A fine few days on the south coast of Cork searching for waves, began in a very luxurious way. One of the nice things about this expedition has been the range of accommodation, which has ranged from modestly rustic, to all out delightful. Breakfast on Saturday morning was firmly in the latter camp. After working through the lavish menu of fresh fruits, granola and yogurt, some homemade oat cakes and an omelette, I retired to the garden for some digesting and general view appreciation. We checked out at the last possible minute.
Clouds moved in during the afternoon, while we searched for a wave at Long Strand, but nothing but a few spots of rain materialized. The waves were pretty blown out and not looking so good. At nearby Owenahinca, things were marginally better, so rather than continuing onto Inchydoney Beach for a final option look, we just got in and went for it.
The weather came great, so although the waves weren't much, the situation was fabulous in the turquoise green of the sea. The swell was sporadic and the wind meant we had to paddle constantly to keep position, which was tiring as well as a little frustrating as the waves were breaking all over the place. We got a couple of rides, with Clare catching an enormous one that had a vertical face.
In the evening, we drove over to Inchdoney to see what it was like there, before getting to the campsite that we'd booked. It was slightly more sheltered and nice looking waves were peeling off the headland. Unfortunately, we were too tired to get in, so got a drink and sat on the grassy bank watching them, so at least we'd know where to come back to in the morning. The campsite was a terrible affair and we were cramped in among what seemed like a miniature festival. There were all sort of crazy rules, including a five euro charge for using the bins! We got ourselves hidden from it all in the back of van, watched a movie, went to sleep and left at seven o'clock the next morning.
A noisy night, an early start and a soaking, cold wetsuit were all made up for by catching the first wave of the day. There was just us and one other surfer, not a breath of wind and warm glow from the sun. The waves were small but glassy and easy to pick up. All was good in the world again!
As we were first to the beach (the Irish don't seen to do early mornings - nothing here really gets going until 11am), we had a beach side parking spot, so had a long and enjoyable after surf breakfast, including fresh egg butties after a wash and a kit rinse in the open air showers. Brill.
Well fed, well exercised and with plenty of brews in us, we were ready to go. This little red Trangia kettle has been on all of our van travels over the years, as well as serving me well during my Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions while I was at school. A good value purchase and a treasured possession!
By now it was 11am and suddenly, the place was packed. Time to move on...
It took nearly four hours to drive across the country to County Wicklow. We've arrived at a place near Glendalough ready for a few days of rock climbing as the weather is looking promising. First job though is getting the gear dried out and sorted!
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