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`Four season’s, Five day‘s,

One of the say’s from the Irish people is “ if don’t like the weather, just wait a minute”
Hehehhe really truth.

This road trip been standing for a while on my list and so I been following the weather time by time to get it done.

It seemed that everything would fell on his place as a new Low came over along the south side off Ireland and swell was already there.
As a Semi Professional I’m pretty easy in planning and doing trips, but to arrange a photographer is hard.
As it is usually last minute…
Non of the photographers had time so I asked my friend Torben and he had time. I rent for the five days a 400mm canon lens.
Flight/ car/ house/ camera/ house arranged in one day.

Next morning early in minus 2 degrees we were on the road up to Dusseldorf/ Weeze to catch there Ryanair flight at 8 o’clock.
Check in was now problem and 1/5 hour later we were in Shannon airport. There after some problems with fixing the car we were on the road, time was or animy as it was 12 o‘clock. In 13 degrees and rain we drove up to Inch SW off Ireland, good friend and sponsor told me to go there as the forecast should be perfect for there. 2.5 hours later we were standing on the beach there.
The perfect forecast for there should be and was South/ East wind with big Swell.
Swell was there but the wind seemed to be on off and soft. After driving on to the beach al the way to the point and waiting there 30 min we called it a no go. As fast as possible we drove to Brandonbay were we rented or sleeping place and what should be the ride place for tomorrow.
Once there at 4 o’clock we saw perfect conditions at Dumps with strong side/offshore wind and 2till 3m hollow waves. I rigged up my 4.7 and twinzer and went out.

First wave seemed and later for sure could say that it was one off the bigger waves of that day. The wave tuned into a full hollow wave what was breaking towards me.
I went full down the line to get speed and turn up to the lip, only the wave was faster there than I planned, so I hit the lip or the lip hit me and went over the falls and landed with my back on the boom. By the time I was above I saw that my boom was broken. All those hours travelling seemed not working in my way..

I borrowed the boom of Torben and went out again, only now the wind was slowly getting less.
I catch a few waves but the it seemed I was not on the ride place as the wave weren’t hollow anymore and together with the dieing wind it was not getting easier. That was day One..

That eave we eat by a local bar were we saw the weather forecast for the next day what looked promising, so with a nice small nap drink we called it a day.

Next morning we were ready for take of, only there was missing one important ingredient ’ wind”.
It seemed the wind was gone with the wind.. The Low pressure past us faster than planned.

We catch a bit of surf in 13 degrees warm sun shine weather and were praying for a good forecast for the rest of the day’s..

On Saturday we made a small hike on Gerry Williams were we saw some pretty big waves breaking , we went home I catch my short board and drove back there… It was already a adventure to get there on the point, walking over bumpy rocks dive in the water from the rocks, paddling around the point to the break were it was breaking 4/5m high in front of the rocks full hollow.
We were there with 4 of us. In the beginning I was for sure a bit scared as the wave was from flat to breaking point just in 2 seconds… On die end I took 2 wave were the last wave was really on shallow water..

In the eave we saw the new forecast and for sure we would not get a Low on time anymore as the High pressure pushed east wind along France England towards Ireland. So or guess was to go the south coast to get there some bump and jump.
Next morning back on the road towards Cork 2.5/ 3 hours away . Once there we wanted to go a beach with the ride angle on the wind so we ….. A beach at the end of a big bay. From normal road we drove into a smaller road that changed into a one way direction size into a dirt road and by the time we had the feeling we were getting close the road kind of stopped. I walked to a farmer and asked him about the beach. He looked at me like ‘what kind a stranger is this’ he told there is only a cliff and on the bottom a small beach. So that was a no go.
My backup plan was a land point what curfe into a bay, only I was a bit sceptic if there would be any swell..
It took us 3 quarters and so by the time we were there nigh became or animy as it was already 3.30.

By the bay we saw perfect 1/ 5breaking waves with a strong starboard tack east wind.
So for now or mission was already for 50% succeed, we check if we could launch some were as there were some rocks and hills around. As soon we step out of the car we really felt the temperature dropped to a cold 3 degrees, with 3 hours drive that didn’t felt comfortable. We had to go as it was or last day of any wind.
We rig 4.7 as I seemed to be again windy.
I went as first out and that was straight a struck as the was really gusty of the rocks.. On die end I mannish to get out and catch a wave, but was straight struck ling again to come out. I picked up another wave what turn into one of the biggest waves of the day, I tuned my self for a aerial and this time I hit ride, the wave smacked me up in the air were is was hanging for a while, on the way down I saw I was getting just halve way into the white water, but I mannish to hold during the landing. That was it I had my shot and my hands were freezing. I de’ rigt and went straight into the car to warm up.. The drive back was pretty hard as the cold and the earlier drive to my energy..

Next day we relaxed a bit and done or side seen .

That night around 2 o’clock we hit the road up to the airport during the trip the temperature dropped from 3 till minus and lucky we made it as It was snowing too.

See U out there,

The Lamp