, school and people made me be afraid, scared of being "free" :)


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    #5
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    pablosan wrote: »
    It depends on what you want for your life, your career or your passion. Usually we decide for career, because we afraid. But there are good examples of lads living next to beach, working of whatever they can find, and surfing a lot. I admire those who do that. Media, school and people made me be afraid, scared of being "free" :)

    I totally agree with you. A life by the sea would be ideal but that would mean sacrifing 'city' life. we truly are afraid of being 'free'.


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    #6
    stevire
    Registered Users Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭stevire


    lufties wrote: »
    I totally agree with you. A life by the sea would be ideal but that would mean sacrifing 'city' life. we truly are afraid of being 'free'.

    I'd happily give up the city life in a heartbeat. By the sea is ideal but would settle for a middle ground also. Sadly job currently has me tied to the city life. With more tech companies looking at the green grass out west for data centers and the like hopefully that brings a lot more tech jobs with it too.


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    #7
    pablosan
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭pablosan


    Probably Ennis, Letterkenny and few others are opening new positions in IT. I am closer now, in Galway, but still is a bit of a drive when looking for waves. Is not the same than living next to it, where you can make to surf much often. Old good days :)


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    #8
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    pablosan wrote: »
    Probably Ennis, Letterkenny and few others are opening new positions in IT. I am closer now, in Galway, but still is a bit of a drive when looking for waves. Is not the same than living next to it, where you can make to surf much often. Old good days :)

    yeah, im in the aviation game so shannon would be ideal..Dont think i'd move back though until i finish the masters im currently doing. Also i couldn't take a humdrum job just to surf in clare..there'd want to be a bit of balance.


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    #9
    Stealthfins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,141 ✭✭✭Stealthfins


    If you're a professional green keeper or involved in tourism you're onto something.
    Other than that it's hard enough to get a job close to where there's good surf


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    #10
    rodento
    Registered Users Posts: 1,728 ✭✭✭rodento


    Jesus I'm beginning to think I need to surf a lot more often....


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    #11
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    It would be great, if I had the perfect female companion and a good job to be able to live within a few miles of the sea anywhere in the West of Ireland.
    Of course it's possible, picking up bits and bobs of work, but I've been broke for so long, or earning crap money, I need to think about career options. I don't get to the sea half as much as I should be, but a dream would be able to live within a few miles of the sea, and be able to decide on a whim on a summers evening to head to the water. Sometimes, the last thing you want to do is get in the bloody car and drive for an hour or so.


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    #12
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    lufties wrote: »
    i live in london, but have been a keen 'surfer' for a few years since i lived on the gold coast in oz. Im hoping to get back to shannon once a month to catch some waves in lahinch. It made me wonder if people actually live their lives with surfing as a bigger priority over career/work.

    Could you not head to Cornwall or Wales or would it be handier to just jump in a plane to Shannon?


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    #13
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,968 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    I live half a mile for the sea but that's no good you need to be half a mile from the ocean! I know your pain all my family and wife's family are on the east coast. Getting out surfing is a struggle with two your kids. Still you can do other things, I've done two seasons of sailing in Dun Laoghaire on Thursday evenings, it's a poor substitute but at least you are on the water.


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    #14
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    spaceHopper wrote: »
    I live half a mile for the sea but that's no good you need to be half a mile from the ocean! I know your pain all my family and wife's family are on the east coast. Getting out surfing is a struggle with two your kids. Still you can do other things, I've done two seasons of sailing in Dun Laoghaire on Thursday evenings, it's a poor substitute but at least you are on the water.

    Yeah true, theres also that thing of decent work. ennis or at a stretch limerick would be reasonable locations to live. I live in london and the price of a weekend flight to cornwall is 150 pounds and up. Feck driving for 4 hours.


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    #15
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,968 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    lufties wrote: »
    Yeah true, theres also that thing of decent work. ennis or at a stretch limerick would be reasonable locations to live. I live in london and the price of a weekend flight to cornwall is 150 pounds and up. Feck driving for 4 hours.

    I lived in limerick for a year when I was 21 and didn't like it, still don't. I'd drive for 4 hours no problem, but for 150 pounds you could fly to Baritz and surf in warm water.


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    #16
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    spaceHopper wrote: »
    I lived in limerick for a year when I was 21 and didn't like it, still don't. I'd drive for 4 hours no problem, but for 150 pounds you could fly to Baritz and surf in warm water.

    good point, probably get better food too. i have a lot of good memories of limerick and its a nice town, lived there for 6 years..i reckon moving there would be a step backwards.


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    #17
    punk_one82
    Registered Users Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭punk_one82


    I can get out almost every day for the most part. 5 times a week is fairly standard. Live across the road from Bondi so have it easy walking to the surf :)


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    #18
    nick75
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭nick75


    but seriously , how consistent is the surf in county clare ? the media have it blown up. one good day every two weeks if lucky.flat and blown out conditions most of the time. west clare is lovely but you'd need family and friends and a half decent job.even sligo is not super consistent. 2 hours in the water surfing , then what for the next few flat days ? i live 45 minutes drive from tramore. i get in the water about 3 or 4 times a month , and hit up clare or sligo when i see a swell coming , but im self-employed and no kids so can drop everthing and stay a few nights in my van


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    #19
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    nick75 wrote: »
    but seriously , how consistent is the surf in county clare ? the media have it blown up. one good day every two weeks if lucky.flat and blown out conditions most of the time. west clare is lovely but you'd need family and friends and a half decent job.even sligo is not super consistent. 2 hours in the water surfing , then what for the next few flat days ? i live 45 minutes drive from tramore. i get in the water about 3 or 4 times a month , and hit up clare or sligo when i see a swell coming , but im self-employed and no kids so can drop everthing and stay a few nights in my van

    :confused:


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    #20
    nick75
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭nick75


    i think the media have blown it up. the surf media...." lahinch surf city " - ( a new facebook group )....videos and photos and articles all over the place. msw , surfline, carve , surf europe , surfers path....aileens, rileys , shane dorian and benjamin sanchis and billabong europe....crews coming over from uk,france,spain etc...nearly every second van this time of year has a jet ski on the back yet how often does aileens break ? ....and how many surfers are really able to surf it ?.....the left reefs at lahinch ( cornish,**** creek) only break properly about 10 days a year.
    just saying i dont think the lahinch area deserves all this (surf) media attention. and im sure the local surfers dont want all this media attention. its a great place and i love west clare , and when the conditions are good its the best in the world....sligo and south donegal have as good waves and are offshore more often but not in the spotlight as much as the lahinch area


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    #21
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,147 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Lahinch is popular because of easy access and proximity to the town, it's also got a really good wave. and it gets the media attention because the town relies on the tourist trade to survive and surfing is a big part of that.

    Because of our climate we don't have the benefits warmer countries get of the guaranteed off shore breeze every morning and evening but if you know your area and how to read the forecasts you'll likely get a clean wave somewhere 4 or 5 times a week during the winter if you have the time and it's not a full on storm outside.


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    #22
    nick75
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭nick75


    yeah just saying id be reluctant to move to limerick or ennis just to surf west clare. from a purely surfing point of view it lacks consistency. but yeah its a great area and its booming !! and the surf industry gives valuable employement and keeps many of the locals in the area rather than emigrating to the city or abroad. my ex was from there and ive spent alot of time in the area over the years....i often thought about moving to a surf town on the west coast... personally id move to sligo town , similar size to ennis but has a college and lots of facilities of a small city. strandhill 5 minutes away. easkey 30 minutes drive and that area is north facing so its offshore in a SW wind. bundoran 30 minutes north....but its been a piss poor september this year all over ireland , lets hope the waves get better in october :)


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    #23
    Stealthfins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,141 ✭✭✭Stealthfins


    Unfortunately it's been a bad year all around for surfing.

    When the conditions are not favorable for surfing,I have the advantage of getting out fishing.

    Caught loads of fish this year,there's some nice bass and Pollack around those reefs.

    I was in Doolin last night and crab island was working around 4foot on the face,nice for the bodyboard.

    There's some nice jems around if you'd consider bodyboarding especially around the Rocky area's within miles south and north of Spanish point.

    There's even a hidden beach that nearly always has a wave and it's not Douggie either.


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    #24
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Stealthfins wrote: »
    Unfortunately it's been a bad year all around for surfing.

    When the conditions are not favorable for surfing,I have the advantage of getting out fishing.

    Caught loads of fish this year,there's some nice bass and Pollack around those reefs.

    I was in Doolin last night and crab island was working around 4foot on the face,nice for the bodyboard.

    There's some nice jems around if you'd consider bodyboarding especially around the Rocky area's within miles south and north of Spanish point.

    There's even a hidden beach that nearly always has a wave and it's not Douggie either.

    Thanks for the info, might look into body boarding too..only another week and i'll be off to a surf camp in biarritz, can't wait :)


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    #25
    Confucius say
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭Confucius say


    It's been a very inconsistent year. The thing is lufties, you can't just fly home once a month to go surfing. Probably the sea will be flat or blown out and messy, which is more likely than offshore rollers. Lucky I have a job where I can take days off at short notice and Sligo is just over a 2 hour drive, which isn't too bad.


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    #26
    lufties
    Registered Users Posts: 3,507 ✭✭✭lufties


    Confucius say wrote: »
    It's been a very inconsistent year. The thing is lufties, you can't just fly home once a month to go surfing. Probably the sea will be flat or blown out and messy, which is more likely than offshore rollers. Lucky I have a job where I can take days off at short notice and Sligo is just over a 2 hour drive, which isn't too bad.

    Hey there, I've decided to forget the whole surfing thing..All the friggin paddling just takes the fun out of it to be honest. I'll do something a bit easier perhaps wind surfing or rock climbing.


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    #27
    Confucius say
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 418 ✭✭Confucius say


    lufties wrote: »
    Hey there, I've decided to forget the whole surfing thing..All the friggin paddling just takes the fun out of it to be honest. I'll do something a bit easier perhaps wind surfing or rock climbing.

    Kite surfing looks great too. I lived in London for years and always had intentions to get west to surf but never happened once :)


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    #28
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    Get yourself a good bodyboard, as in one that will be matched to your height and weight. At least you can still get in the water, and get some waves some other way, though you'll get flack off the surfers ;)
    Plus, the waves down in Spanish Point seem to dump right on the shore. You'll be grand with an auld sponge...


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    #29
    EmptyTree
    Registered Users Posts: 748 ✭✭✭EmptyTree


    seachto7 wrote: »
    Get yourself a good bodyboard, as in one that will be matched to your height and weight. At least you can still get in the water, and get some waves some other way, though you'll get flack off the surfers ;)...

    As a bodyboarder I'd don't think a bodyboard is the was to go, you generally need biggish waves to do it properly. If you're liking to surf in most conditions is recommend a long board or something similar with lots of volume that'll catch waves big or small.


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    #30
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    EmptyTree wrote: »
    As a bodyboarder I'd don't think a bodyboard is the was to go, you generally need biggish waves to do it properly. If you're liking to surf in most conditions is recommend a long board or something similar with lots of volume that'll catch waves big or small.

    Sorry, I forgot about the OP. If he wasn't getting down to the sea often enough to progress, a bodyboard might be a good way to get stuck into bigger waves.


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    #31
    Stealthfins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,141 ✭✭✭Stealthfins


    As a bodyboarder I've caught some great waves on small day's,there's sometimes an epic A frame on the turf bank for bodyboarding,Fanore throws up some daecent waves too for a beginner on a bodyboard.
    I've gotten shacked on some of the reefs on a 3ft day, there was a nice period between the waves.


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