Kitesurfing is one of a number of activities taking off on the seafront, writes Barbara McCarthy.
Imagine hurtling across the water on a surfboard, hitting a wave and then being jolted 15 metres into the sky for about five to 10 seconds. Sound impossible? Not if you're holding onto a kite. Kitesurfing is a dynamic convergence of windsurfing, paragliding and powerkiting and offers one of the most exhilarating experiences around.
"Anyone who is interested in adventure sports will be blown away by kitesurfing," says kitesurf instructor Gareth Tolan, who took up the sport as a hobby four years ago. After a serious car accident, Tolan was unable to work for six months and found himself at a loose end. "I bought myself a kite and started playing around with it. After I recovered, I returned to the shop to get a bigger kite and the shop assistant showed me a kitesurfing video," he says. That was enough to convince him to have a go.
As there were no instructors in Ireland, Tolan and a few friends taught themselves, while also corresponding with a renowned teacher in Maui. He got an international accreditation as an International Kitesurfing Organisation instructor in the UK in 2001.
Tolan (30), who teaches part-time, says business is booming here for the sport which was invented in France in 1986, made popular in Hawaii in 1998 and introduced to Irish shores a year later. Now there are about six instructors and 500 regular kitesurfers in the country.
Anyone can take part. "It helps if you have surfing, windsurfing or snowboarding experience, but it's not a necessity. Anybody who is in good shape can try it, with good advice." Lessons and safety instruction are vital however.
Indeed, 61-year-old US presidential candidate John Kerry says he gets a "great adrenaline rush" kitesurfing and has a strong following from the kitesurfing community.
So, how do you get started? In the first three-hour lesson, a beginner is introduced to the equipment (which is provided) and safety measures. Depending on his or her abilities, the beginner should be able to take to the skies alone after the second lesson. All going well, kitesurfers will be able to launch the kite while on dry land, before walking into the water and attaching themselves to a board.They then use the wind to direct themselves around the sea and leap in the air.
Experts can jump up to 20 metres and fly through the air for up to 10 seconds at speeds of up to 30 miles an hour, for distances of up to 70-80 metres. It is in some ways easier than windsurfing or surfing because the surfer's balance is partly assisted by the kite, which keeps you standing upright.
Tolan says that a high level of proficiency can be attained relatively quickly. "It can take surfers and windsurfers up to a year to achieve the kind of level a kitesurfer will reach in a month."
If you are interested in having a look, kite-surfers can be spotted in action at various locations around Ireland, including Dollymount Strand and Sutton in Dublin, Derrynane, Co Kerry and Rosslare, Co Wexford. But is the Irish weather up to it? "Ireland is one of the best locations in Europe for kitesurfing all year round," says Ryan. "It is possible to kitesurf with only five to six knots or 10-mile-an-hour winds, even though wetsuits are a necessity all year round."
The first Irish Skymasters Kitesurfing event takes place on September 25-26th at Keel Lake, Achill Island, Co Mayo, organised by Kiteacademy, Main Street, Newport, Co Mayo, 098-41895, www.kiteacademy.com. See also: www.kitesurfing.ie