Paddy took me surfing with his kayak club (Lir) this weekend to beautiful Bundoran, We were in Mayo, then Sligo, then Mayo and back so many times I lost track. It was gorgeous though and a welcome break from Dublin life.
Everyone on the trip (bar a few tagalong girlfriends) was an experienced paddler and well used to being wet. I, on the otherhand, have just started to learn, and the only time I've ever surfed was in the hot Aussie sea hundreds of years ago.
(it's so obvious I'm an awesome surfer from my radical hang ten hand signs)
Needless to say I was filled with butterflies but dying for a go.
But first we had to get there. Insert road trip - always fun (even if you forget to bring your ipod). It's a long ole drive across the country, and the horrible M50 did our heads in, but it would've taken a serious lot more to dampen our spirits. Even me driving, (mostly slowly, mostly in the right lane, with only one short panic attack and an interesting take on the whole 'roundabout' scenario), added to the fun...
One dodgy Indian later, we were there.
We were too late to surf the first night, so the pub was our next stop, and pints and chats were aplenty. Then came the shots, the rat-fur hats and general messiness, so it was time to go to bed...
Paddy, the newly elected Chairman of Lir, was kind enough to rouse us all from our Jagermeister-fueled dreamscapes with pots and pans and 'loud voice' . Finally it was surf time!! We set off in a convoy of roof racks and boats in search of waves or running rivers and drove for ages before the group decided on EASKY in Sligo, a reef break that turned out to be much meaner than she looked. The waves were big and strong and broke hard on the sharp rocky reef. DANGER BAY.(literally!!)
We braved it anyway and the sea bashed us around quite unmercifully. There were some great surfers out and they were a treat to watch but there was NO WAY I was getting anywhere other than hurt in those waves. Enter smashface. I went for it, in a moment of blind panic/bravery/madness and found myself hurtling toward the shore, on a wave, holding on for dear life, looking down at a surfboard COVERED in blood. Brilliant. I'm SO BRAVE!!!
I broke my nose and gave my poor little chin a spectacular bashing. The safety officer called us in and we were off. Exit Easky with bruises for souvenirs, Class.
Next we set off for Tullen Strand,in Donegal bay, a much prettier and friendlier place with steady waves and sandy beach. The shore stretched for miles and was sheltered by a jagged cliff, blackened and weathered by the onslaught of the sea. A magical place really. We surfed into the night, with varying degrees of success, and found ourselves bathed in the most arresting light, difficult to describe and impossible to recreate it was muted and radiant all at once. It was truly magnificent and I haven't felt so red-blooded in years. We were cold, sore from the exhertion but happier than ever. Paddy's a great surfer, I managed a few times up to an almost stand, but mostly some happy backflips and splashes. A great day to say the least.
(wet suits are wonderful!! did you know they keep you warm? even in the Atlantic in the north of Ireland!!)
Dinner, expertly prepared by Claire, with a 'no peppers' option, was spaghetti bolognaise. Normally my LEAST favorite food due to my intense noodle aversion and distaste for such troublesome foodstuffs, I was pleasently surprised to find this meal not only edible, but quite tasty. I'm by no means 'won over' to the wonders of all things pasta, but I'm pleased at the sheer bravery myself and Paddy showed in the endurance of this meal. (he's another noodle skeptic). Man I was hungry. Being cold is hard work. At the pub later that evening things were quite subdued. We were all bolloxed. It was a long full day. Sleepy time.
The next day was full of hangovers (not everyone was as forward thinking when deciding what time to go to bed...) The kayakers ran the Duff river, a short rocky river, quite dry this weekend, with a fun waterfall at the end. (note the sword, essential paddling weaponry...)
Then we spent the rest of the afternoon surfing some gentler waves back in Tullen Strand. It was still great fun but much harder to do anything with. By the end of it my fingers were frozen and red, my face looked like I'd been lying on a sunny beach in Cuba all day and my grin was grinning. I love surfing. I love hi-fives. I love Paddy for being the best teacher ever and for bringing me out with his friends. I love water. I even love my smashface.
xx
