As a beginner, your surfing journey in Ireland is a canvas waiting to be painted with new experiences and exhilarating memories. With the right mindset, proper guidance, and a dash of courage, you'll find yourself riding the waves and becoming part of Ireland's vibrant surfing culture. So, grab your board, put on that wetsuit, and get ready for an adventure like no other.
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When putting on your wetsuit, avoid standing over hard or rough surfaces like sharp rocks as they can damage the neoprene (and your feet for that matter). To avoid this place a towel or board bag over the rough surface. While putting on or taking off you wetsuit be careful with rings, fingernails and watches as they can easily damage the neoprene.
Inspect your wetsuit for rips and tears after each use. The rips and tears are much easier to fix when they are small, and will grow if they go unnoticed. Wetsuits can easily tear from things like fingernails and small rocks. Small tears (around 1-2 inches long) can be easily repaired at home. Tears bigger than a few inches may require professional repair services. If the stitches or seams are torn it may also be a good idea to take your suit to a professional for repairs.
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Fiberglass surfboards are also sometimes known as PU or polyurethane surfboards. Fiberglass surfboards have been around for over 50 years and are considered a more traditional surfboard. Fiberglass surfboards are made from a polyurethane inner, and then wrapped in fiberglass cloth, hence the name. Fiberglass surfboards can have better flex out in the waves than an epoxy surfboard, but are easier to damage.
Epoxy surfboards have a polystyrene foam core and are then coated with an epoxy resin. It is the epoxy resin which gives this type of surfboard its name. Epoxy surfboards kicked off in the 1990s, but really gained in popularity after the closure of the Clark Foam factory in 2005, which was a huge supplier of the polyurethane blanks for the fiberglass board.
Epoxy surfboards pros and cons when compared to a fiberglass surfboard include:
The difference between epoxy and fiberglass surfboards comes down to the various substances involved in making them. An epoxy surfboard is made using a polystyrene core and is then coated with an epoxy resin. Fiberglass surfboards are considered to be traditional surfboards and have a polyurethane core and are then covered with the fiberglass cloth. Epoxy surfboards are newer in technology, weigh less, float better, and are stronger than a fiberglass board. Epoxy surfboards feel different to a fiberglass surfboard out in the water, and eventually it will come down to personal choice as to which suits the individual best.
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Here are some tried and tested excuses that should do the trick*. Remember that once you’ve dropped any of these you need to remember that you have and stick to the alibi. The key is to get day off without losing a day’s pay. With all excuse making to go surfing make sure you max the suncream on face/hands as you don’t want the farmer tan giving the game away.
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But 2014 could be the year the 34-year-old enters the record books, as he waits for official confirmation that a 80ft monster wave he surfed off the coast of Portugal this October is the biggest conquered to date.
As the St Jude storm rolled across the Atlantic in October, the force of nature whipped up mammoth swells out at sea. And rather than batten down the hatches, pro surfers from across the world congregated on the beaches of Portugal's Praia do Norte. Among them and eager to get on his board was part-time pro surfer, plumber and lifeguard, father-of-two Mr Cotton.
Facing such gigantic waves requires surfers to enlist a little extra help to line themselves up to ride the huge expanse of water. And so Mr Cotton was towed by jet ski to catch the wave, he and others hope could be set to break the world record.
Mr Cotton said: 'People have been saying the wave I caught in October in Portugal is around 80ft.' The current world record for the world's largest wave ever surfed stands at 78ft. And it is a record Mr Cotton is not unfamiliar with. The surfer currently in possession of the title record breaker is Cotton's close friend and surfing partner in crime, Mr McNamara. When the Hawaii-born pro surfer gained his title it was Mr Cotton who towed him in to catch his record-breaking wave. And the favour was returned when Mr McNamara jumped on the jet ski in October, lining Cotton up to take on the wave, which is tipped to steal the record from under his board. Officials are currently in the process of verifying the height of the wave Mr Cotton rode, but the 34-year-old will have to wait until May next year for confirmation.
But he says while a world record to his name would be nice, it is not what motivates him to get on his board and travel across the world, often at short notice, chasing gigantic waves. 'I love to push myself,' he told MailOnline in an exclusive interview. 'I love being in the water and my dream is to become a full-time professional big wave surfer. 'By pushing myself to catch and ride bigger and bigger waves I will hopefully achieve that dream. A world record can't hurt though, it's the kind of thing that can really open doors.' 'It is cool to think I could have a world record, but it is just as cool to say I helped Garrett get his. It would be awesome to think he helped me get mine too,' he added. 'The ideal would be for me to get the record and the pair of us to keep beating each other by going bigger and bigger, pushing ourselves further.'
Describing how it feels to ride a near 80ft wave, the father-of-two, said: 'This is something I have always wanted to do. It is what I have been pushing myself towards. 'It is scary, but at the same time it feels like the most natural thing for me to do. 'You do get an adrenalin rush, but it depends on the type of the wave as to when the rush hits home. Sometimes it will be while you are riding the wave but other times it is when you are safe and back on dry land.'
Reaching speeds of up to 40mph, Mr Cotton said every bump in the water feels 'hugely magnified'. 'It feels like you are going really fast, but I felt at times like I was watching the ride in slow motion, feeling every bump in the wave. 'At such fast speeds you really have to think about everything that you are doing, every movement. 'Just staying on the board is half the battle, it can be really hard. 'While the waves look really clean from the shore, when you are up there and riding it, any bump at 40mph feels hugely magnified.'
Mr Cotton hails from the village of Croyde near Braunton in north Devon. And it is on the shores of the Devonshire coast that he rode his first wave at the age of seven, encouraged by his parents former classroom assistant Christine and retired policeman Bob.
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Hundreds of surfers from across Europe took to the waters off Donegal and Sligo yesterday to enjoy huge swells caused by the latest storm to hit the country.
But Ireland's oldest big wave surfer came a cropper -- when his surf board snapped in two and he suffered a cut forehead and nose.
Henry Moore is chairman of the Irish Surfing Association, and at 50 still likes to ride the big ones.
The Sligo man was bloodied but unbowed after his mishap off Mullaghmore. "I had a few rumbles all right," said Henry.
"These sort of conditions put Ireland on the big wave surfing map and that's why so many people have flown in from France, the USA, Germany, Spain and Portugal."
He said modern wetsuits were making Ireland a destination for surfers all year round.
"Fifteen years ago, you wouldn't have done this in January but with the technology of the modern wetsuits it makes surfing possible all year round because the suits keep the cold out."
The waves were smaller than expected, but were still hitting a massive 40ft in places.
"But it's not really about the size of the wave, it's about the power," said Henry.
Renowned Irish surfer Neil Britton, from the Fin McCool Surf School in Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal, said visitor numbers were up because of the sea swell.
Irish Independent
]]>Conor Maguire : Mullaghmore : The Winter Session from The Winter Session on Vimeo.
]]>Pipeline Winter 2013 from Eric Sterman on Vimeo.
]]>The Arnette Punta Galea Challenge has been given a “Green Light” to run Europe’s only stop on the Xpreshon Big Wave World Tour this Sunday, December 22nd.
Just in time for the Holiday Season, the North Atlantic is firing on all cylinders and producing large swells headed straight for Europe. A deep water swell of 18-20'+ inside the bay of Biscay with a long 16-19 second swell period will offer up waves in the 30+ foot face range with light winds and clean, ocean surface conditions.
This one-day, big wave event will take place in the town of Getxo, located 15 kilometers from Bilboa, Basque Country, Spain. After last year’s success, the Arnette Punta Galea Challenge has been elevated from a qualifying event to a Main Event.
European big wave riders such as last year’s winner, 17 year old, Natxo Gonzalez, Indar Unanue, Jaime Fernandez, Axier Muniain, and others will be pitted against International standouts such as Peter Mel, Greg Long, Grant “Twiggy” Baker and Carlos Burle for $50,000 USD in prize money and valuable points towards the Big Wave World Tour Title race.
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Figure out what fin goes where! EVERY side fin will have a slight angle pointed out when installed on the board. The writing/logo on the base of the fin also always faces out. Tri Fins - the center fin will be the only fin rounded on each edge and it is the same size as the side fins.
If you have any questions about your surfboard fins, give us a call and we can personally assist you over the phone!
]]>Wetsuits are so cool. We get to put on a superhero costume every time we paddle out at coldwater spots. Yes, surfing in boardshorts is undeniably better, but breaking in a new pair of boardies is nowhere near as satisfying as pulling on some soft, fresh rubber. At $400 a pop or more, good wetsuits are annoyingly expensive but worth every cent. Keep that new suit new for as long as possible by sacrificing a few minutes of your post-surf burrito time for some crucial wetsuit care. Proper, meticulous, obsessively over-the-top maintenance will not only prolong the useful life of your suit, it keeps it looking and feeling fresh a whole lot longer. Here’s a must-do list:
1) A thorough freshwater rinse. If you do nothing else, rinse your suit inside and out each and every time you use it, even if you’re planning a second session. Salt will destroy your suit faster than everything but direct sunlight. Save time by dousing yourself with a big jug of warm water after you get out of the water, but before you take your suit off, then when you get home rinse out the inside. Take the time to do this, every single time. Seriously.
2) Hang up your wetsuit properly. Not in the sun. Not draped over your car’s side mirror. Not slung over your balcony. And definitely not by the neck or shoulders; this will quickly stretch everything out. Take a plastic hanger, slide the top or bottom of the suit through, and hang it doubled-up, inside-out in the shower or the garage. Or somewhere in the shade if you absolutely must hang it outside.
3) Turn the suit inside out each day until it’s dry. So you’ve rinsed your suit out and hung it up inside-out like a responsible adult. Great. But if you don’t surf for a couple days, only the side of your suit facing outward will dry, leaving the other half marinating in a rubber-destroying moisture farm. Once the outward part of your suit is dry, flip it inside out again to dry the other side. This is a commonly overlooked routine that will greatly lengthen the life of your suit.
4) Use some wetsuit shampoo occasionally. No matter how thoroughly you rinse your suit, you’re going to miss some spots, letting salt collect in crevices where it will happily erode the warm, flexible, but infuriatingly fragile space-age neoprene that we spend all that money on. Fill up your wetsuit changing bucket with cool water and a few capfuls of whatever wetsuit cleaner you like, get it nice and sudsy, drop in your suit, then get your hands in there and knead the cleaner into the neoprene. Pay attention to the zipper too, you’ll want to keep that nice and clean and free of corrosion.
5) Banish the stink. Coffee before dawn patrol is mandatory. So is the automatic peeing that comes from downing all that caffeine. And coffee pee isn’t helping your suit smell any better at all. You can buy products like Mirazyme, specially made to flatten odors from bacteria and mildew in wetsuits, and add that to your wetusit shampoo regimen. Or you can use a little bit of Listerene instead. Works great.
6) Slow down when taking your suit off. Diagonal chest-zip suits are a godsend when it comes to sealing out water and improving comfort. But they are hell to take off. Trying to quicken the process by grabbing at any piece of rubber you can and ripping it from your body like an animal isn’t doing the neoprene any favors. Try not to use your thumbs when you’re pulling the top of the suit off. Don’t stand on one leg of your suit while trying to yank your foot out of the other. Especially not while grinding the suit into oily asphalt. Take it slow, apply pressure across a broad area when slinking out of the suit, and keep those seams happy.
Kohl Christensen didn’t always embrace safety gear, but now he won’t enter a big-wave lineup without it. Photo: Russo
For 48 hours in Oahu, big-wave surfers will rack their boards and enter the classroom for a study in safety—a summit to assess the risks of big-wave surfing today. The class will cover rescue techniques, breath training, emergency reaction situations, CPR, and other scenarios they might be face. Kohl Christensen, Danilo Couto, and Liam and Jodi Wilmott are spearheading the campaign, encouraging big-wave surfers from around the world to take notes, so that when shit hits the fan, they’ll know how to react.
Christensen and company hail from a long line of hellmen who surfed big waves before the era of paddle vests, inflation bladders, and safety teams. But the advent and increased availability of this technology, coupled with the tragic loss of close friends, was enough incentive for them to change their approach to big-wave safety. “I didn’t wear a paddle vest in big waves for 10 or 15 years,” said Christensen. “But there wasn’t that consciousness that we have now where everyone is wearing them. Garrett [McNamara] was the only guy wearing them. We all thought he looked kind of funny, but he’s still around for a reason. It probably wasn’t cool back then, but today, fuck it. You don’t see a single skater riding a half pipe without a helmet. It should be the same thing with big-wave surfing. It’s a dangerous sport.” READ: In Harm’s Way Big-wave surfers clearly aren’t risk averse, admitted Christensen, but he’s adamant that’s no reason to make riding big waves even more dangerous by ignoring the available advancements in safety.
The summit is in its third iteration now, adapting each year while sticking to themes of awareness and responsibility in the water. “We talk through scenarios and make sure everybody is on the same page when it comes to handling dangerous situations,” said Christensen. “Some guys know CPR, that’s pretty basic, but a lot of people don’t have much water safety knowledge beyond that. I’m no lifeguard—I’m just a surfer who’s seen a lot happen in big waves—but I’ve learned enough to possibly save someone in a bad situation.” These last twelve months have been rough for big-wave surfing. The cost of the sport’s progression has never been so clear, with the near-drownings of Greg Long and Maya Gabiera, and the recent death of Kirk Passmore. In the rescues, Christensen said he saw the lessons from these classes applied. In the loss of Passmore, he saw some of the fundamental flaws of the sport revealed. He saw surfers pushing themselves beyond their means of safety. “You want to be responsible,” said Christensen. “You want to have good equipment and wear your safety vest, not just for yourself, but for those out there that might be trying to help you. For your friends. There’s no reason not to. Big-wave surfing is an extreme sport.
A lot of people have died. A lot of people have had friends die or come close to dying. How do we prevent it? We can’t totally, but we can do our part to manage the risks.” WATCH: Deep Water For Christensen, the loss of close friend Sion Milosky in 2011 was the catalyst to start the class, and its evolution has continued with every swell event since. He’s adamant that there’s no reason the safety of big-wave surfing should progress any slower than the sport itself. “Hopefully it will bring awareness and make the whole big-wave season safer for everyone. We’re going to push it out there in the water. Guys are hungry, and that’s fine—that’s the way of our sport. But let’s just be safe and have fun doing it. Let’s enter the lineup knowing what to do if your buddy goes down, because whether it’s 2-foot or 20-foot, any wipeout could be their last.”
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First thing you need to ask yourself when buying a wetsuit is – "When and where am I going to surf?" The location and the season more or less determine the water temperature and that is the first thing to consider when buying a wetsuit. Do I look for a shorty, full suit, thick steamer maybe with booties, integrated hood and gloves? If you tend to travel to different places for surf we generally find a long wetsuit to be more versatile and useful than a shorty.
Wetsuits are made from neoprene. Neoprene is an elastic synthetic rubber material with good insulation properties. Considering which body parts the neoprene covers we divide wetsuits:
Shorty |
Full Suit |
Spring Suit |
The basic thing that a wetsuit does to keep us warm is this – wetsuit catches a thin layer of water between our skin and the neoprene. Body heat warms this layer of water and we are all warm and comfortable in the freezing surroundings. The better the fit of the wetsuit, the warmer we are. Because every time we fall, wipe out, duck dive, get our arses kicked by the white water etc. cold water wants to enter the wetsuit and flush the warm water out. That is how we get cold. Cold water can penetrate the wetsuit:
Wetsuit thickness or better the thickness of the neoprene is the insulation between us and the forces of nature that provide us with fun environment for our sport. Wetsuit thickness is usually given with two numbers like 3/2, 4/3, 5/3, or three numbers like 5/4/3. The numbers mean that the thickness of the neoprene is 3 millimetres (or 4 or 5) on the body (and legs with winter suits) and 2 millimetres on arms (and legs with spring suits). The goal of this variable thickness of the wetsuit is better and easier movement of our limbs that move a lot between our surfing, windsurfing, rafting, swimming, kayaking, kite surfing etc. This is also the reason that some cheaper wetsuits have only one thickness.
A 3/2 wetsuit is generally suited for summer and autumn surfing, windsurfing, swimming, kite surfing etc, while 4/3 wetsuits and 5/3 wetsuits keep us warm when surfing in winter and spring.
Cold water wants to get into your wetsuit. That is why the most important thing to look for when buying a wetsuit is the right size. The better the wetsuit fits us, the less flushing through holes for our head, hands and feet we get and the less place we leave for the cold water. Even the best, warmest, high-tech, feature packed and solar panel integrated heating system with ipod wetsuit won't help if its too big. Lucky for us, the modern neoprene is stretchy and elastic so it fits and hugs our body better than old wetsuits. Also note, when trying a wetsuit wet neoprene is looser and feels a bit bigger than dry neoprene. So if a dry neoprene feels a little tight it is very likely that a wet one won't. The wetsuit should really hug our skin everywhere – snug fit. But don't go to far - without making us crouch because it's so tight we can't stand up straight.
Now we are moving on to the next factor with cold water flushing our wetsuit – the stitches. The deal on stitches is simple – to stitch neoprene together you need a thread and a needle. Needle makes holes in neoprene. Water and wind use holes to get inside the wetsuit. Less holes through the neoprene – warmer wetsuit.
Over lock stitch is the thing of the past or maybe it is still the thing of the cheap, thin tourist wetsuits. You can recognise it by the big stitches on the inside of the wetsuit that stick out of the neoprene and can therefore also be uncomfortable. Over lock stitch is very strong, but leaves a lot of needle holes for water and wind to flush the wetsuit. Conclusion: cheap wetsuit, durable, strong, for summer wetsuits, for beginners (not very flexible). Surfworld only stocks the best wetsuits so we don't have any of these kind for sale.
Flat lock stitch is strong, but the thread is exposed on the outside of the wetsuit. It leaves small holes along the seam which reduces the warmth of the suit. Strong and durable, for summer surfing and also good performance for demanding surfers (flexibility).
Blind stitch is the stitch for the warm wetsuits. It has more versions that have different effect on warmth, durability, flexibility and price of the wetsuit. Wetsuits that are made using blind stitches which are "waterproof" are called a steamer.
All wetsuits that have blind stitch are made in a similar way. First the neoprene is glued together. Then a curved needle brings the thread through the neoprene in such way, that it exits on the same side that it went in, without punching through the neoprene. The result is watertight stitch with no holes through the neoprene.
Is the same as above with the addition of taping the stress points of the wetsuit. Stress points are places where three or more stitches come together. This stitch is common with super stretchy high performance wetsuits, where durability is not in the first place.
Double blind stitch is first sawn the same way as the above basic blind stitch. Then the neoprene is turned around and is sewn again from the other side. This is a good compromise used with cheaper winter wetsuits.
All the inner parts of stitches are completely covered and glued at high temperature and with special tape. That means no opening of the stitches and no water. This type of stitch is very time consuming to make and therefore expensive.
Instead of taping the stitches of the wetsuit with special tape at high temperature they are taped with glue and neoprene tape. This eliminates the lower flexibility of the taped stitches.
Also called S or Super Seal or something else, depends on which company uses it. Liquid taping is a pretty new wetsuit invention. Special rubber is used when sewing the neoprene to seal the inner or/and outer side of the stitches. That makes them stronger and additionally closes any holes. 100% waterproof stitches and still very flexible!
Zipper helps us get into and out of our wetsuit. The longer the zipper the easier that process is. But the longer the zipper the more flushing you can get through it. So some winter wetsuits have special, short zippers i.e front entry suits. Also the size and shape of the teeth on the zipper has some influence on the flushing. Note also that metal zippers are more durable than plastic ones. We are talking about the part that slides up and down, the teeth of the zipper are always plastic. There is also a small Velcro safety belt that stops the zipper from opening.
With some wetsuits an additional piece of neoprene is put under the zipper. This neoprene membrane is thin and stretchy so it doesn't bother you too much when putting on a wetsuit. But it stops the water that comes through the zipper and keeps it away from our body.
How to get into a wetsuit that has no zipper? Again almost every wetsuit company has its own zipperless system that more or less successfully lets you into the suit. The benefits of this system are of course no flushing through the zipper and better fit and flexibility. Without the zipper the neoprene on our back, chest and shoulders flows freely and is therefore more elastic. The downside is trickier changing into the wetsuit and bigger abuse of neoprene in the place where you try to squeeze yourself info the wetsuit through some ridiculously small hole.
There are some basic and more advanced features of the wetsuits that you also often come across and it is nice to know what each of them does for your wettie.
Neoprene is surrounded on both sides by a layer of nylon. Nylon on the outer side of neoprene helps to protect the neoprene from sharp objects and other damage and makes neoprene more durable. Nylon on the inner side of the neoprene prevents neoprene from sticking to your skin.
Same as above, just that nylon in only on one side of neoprene. Single lined neoprene looks smoother than double lined neoprene.
Those are all different types of single lined neoprene. This type of neoprene is sometimes intentionally used in places where you want the neoprene to stick to the skin. Places like the neck and holes for hands and feet, to prevent or let's say reduce flushing. Besides that, single lined neoprene is often also used on the body of the wetsuit, especially upper part of the wetsuit. Single lined neoprene (without the nylon on the outer side) makes a wetsuit warmer in wind, as the layer of nylon holds some water and makes you colder while water quickly runs off the mesh neoprene. Neoprene is by itself also a very stretchy material. More than nylon, so single lined neoprene makes a wetsuit more elastic. But of course there is a downside that we already mentioned, single lined neoprene is less sustainable to damage and is therefore wise to use it only on parts of the wetsuit that are not very likely to hit a rock or something (no single lined neoprene on the knees for example).
A layer of titanium is placed between the neoprene and the nylon. Titanium helps reflect the body heat back into the body and preventing it to leave the wetsuit. That makes a wetsuit warmer. One of the tests mentioned somewhere says the wetsuit is supposed to be 24% warmer.
Second generation titanium is supposed to be twice as effective as normal titanium.
Most of the wetsuit companies are developing and using some kind of new neoprene that is much more elastic that "old" ordinary neoprene. But a difference between an ordinary neoprene wetsuit and stretchy neoprene wetsuit is more than evident. Wetsuits made from stretchy neoprene are much more flexible. Flexible wetsuits have some advantages – you loose less energy when moving as you have less resistance in neoprene and they fit better, which makes them warmer and more comfortable.
Is a fabric made of special hollow fibres and covers the neoprene on the inside of the wetsuit. Fibres are made of polyester and contain large amounts of trapped air, which is one of the best isolation materials.
If you are a beginner there is a big possibility that you will spend some time on your knees and even if you are not, some added protection for the knees and for the neoprene on the knees is very welcome. Some wetsuits only have anti-skid print on the knees, some have another patch of neoprene sewn onto the knees, some have knees reinforced with Kevlar.
Compliments of 360guide.
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With so many boards on the market, it's hard to decipher what is right for you. At Surfworld we have a great selection of beginner boards where durability, stability and buoyancy is key. Our intermediate range offers boards to help you improve your performance without compromising on stability and speed. We also have advanced and pro level boards to take your surfing to the highest level.
Our staff are highly trained with lots of experience both in and out of the water. We spend time finding out your current surf ability, your surfing needs and where you want your surfing to go in the future. This information then helps us to help you pick the most suitable surfboard for you.
Come into Surfworld Bundoran and be sure to get the correct advice first time around!
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