ORLA NELIGANhits the west coast to learn the art of riding the churning Atlantic from surfing legend – and 'Waveriders' star – John McCarthy
‘COME ON IN, the water’s lovely,” pipes the freckly teenager at Spanish Point beach, in Co Clare. Somehow I don’t believe him. It’s a sunny but icy Saturday morning, and this is my virgin surfing run.
I’m psyching myself up for my 11am lesson with John McCarthy, the Irish surfing legend who is one of the stars of the film Waveriders. McCarthy also appears in an AIB ad riding the infamous Aileens wave off the Cliffs of Moher. In daily life he runs Lahinch Surf School.
Magnificent swells are forecast. Great news for hard-core surfers like McCarthy, bad news for beginners. All I’m thinking of is Patrick Swayze in Point Break. And not in a good way. “It’s not tragic to die doing what you love,” his mantra from the movie, is bouncing around my head.
Lahinch walks the line between sleepy village and bustling surf town, providing nomadic surfers with a perfect base for several months of the year; then they head off on the trail of endless summer around the world. As we arrive I notice the hallmarks of a pilgrimage surfing spot: bleached-blond heads ducking into bars, roof racks piled high with colourful boards and an array of surfing-related shops.
True surfers embrace early mornings and Atlantic chill, change in the back of their cars, camp in swamps and dangle on perilous cliff edges in search of the ultimate wave. Lahinch is teeming with these coastal survivalists. I, on the other hand, am a blow-in (although I did change in the back of my car; points for that, please).
I imagined my first surfing holiday would involve being sunkissed and windswept, blazing trails through warm oceans in clement weather, sucking back sundowners after catching some air time. But this is Ireland. So here I am, preparing to be hurled through barreling waves, my hands and feet so numb I am starting to feel like Shackleton on one of his Arctic expeditions. And I haven’t even reached the water yet.
I am hoping that the hardest part of the lesson is putting on the wetsuit, as I discover I have it on inside out. On the plus side, I’m nice and warm.
McCarthy is the embodiment of an Irish surfer: bright-blue eyes, strawberry-blond hair, a smatter of freckles across his face and a happy grin. This is clearly a guy who loves what he does. He is also very patient – a prerequisite for becoming an instructor, as surfing involves a lot of waiting, both for you and for him. Before we hit the waves he takes us down to the beach to run through safety tips and surfing etiquette, which mainly involves not knocking out yourself or anyone else with your board.
Next step pop-ups. Following his lead, we practise jumping from our stomachs to our feet, hands under the shoulders. Feet too far forwards, back or close together and you lose your balance. We snap to our knees and then to our feet fairly easily, and after a few minutes we are dispatched to the water. Once immersed in the waves it’s not so bad, akin to taking a cold shower knowing you’re going to feel good after it.
To my right, groups of teenagers leap on to their boards, zigzagging across the grey face of the waves. “Okay, we’ll do it the easy way first,” says McCarthy. “Jump to your knees and then to your feet. Here’s your wave.”
With a push from McCarthy I’m paddling towards the shore. I hop to my knees – Okay, that was easy enough – then to my feet. But I’m too far forwards, and I end up whirling around in a wave as if I’m in a washing machine on spin cycle. Still, when I emerge, spluttering, McCarthy is giving an encouraging clap. “You got up: that’s good.”
On the third go I manage to stand for a few seconds. By the sixth I feel like a five-year-old riding my first bike. Excited and totally hooked. “We’ll try it the hard way this time,” says McCarthy. Meaning no knees, just straight to your feet. My lack of fitness is catching up with me. “No tea breaks in surfing, unfortunately,” he says with a laugh.
Flying towards the shore on my belly, I’m up, feet a good distance apart, arms out to balance. I’ve caught a wave long enough to notice that I am, indeed, upright. I’m officially surfing. Eat your heart out, Keanu. I can hear McCarthy’s whoops behind me, and then my own, before my labours take on the aspect of a slow-motion accident and I end up with a lungful of seawater and a bang on the head from my surfboard. It’s a full-scale wipeout. (I’m down with surfing talk now.) We don’t notice the hour go by but for the fact that McCarthy can’t understand what I’m saying because of my chattering teeth.
Back on the beach we head for the warmth of the car, where it takes me a good half-hour to peel off my wetsuit, as I’m shaking like a tambourine. Up the road at Belbridge House Hotel we have an après-surf cup of tea and bowl of soup.
Despite travelling all over the world, McCarthy prefers Lahinch to anywhere else for surfing. “You can sit in O’Looney’s bar and look out the window and see a mix of beginners and advanced enjoying the waves, right in the middle of the town. That’s unique,” says McCarthy. “The waves are pretty consistent here, too. You can travel the world, looking and waiting for the best wave, but here you know where to go and when.”
McCarthy is one of the few big-wave surfers to have tackled Aileen’s, a monster wall of water that always breaks in the same place off the Cliffs of Moher. Surfers reach it with a tow from a jet ski.
His discovery of the breaker has brought big-wave surfers from as far as Australia, California and South Africa, all eager to earn their Irish surfing stripes, plus a string of photographers, videographers, the local vet and just about anyone mad enough to swim after them into the curling swell.
Surfing often seems to be a “selfish sport”, with everything about “me and my wave”, says McCarthy, but with big-wave surfing it’s all about teamwork. McCarthy usually surfs with Fergal Smith, a 20-year-old champion. You can practically see No Fear tattooed on his forehead.
McCarthy has another class of 60 teenagers after lunch, so we decide to head back to our cosy self-catering cottage for a hot shower. Before we go I ask for his advice for an eager beginner. “Surfing’s a lot like ballet: you can’t just jump in and do it. There are steps. So the best thing is always to get a lesson. The biggest mistake you can make is to get a board that’s too small. The bigger the board, the better your balance. Oh, and remember: surfing is highly addictive. It may ruin your marriage, relationship or career,” he says with another laugh.
That evening, over a pint and a bowl of mussels in Kennys, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to cross my legs, because of matching bruises on each knee. The following morning I feel like a piñata at a kid’s birthday party. Thankfully, it’s lashing rain, so I head into town to talk to Tom Baker, owner of Lahinch Surf Shop, the oldest in the country. It’s one of a burgeoning number of surf outlets in the village; how do they all survive? “We used to give lessons, but when John McCarthy arrived we sold all our rental gear to him and concentrated on the shop. So everyone has their niche and there’s enough business here to go around.”
You only have to peek out of his window at the dozens of heads bobbing in the water despite the rain to believe that he’s right. “When we started out, in 1989, we considered four people out there to be a crowd. Nowadays, in mid-November you’ll see 100 people out there.”
So popular is this corner of Ireland that it has even attracted Hollywood stars. “I was in the water one day and nearly ran over Brad Pitt,” says Baker.
The lure of the water has also convinced local farmers to take a dip. When Stuart Green arrived from Cornwall, 10 years ago, to set up Greenroom surf shop, the only wave he was creating was among locals, who referred to him as “yer man with the fish on the side of his gaff”, a nod to the signature surfboard nailed to his house. That was until he convinced them – 60-year-old farmers included – to try it out. Some had never been to the beach, let alone in the water. “If I’m not out here on Lahinch beach you’ll find me in Doonbeg,” says Green. “We don’t teach there, because of currents. But you just have to know the dangers of the sea and your limits.”
I know my limits. My aching body is testament to that. But as John Steinbeck said, the best kinds of journeys are not the ones that you take. The best are the ones that take you. And surfing certainly does that: over, under, out to sea and, most definitely, back for more.
** Orla Neligan was a guest of Surfholidays.com (01-4822828), which also organises surfing breaks in Spain and Portugal. Lahinch Surf School is at 087-9609667, www.lahinchsurf school.com
Go safely
Before you learn to surf you should be relatively fit and able to swim. Never surf alone, and ensure you choose waves suited to your ability. It is a good idea to get a lesson when beginning, so you are introduced to the sport in a safe environment.
Always follow the beach safety rules, and be aware of the weather, tides and rips. Before entering the water, ensure you wear a leash and that you walk into the waves with your board to one side, so as not to allow the wind to lift your board against your body.
If you find yourself in difficulty, stay calm, remain with your board and raise an arm for help. If you get caught in a rip, paddle across it rather than against it. If you experience a wipeout, protect your head with your arms.
Be aware of other surfers in your vicinity, allowing the surfer who is riding the wave the right of way – it is the responsibility of the surfer paddling out to avoid collision.
Ensure your equipment is in good condition, especially your leash and wetsuit – hypothermia isn’t fun.
For more on safety,see www.isasurf.ie.
Where to stay and where to eat in Clare
Where to stay
Curran Houses, Lahinch. Available through Surf holidays.com. Cosy self-catering cottages close to the action at the end of the town. Can be rented by the night or by the week. Alternative self-catering accommodation also available through Surfholidays.com.
Doonbeg Golf and Country Club. Doonbeg, 065-9055600, www.doonbeggolfclub.com. Its selling point may be its Greg Norman-designed course, but there's more to this Gothic-style hotel than its fairways, with a beach on its doorstep, the White Horse Spa and a host of sporting facilities on site.
Moy House. Lahinch, 065-7082800, www.moyhouse. com. With coastal views, a first-class restaurant and atmosphere in abundance, this country-house hotel remains a favourite.
Where to eat
Joe's Pizza. Dell Centre, Lahinch, 065-7086113, www.joespizza.ie. Low-key surfing hangout with great sandwiches and pizzas.
O'Looneys Bar Waves Restaurant. Promenade, Lahinch, 065-7081414. This seaside bar offers a great vantage point for wave watching, with a mixed menu and lively entertainment making it a popular spot.
Kennys. Main Street, Lahinch, 065-7081433. A traditional bar packed with surfers and locals eager to get their mouths around the huge T-bone steaks and perfect pints.
Barrtra Seafood Restaurant. Barrtra, 065-7081280. Its badge of honour is its seafood – and the view isn't bad, either – at this whitewashed cottage perched on the cliffs just outside Lahinch.