Take it Easy, Share the Waves

Posted on April 20, 2007 @ 3:03 PM

By Wayne Patrick Murphy

Visiting surfers beware! The friendly disposition of many an Irish surfer is no longer what it used to be. The traditional Irish greeting ‘céad míle fáilte’ (a hundred thousand welcomes) is evaporating like a soft sea mist at the Cliffs of Moher on a hot day. Travelling surfers, even those from different counties within Ireland, are now likely to be greeted in the line-up with raised eyebrows and conspiratorial whispers, or worse, the cold shoulder from protective natives, particularly those who frequent some of the more remote and lesser-surfed locations.

Locals at many of these secluded breaks now follow a new doctrine – ‘is iad na muca ciuine a itheann an mhin’ (it’s the quiet pigs that eat the meal). In other words, the preferred modus operandi nowadays is to travel in small numbers and keep the stories of the waves you score to a tight and trusted circle of friends only. Arriving at a break with a convoy of vans is considered poor etiquette. Phoning or texting your whereabouts and inviting more eejits along is bad form. As for posting pics on the internet of waves that have previously been kept discreet, well, that can make you about as popular as a lone Orangeman marching along Bundoran’s main street on St. Paddy’s Day.

Much has changed in the Irish seascape in recent years. Surfing is now super-trendy and, consequently, is experiencing rapid growth. This has coincided with Ireland’s economic boom, which has seen a larger percentage of the population with more money and leisure time than ever before. That, coupled with the rapid rise in popularity of extreme sports, improved wetsuit technology and the opening of numerous coastal adventure centres and surf schools, helps explain the dramatic increase in the number of Irish surfers.

In just a few short years Ireland’s regular surfing population has grown from a couple score or so of hardy enthusiasts to a sizeable commercial market of keen exponents all looking for somewhere to ride their next wave. Hundreds of beginners have now evolved into competent surfers, which means crowds are now the norm at popular breaks whenever the surf is up. Weekends at many locations have become a jostle and a joke and, with thousands more people taking to the surf each summer, it won’t be too long before favoured breaks are being scoped seven days a week, all year round.

As well as a burgeoning indigenous surfing population there’s also the steady stream of surfers from Great Britain, Europe, USA, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand visiting these shores annually in search of good waves and some sort of unique Irish cultural experience, albeit Guinness-fuelled diddly-i-diddly-o pub encounters while waiting for the surf of their expectant imaginations to appear. Like Vikings from yesteryear many of these wave raiders are causing havoc when they arrive en masse via ferry and van for their autumn hit-and-run raids, pillaging and plundering the coastline while showing scant regard for an increasingly irritable over-wintering population. At this point I should mention this article isn’t trying to begrudge anyone enjoying the surf in Ireland, be they locals or visitors. Clearly though, it’s time we all got a reality check and faced the facts.

Yes, Ireland does have world-class surf. But it’s a small coastline with good surfing waves limited to a few specific areas with lengthy flat spells and, more common than not, howling winds. Moreover, the numbers game at certain places along the west coast has reached critical mass. Put simply, there’s a mathematical equation in surfing that, when reached, means the original intention for pursuing the sport/lifestyle, that is, for pleasure or some sort of soul-satisfying experience through a communion with the elements, is no longer viable.

Realistically, there are only so many rideable waves to be had in Ireland in a given period of time. It’s strictly a limited resource! But demand for this premium recreational commodity is beginning to exceed its carrying capacity. Sadly, unless something is done soon, enjoyment of this natural marvel will no longer be sustainable as ignorance, greed, and acts of aggression become more noticeable.

As we say over here: “Tog go bog agus cuid na tonnta. Sin mar atas!”

Take it easy and share the waves. That’s the way of it!

WP Murphy was born and raised in Western Australia where his Irish parents still live. A former ASP judge and commentator, Murphy has been surfing for 35 years and is currently studying for a degree in Irish Heritage in County Mayo where he surfs and lives with his wife and three children.

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