For the third November in a row the NOMB Surfcrew will head of to Northwest Ireland to shred the cold Atlantic waves.
´It´s soooo beautiful up there, we just have to return over and over again!´ says NOMB Surf´s headcoach Angie.
´We were so lucky to discover a little paradise called the D-Place. Home of our local guide Lee and some other great characters. How good is it to walk into the local pub and see some familiar faces. They always remember us, not many people head up to the D-place in November to surf´ says Angie with a smile.
Being the third time up there it´s now time for our local surfguide Lee (aka Good Old Lee or the Lee-gend) to introduce himself. Our time up there wouldn´t be half as much fun without him!! Lee knows all the spots, he´s a ripper in the water, always up for a joke and a laugh, and a really nice guy!
Clap you hands for Lee:
Hello Shredders!
Sharing my surf experience is great fun. I’m happy in 1ft or 10ft surf and like to share that stoke with people.
It’s best to improve your approach to waves rather than let conditions of surf dictate whether you’re having a good time!
I’m not surfing or around the shop Narosa Life Surfschool I’m having fun with my wife and 2 kids.
When planning the next surfholiday most people think about Spain, Portugal or even Bali. Beautiful places with great waves and warm water. That´s what everyone wants. The big downside however would be the masses of surfers in the water.
So why not think outside the box a little bit and search for rather unknown surf destinations? You might be surprised to find something like this..
WELCOME TO IRELAND!!
The little nation in the North Atlantic Ocean is better known for it´s beautiful landscape, Guinness and loads of craic (Gaelic for having a great time) than for waves. Sure, you might have heard about surfspots like Lehinch or even Bundorran. But you probably didn´t know that Ireland has a vivid surfcommunity, a surfing federation and even national surfchampionships.
The Stormrider guide, also know as the surfers bible, puts Ireland together with the UK, this is what they think about the British Isles:
´With an incredibly varied coastline and almost every imaginable kind of beach and reef set-up available the UK and Ireland offer a huge variety of waves to the surfer prepared to suffer cold in the winter and a regular battering from strong coastal winds. North Cornwall and Ireland offer the most consistent coastlines, although the variety of rock reef and dominant offshore winds in the North East make the most of every drop of swell. While a shallow continental shelf drains a little power from incoming systems the North Atlantic in winter is the most prolific swell generating area on the planet so with a little imagination waves can be found almost everyday outside the less consistent mid summer months.´
Talking about offshore winds they forgot to mention the ever changing weather conditions. During a surfsession you might encounter rain, hail, blasting sunshine, fog.. And then it starts all over again.. Mix in a few rainbows and you´ll find yourself sitting in the line-up staring at breathtaking surroundings and wandering how much more mother nature can show off within such a short timeframe. Not to mention the waves.
You think that´s exaggeration? Well, find out for yourself..
What makes Ireland so special as a surf destination are great waves for sure. But more than that it´s the atmosphere in the water. Nowadays there are masses of surfers pretty much everywhere you go. With a whole lot of them not knowing or not respecting the basic rules of surfing. How often do you paddle out and the line-up welcomes you with an edgy silence?
Well, stuff like that doesn´t happen in Ireland. If you do find other surfers out there you will find a great vibe as well. Traveling surfers are being greeted and welcomed as part of a great surfing session. If you respect the locals and show good etiquette it´s not uncommon that you are called to the peak and invited to share the waves.
The price you pay are often gnarly weather conditions. 5.4mm wetsuit, booties, a neopren beanie and even gloves are the basic surf equipment to brave Ireland´s winter waves. That´s our equipment outside James Palace, on our first ever trip to Ireland.
But if braving the cold is the price you have to pay for a exploring great waves, mind blowing countrysides and friendly locals, we think that´s a small price to pay!!
Surfing once was about being a community, about sharing the stoke and about respect for the ocean and other surfers. In recent years there has been a shift in surfing with surfing been seen more as a sport and a holiday activity than a way of life. The essence of surfing is often being forgotten or ignored. The result are overfilled line-ups, bad vibes and aggression.
We here at NOMB Surf believe in surfing and it´s original idea. That´s the reason why we run our surfcoaching trips to unknown surfing destinations and outside the main seasons. We always work with a local surf school to respect and leave a benefit for the local community. We believe in the importance of sustainable tourism and are educating and encouraging our guests to do the same.
Our next surfcoaching trip ´Ireland Intense´ will be run to Northwest Ireland, home of the famous D-Place and the Lee-gend, our local guide. There are only a couple more spaces available on this carefree intensive surfcamp trip. Get in touch to secure your surfspace and get lost with us in Ireland´s beauty.
That´s a month the NOMB Surfteam is really looking forward to. November means Ireland, and Ireland means epic waves and empty line-ups!
For the third year in a row we offer a coldwater surfcoaching trip to Ireland. And so far Ireland has never disappointed us. On the contrary, we keep discovering new waves and adventures. Our local guide, Good Old Lee, makes sure that we won´t get bored and happily shares his breaks with us. Legend!
That´s Good Old Lee doing what he loves doing most.. Shredding!
Normally our trips to Ireland were run as Surf-Holidays. That´s our perfect mix of surfing and relaxing time. But voices were getting louder, wanting more surfing time so we deliver: Ireland Intense 2018 will be run as a Intensive Surfcamp. Woohoo! One surfcoaching session per day and also a freesurf session. That´s if muscles and conditions allow of course. By the end we always listen to the ocean, and our bodies.
So how exactly does it work, this Ireland Intense Trip?? Well, here is a quick overview:
Getting picked up in Dublin
Supermarket run on the way to our homebase
Checking into our homebase
Getting ready to hit the water
Safety Introduction & general information
Handing out of surf equipment
First surfcoaching session
Personal intro sessions with head surfcoach Angie
Welcome dinner prepared by our campchef Basti
Sneaky welcome drink
Sleep
That´s day 1 done. And what´s next?? How about surf? And surf? And even more surf??
Just like NOMB Surfer Thomas was doing it on last years trip. Nice wave, hey!
All our surfcoaching trips are care-free trips. Everything is organized for you. All YOU need to do is surf, eat and sleep. Repeat.
You wake up, a delicious breakfast is ready and waiting for you when you get out of your bed in our cozy house.
The best surfspot for the day is being picked for you.
Coaching instructions for you to improve rapidly are being laid out.
A warm snack is waiting for you when you get out of the water.
Your freesurf session will be guided so you won´t get into trouble.
A warm fire will be cracked up for you once back in the house after a long surf day.
And after a warm shower a hearty and healthy dinner will nearly be ready.
Surftheory and also photo/video analysises will be prepared for you to keep boosting your surfing.
The sofas are waiting for you to come and chill on them in front of the fireplace.
Sometimes, a yoga session will be organized so you can sit on the sofas at night even more relaxed..
That´s the 2016 Irish NOMB Surfcrew chilling after a long day out in the ocean back in our house ´James Palace´.
And after one week of care-free surfing, all YOU need to do now is say goodbye to our little cold water paradise, and start dreaming about coming back next year! That´s how the NOMB Surfteam does is every year 😉
If you are up for your own cold water challenge and want to improve your surfing through professional and personalized surfcoaching, than do not wait to book your surfspace on this great trip to Northwest Ireland. Hurry up because spaces are filling up quickly.
… and other adventures!! A week that left us speachless!
For the second year in a row the NOMB Surf team rocked a little town in the forgetten corner of North-West Ireland. Let´s call it the D-Place, just to keep it a little bit more mysterious. This little gem is hidden away somewhere along the Wild Atlantic Way, one of Irelands most beautiful and breathtaking parts. The D-Place is a quite little place, the mainroad reaches maybe 800m length. Nevertheless they have everything you need: a little fruit&veg market, a couple of great coffee shops offering amazing food and a cup of tea, a butcher, a pharmacy, the best pizza joint in Ireland, a healthy food shop, 3 pubs (including the famous Oyster Bar) and of course Narosa Surfschool, our local partner. That´s the D-Place, isn´t it beautiful?
Loads of headlands, hidden away beaches, cliffs and west facing beaches made sure that our NOMB Surfers had amazing surf conditions every day. Our local surfguide Lee (the Legend) took the group to different breaks, the team seemed to always be at the right time at the right spot. Big thanks to you, Lee! Even though surfing in Ireland in November might sound weird to some people, our brave surfers didn´t mind at all. Getting changed into a full 5.4 wetsuit outfit, using booties, beanies and gloves in offshore winds, a very small price to pay for empty line-ups and incredible waves. To make sure that everyone felt comfy in those conditions head surfcoach and surf trip organizer Angie welcomed the NOMB surfers with a very special gift: a customized (with nametags in the back) warm surf poncho to get changed. Let me tell you, the NOMB team looooved them!! Here you see Nora, Jan, Thomas, chef Basti and surfcoach Angie smiling after a great session!
But let´s start at the beginning. The team met at Dublin airport on Saturday morning, boards and bags were stuffed into the mini-van and yeah, the roadtrip was on. DJ Thomas was in charge of the music, the mood in the car went up in anticipation of the waves that were expected to be seen, only one more hill, ohh maybe one more.. Once the group arrived at the beautiful little (still cold) house everything was thrown into the lounge, surfstuff was taken out of the bags and thrown back into the car, and the group headed straight to meet up with Good Old Lee and hit the water the same day. Fully kitted out and prepared our surfers started the 7days surf adventure at the local beachbreak only a few minutes drive away. Clean chesthigh waves rolling in, one after the other, it felt like paradise. Surfcoach Angie coached from in the water, making sure everyone was sitting in position and catching heaps of waves. Here you see Thomas dancing on one little jewel.
The next few days were spend with surfing, surfing and surfing. The second day we surfed Killer Point, the spot right in town. Coach Angie was frothing, having set her heart on surfing this wave last year but never gotten the chance. The setup was simply unreal. Hidden away behind a headland, on the bottom of some red and green cliffs, a rivermouth created cool waves for the team. Needless to say that it was only us in the water. The NOMB Surfteam couldn´t believe their luck. The third and fourth day held a challenge for our surfers. Lee took us to a different location, an open west facing beach that picks up every little swell and turns it into incredible waves. Working on confidence was the coaching goal these days. Surfing is a sport that makes you reach, and step over your limits. That´s the way to improve. After those couple of days in overhead surf all of our surfers where stoked on their achievements and improvements. Congratulations team, keep surfing those bombs!
The rest of the week was filled with surfing (of course), surf theory, photo analysis, video analysis, sauna sessions with Eddy from the Centra Shop, exploring an abandoned castle, getting blown away on Horns Head (Donegals most famous cliff formation), BBQ with Lee (+family+friend), sleep ins, long breakfasts, surf fitness workshop, chilled hours in front of the fireplace, sneaky Whiskeys for the warmth and spirit, and loooooads of laughters and unforgettable moments.
Big thanks go out to our chef Basti for spoiling us with delicious breakfasts & dinners, Good Old Lee and the team from Narosa Surfschool, headcoach Angie for making it all happen and last but not least of course a massive thanks to our NOMB Surfers.
You guys rock, it´s been a pleasure! Hope to see you again soon for more NOMB Surfadventures!
YOUR NOMB SURF TEAM
PS: as usual you can find more photos of our surftrip to Ireland on our Facebook page!
.. and yeah, we have already had a right laugh. Seems like all starts are shining bright for the NOMB Surfers and everyone made it over to the green isle in time.
It all started off a little bit bumby when headcoach Angie was ´diagnosed´ with excess luggage at Fuerteventura airport and had to start taking things out of her bag. But hey, easy done, she just took out her 5.4 wetsuit and put it around her neck. A different sort of scarf. The guys at the security check looked a bit puzzled and some really funny comments where dropped but this way they even let Basti through the bomb check 😉 Not without commenting on the blond, blue eyed surfer with the messy hairs.. hihi.. Great start..
Nora, Jan and Thomas also found their way to Dublín airport, that´s where the group met yesterday morning, and headed straight up to the famous D-Place, aka Dunfanaghy. The D-Place is located on the wild atlantic way, one of Irelands most beautiful parts in County Donegal, Northwest Coast. After a little supermarket stop we arrived at our home for the next week, quickly uploaded everything into the lounge and headed straight to Narosa Surfschool in town. Thats where we stocked up on equipment and then straight to the beach. Here we met Good Old Lee, aka the Lee-gend, our local surfguide. We couldnt believe finding great and glassy waves, no wind and seriously only 1 other surfer in the lineup. Loooads of waves for everyone!!
Totally exhausted after a great first surf session we arrived back at the house. Only to find out that Angie had switched on the wrong switch, and that the house still had pretty much the outside temperatur (around 4 degrees). Thomas earned himseld the Title as ´Firedude of the week´ and lit up the fireplace in a sec. Quickly the lounge heated up, and the central heating kicked in. Basti prepared a delicious meal. Couscous salad for a starter, a warm and hearty Chili with Quinoa for an energyboost and rounded it up with a Mousse Au Chocolate. What a treat to have a professional cook spoiling us every day.
Plans where to hit town and check out the local pubs but the couch and the fireplace where waaay to comfy and warm to leave. After a good night of sleep the NOMB Surfers will hit the water around midday, after a delicious sunday breakfast. Stay tuned for more of our Shannanigans.
To a lot of surfers the idea of cold water surfing is still a litte bit odd. Why spend your well deserved holidays in cold water, and take the chance that it might even rain?? Well, let us give you a few reasons for why to forget about warm water surfing and try something new:
1. If you don´t feel like surfing in cold water, imagine how many others do. Problably not many. Results??? Yeeeeeah, empty line-ups and heaps off waves for you!!
2. If you know that your session probably won´t be longer than 1 1/2hrs due to the colder temperatures, your motivation changes! And this generally resutls in a pretty high wavecount and loads of waves to improve!!
3.Extreme conditions make you bond a lot more with the other surfers in the water. Good chance that there´ll be only a couple of guys more out there. Sharing a sesssion with strangers (who quickly become friends) is one of the most rewarding things in surfing!
4. Cold water feels harder! Ok, ok, your wipeout might be a little bit more bumpy but imagine the waves energy, and the speed your board can generate!! Hence more powerful waves, turns and maneuvers for you!!!
5.Step outside your comfortzone! Surfing is about reaching and overcoming your limits!
6. The beginnings of NOMB Surf go back to the cold chilean pacific waters! Braving the freezing ocean, close to 0 degrees outside temperatures, hailing winds and rain turned headcoach Angie into the waveloving person she is today. If Angie can brave all this, you surely can, too!!
Changed your mind about surfing in colder temperatures?? Why not step outside your comfortzone and join us on our next NOMB Surfcoaching Trip to Ireland??
Apart from improving your surfing, riding unforgettable waves, eating like kings&queens, relaxing with some yoga, learning a lot about surfing theory, sleeping in a great irish house, apart from all this, we even throw in some ´craic´ and good times in one of Ireland´s most beautiful (and unknown) parts!
Book your space directly through the website or get in touch by email, [email protected]. Cu in the waater soon, your NOMB Surf Team!
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
