Surfing is something I have always watched in complete awe, wishing I could ride the waves the way our friends in the Southern hemisphere/Stateside can before they can even walk. I always knew that once I tried it, I'd be completely addicted. While all my friends were heading off to Australia for their 'studenty-year out', I went to Mexico to teach English instead and I'm convinced that the reason I didn't join my mates was the fear I'd fall in love with the surf lifestyle over there and never come home!!
So, 8 years on (in or around!!) I decided to go on a surf holiday to Portugal with 3 of my girlfriends. We stayed in Rapture Camps in Ericeira back in July and we haven't stopped talking about it since!! That hunch I always had was pretty accurate, I fell in love with surfing, the way of life, being in the sea for hours on end, everything about it.
The guys who run Rapture are so cool and chilled out, they've had Irish there before but I don't know if they were quite ready for us!! They did mention on their daily blog how they'd "never seen anyone fit so much into one week" and I don't think they meant it in the productive way!!
Rapture Camps is INCREDIBLE value for money:- a week's accommodation, brekkie every day & 6 dinners (which are AMAZING!!) and 2 hours surf lessons per day cost only €245 - sure you'd spend that on a weekend in Dublin!! I am heading back there next Thursday for another week before the winter kicks in:) Check out their website: http://www.rapturecamps.com/
Last weekend I went up to the TurfnSurf school & lodge in Bundoran, Donegal with 7 of my radio colleagues!! I was on air until 6am, then jumped in the car and was eating breakfast in the TurfnSurf Lodge, Bundoran before the others (who got there the night before!) were even up!! Killian met me and made me feel at home straight away. The gang came in for breakfast in dribs and drabs and then we hit the surf. I was pleasantly surprised that the water in Ireland was warmer than in Portugal (maybe that was the thicker wetsuit, I'm not too sure, the water is pretty cold in Portugal though!!).
We surfed on Saturday, partied on Saturday night 'til the wee hours. Only 3 of us made is surfing on the Sunday!! Then my colleagues left for Dublin but luckily, I was staying another night to get one more surf in on the Monday. We got an amazing group rate that included our B&B accommodation, 2hrs surf lessons per day & surfboard/wetsuit rental. Check out their deals on http://www.turfnsurf.ie/ A big Thank you to all of you up there for making it a FAB weekend!
I'd never been to Bundoran but was instantly reminded of why Ireland is known as 'The land of the 1000 Welcomes'!! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, from the staff in the Turf n Surf Lodge to the instructors, the locals, everyone. I tells ya, us Dubs could take an example from our compadres!! I reckon Bundoran may be my new weekend haunt for the winter, once I'm back from le Portugal that is :)
My goal is to be a really good surfer, not just one that the instructor says "Oh yeah, you're doing really great" because you stand up on the board, I'm talking 'turning' (I told my instructor in Portugal that I wanted to learn how to steer to which he replied "Well, you can start by using the correct term and saying 'turn' instead of 'steer"!!!), riding 'barrels', etc!!
I love the surf-style (comfy/slouchy clothes), I'm a water baby and especially love being in the sea and I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so in conclusion, I don't think I'm 'surf mad/obsessed, I actually think I was born to do it!!
So, 8 years on (in or around!!) I decided to go on a surf holiday to Portugal with 3 of my girlfriends. We stayed in Rapture Camps in Ericeira back in July and we haven't stopped talking about it since!! That hunch I always had was pretty accurate, I fell in love with surfing, the way of life, being in the sea for hours on end, everything about it.
The guys who run Rapture are so cool and chilled out, they've had Irish there before but I don't know if they were quite ready for us!! They did mention on their daily blog how they'd "never seen anyone fit so much into one week" and I don't think they meant it in the productive way!!
Rapture Camps is INCREDIBLE value for money:- a week's accommodation, brekkie every day & 6 dinners (which are AMAZING!!) and 2 hours surf lessons per day cost only €245 - sure you'd spend that on a weekend in Dublin!! I am heading back there next Thursday for another week before the winter kicks in:) Check out their website: http://www.rapturecamps.com/
Last weekend I went up to the TurfnSurf school & lodge in Bundoran, Donegal with 7 of my radio colleagues!! I was on air until 6am, then jumped in the car and was eating breakfast in the TurfnSurf Lodge, Bundoran before the others (who got there the night before!) were even up!! Killian met me and made me feel at home straight away. The gang came in for breakfast in dribs and drabs and then we hit the surf. I was pleasantly surprised that the water in Ireland was warmer than in Portugal (maybe that was the thicker wetsuit, I'm not too sure, the water is pretty cold in Portugal though!!).
We surfed on Saturday, partied on Saturday night 'til the wee hours. Only 3 of us made is surfing on the Sunday!! Then my colleagues left for Dublin but luckily, I was staying another night to get one more surf in on the Monday. We got an amazing group rate that included our B&B accommodation, 2hrs surf lessons per day & surfboard/wetsuit rental. Check out their deals on http://www.turfnsurf.ie/ A big Thank you to all of you up there for making it a FAB weekend!
I'd never been to Bundoran but was instantly reminded of why Ireland is known as 'The land of the 1000 Welcomes'!! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, from the staff in the Turf n Surf Lodge to the instructors, the locals, everyone. I tells ya, us Dubs could take an example from our compadres!! I reckon Bundoran may be my new weekend haunt for the winter, once I'm back from le Portugal that is :)
My goal is to be a really good surfer, not just one that the instructor says "Oh yeah, you're doing really great" because you stand up on the board, I'm talking 'turning' (I told my instructor in Portugal that I wanted to learn how to steer to which he replied "Well, you can start by using the correct term and saying 'turn' instead of 'steer"!!!), riding 'barrels', etc!!
I love the surf-style (comfy/slouchy clothes), I'm a water baby and especially love being in the sea and I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so in conclusion, I don't think I'm 'surf mad/obsessed, I actually think I was born to do it!!
