Schools & Shops

Aghada

Busiest place near Cork city for NW wind. East Ferry for W to S wind. Friendly locals.

Annascaul Rivermouth

Best in south west swell with offshore north to east winds - incoming mid tide.

Ballycotton

East Cork coastal location.

Ballyholme

Ballyholme Yacht Club is an RYA Training Centre offering Start and Intermediate Windsurfing courses. The club also hosts IWA events annually.

Bantry Bay

Works very well in a SW/W/NW, Bantry provides some of the most enjoyable windsurfing in the whole of Ireland.

Belmullet

Wild Atlantic Way location on the Mayo coast. Plenty of beaches facing all directions. Works in nearly every wind ddirection somewhere on this headland. Beware wind and waves can be much stronger than forecast.

Bertra Strand

At the foot of Croagh Patrick, 11km from Westport. Safe, shallow, flat-water area ideally suited to windsurfing.

Blast Watersports

20 Years experience Teaching Windsurfing and Other Water Sports, and Foiling from the Start

Blessington

Southerly gets accelerated by the mountains. You get some chop when windy which is surprisingly big for the fetch - a permit is required to sail this reservoir.

Brandon Bay

Good for all conditions surfing or windsurfing, reef and beach breaks - Castlegregory.

Broadmeadows Estuary (N)

AKA Northside Malahide - follow road sign for Kilcrea - water rarely gets deeper than 2m - park on grass but mind the gaps!

Broadmeadows Estuary (S)

AKA Southside Malahide - water rarely gets deeper than 2m - park and rig on grass.

Bunbeg Beach

Drive past the empty hotel and park on dunes

Burrow Beach

One of the best speed courses in a NE wind and the right tide. Can just fit a full 500m run.

Cahore

Nice spot with long beaches.

Carrickfinn Beach - Donegal Airport

Carrownisky / Louisburgh

Fun wave spot with varying size waves. Can be small waves at high tide and increase hugely in size at low tide. Beware of wind acceleration effect at the beach too. Works well in S or SW winds. Can't hold big swell.

Clonea

Open beach with potential for good waves. The Clonea Strand Hotel overlooks the beach.

Cobh

Windsurfing from a bay just outside town. Beware of strong current in the direction of the tide (up to 5 knots) and commercial shipping. Home of the Round Cobh Island race for which you will need a longboard and the right tide to get under Belvelly Bridge.

Cooley Point / Giles Quay

Coolmaine

South-facing beach near Cork. SW is side onshore and this bay can get nice swells. Waves are well spaced and roll in over the flat bottom.

Courtmacsherry Bay

Includes 3 main spots: Harbour View Beach, Coolmaine and Harbour View Slipway. Works in most directions but south and southwest are best. Delivers a very good Speedstrip in a NW when low tide. Best launch from gecko adventures , very shallow near the sandbank almost no waves.

Cullenstown

Cunnamore Pier

Cunnamore can deliver some awesome Conditions for Flatwaterblasting. Best in a W/SW/S. Entry can be tricky, CAUTION: some hidden riffs , take a look at google maps satellite before.

Dollymount

Shallow sloping sandy beach - long walk at low tide - gets lovely little waves after an easterly gale.

Dooey

Downings

Trá Beg - great blasting - best wind directions are South to West - car access to beach.

Dún Laoghaire Harbour

Dungarvan

Situated in a sheltered inlet, very good for slalom sailing in nearly all wind directions when the wind is strong with flat water.

Dunmore East

Nice for long board sailing up the coast. Large swell can run up the river mouth creating interesting slalom sailing.

Easky

Wild and dangerous reef break - 2m barrier to free camping pitch with toilets and castle. Left and right peeling wave. Definitely not for beginners.

East Ferry

Just outside Midleton, works WSW cross onshore or ESE cross off for flat water blasting.

Fahamore

Kerry peninsula location, venue for Irish Slalom events.

Fanore

A frame wave that needs specific conditions to work perfectly. Best with SE winds to get down the line riding.

Fermoyle

Gartan Outdoor Education & Adventure Centre

Gartan Outdoor Education and Training Centre has been providing courses and training in adventure activities since 1988 to children as young as five and adults as old as… we won’t say. Whatever your outdoor adventure interest may be, Gartan has the answer. Providing courses to schools, adventure holidays for families, training courses for individuals or something different for a group of friends, Gartan caters for everyone. Set in the heart of the ‘coolest place on the planet’ on the shores of Lough Gartan in County Donegal and a stone’s throw from Glenveagh National Park, we are 15 minutes from the vibrant town of Letterkenny and a short drive to the stunningly beautiful Donegal coastline and the Wild Atlantic Way. Along with boasting the idyllic location for providing adventure sports activities we offer both hostel and ensuite accommodation along with home cooked meals after a long day on the water or in the hills

Garylucas

Beach faces south west and catches bigger swells - best in a south easterly or north westerly when the tide is coming in.

Gecko Adventures

Gecko Adventures is an outdoor activity, adventure and training centre based in the beautiful Courtmacsherry. Running kids camps, classes, courses, tours & rentals in kayaking, windsurfing, paddleboarding, sailing, kitesurfing, powerboating and much more!

Glin

Goulane

Inch

Inch Reef

Good surfing - park on the road and climb down the cliffs - works best at high tide.

Inchydoney

Popular beach near Clonakilty, West Cork.

Jamie Knox Watersports

Surf Shop,Surf Lessons & rentals, Windsurfing Lessons & rentals & SUP rental

Keel

This is Achill - if Keel isn't right then the perfect beach is only 10 mins drive away or there's the lake for flat water.

Lahinch

Popular surf beach on the Clare coast. Can work in N or S winds but only at low to mid tide. At high tide the wave breaks onto the rocks.

Liscannor

2m barrier on lane down to the graveyard or park on road and cross fields.

Low Rock

Shallow water gives good waves here and easy enough sailing in SE winds - mid-tide is best - watch for tidal current in channel.

Magheroarty

AKA Machaire Uí Robhartaigh - beach, reef and point breaks to cater for different wind directions and wave sizes. Also good for speed sailing by the beach in offshore conditions.

Mannin Bay

Connemara bay location.

Marble Hill

Mossies

Best surfing reef in Europe - peak breaks left to right.

Mountcharles Pier

Murvagh Beach

Newtownards

Newtownards Sailing Club, venue for Irish Slalom Series events.

Óstan Loch Altan (Loch Altan Hotel)

Hotel in Gortahork, ask for the windsurfers special rate.

Our Lady's Island Lake E

Mainy kiters spot. Can be really shallow at the passage that is being dug once a year to let water out of the lake. Works well in N - NE and also in SW. The West side of the lake is better in SW

Our Lady's Island Lake S

Shallow speed sailing lake - stay clear of the east end of the lake and mind you don't get your car bogged down in the sand.

Our Lady's Island Lake W

Perfect in SW especially in high tide on the sea side (less gusty). Please be aware that this is private land and there is strictly no camping allowed as well as leave nothing behind policy. Be respectful.

Oysterhaven

Nice little bay, pretty choppy at times. Features a Windsurfschool, very safe location! Best in a SW

Pigeonhouse

Use satellite or hybrid for better view of beach profile. Now has 2m barrier on approach road.

Port Arthur

Beautiful flat water location to sail among the islands.

Portnoo

Portrush

Portsalon

Portstewart

Nice long waves the length of the beach - strong tidal rip.

Pure Magic

We run activities along Dublin’s coastline. You can find us teaching SUP and running summer camps in Howth or teaching wingfoiling in Dún Laoghaire. We also run classes on Dublin beaches, from our base at Clontarf. You can also drop into our shop in Clontarf for information and to browse everything watersports.

Rossbeigh

2m barrier onto beach parking.

Roundstone - Dogs Bay

Dogs Bay creates nice waves and close chop, wind blows over the low peninsular into Gorteen Bay giving strong winds and dead flat water - an idyllic slalom spot.

Roundstone - Gurteen Bay

Home of the Roundstone Slalom event. Perfect clear flat water. Gets deep quickly so ideal for foiling. Works in most directions, be careful of offshore winds. Beware of rocks, they are all close to shore and visible at low tide and on google maps, once away from the shore it is all deep water. Rig in these dunes.

Rush

Shallow sloping sand - beach no longer accessible to vans, car park at north end of beach.

Rusheen Bay

Home of Rusheen Bay Watersports. Ideal bay for beginners with shallow enclosed bay at low tide but with consistent SW winds making it perfect for flat water blasting and freestyle by the sand bar. Beware of stronger currents at high incoming tide and rapids at the mouth of the bay. High tide has mre area to windsurf but also tends to be choppier.

Salthill

AKA Dun Laoghaire - drive over the train track then sharp left back down the tracks, around the sewage pumping station and the car park has 2m barrier - mind out for them rocks at mid-tide.

Schull harbour

works best in a S wind when it blow directly in the bay. Can deliver some flatware conditions in an E/NE

Silver Strand

Galway's best wave spot. Mainly only wind swell works in here as the Aran island block the larger swells. Works best in SW winds and W winds are great for jumping. Good entry level wave sailing spot in starboard tack. Hazards to watch out or are rocks submerged downwind and need to stay clear of swimmers. Ideal at low to mid tide. Not really accessible or worth sailing at hightide.

Skerries

Free parking on the beach side of the road - shallow sandy bay with a wicked tidal rip running between the islands and the shore - long walk at low tide.

Smerwick

St Killians Bay

Strictly surfing.

Strandhill

Streedagh

Lovely down the line spot when swell is bigger or for a more mellow experience compared to the beaches west of it.

Surfdock

Respected training centre located in heart of Dublin since 1991. School has all facilities including changing rooms. They organise kids camps as well as one to one training.

Trá More (Downings)

Access via public lane through golf course - waves galore.

Tracht

Tralee Bay

Tramore

Nice soft ridable wave with cross shore winds in SW. Long open beach facing swells from the Irish Sea. Shallow smooth beach ideal for beginning.

Tyrella

Faces South so SW is excellent for cross-on wave riding and starboard tack jumping. Best getting down there at low tide to check out where the rocks are.

University of Limerick

Lough Derg activity centre. Best in Southerly, Southeasterly or Northwesterly. Do NOT sail in a Southwesterly - dead offshore.

Ventry

White Strand

Parking, clean toilets and lifeguard station.