| Kimo Sydney |
By Kimo Sydney, Group Sales Executive
Growing up in Durban, South Africa, I have immersed myself in outdoor adventure my whole life. As a child, I spent every living moment on BMX racing, and at the ages of 11 and 12, I was honoured to represent South Africa in the BMX World Championship. My mother eventually insisted I shift my focus from extreme biking to school. Soon enough though, the Indian Ocean called out to me and I discovered a new, dare-devilish passion: surfing!
When I moved to Ireland in 2003, I started working for Kippure Estate in the sales department. Here I am blessed to be constantly surrounded by the awe-inspiring Wicklow Mountains. But when my adrenaline is pumped and I long to ride the waves, I do not have to fly back to my birthplace. Some of the world’s best surfing spots are only a few hours away.
Ireland is blessed with some of the highest quality surf on the planet. The best part of the Irish coast for surfing is the West coast. This coastline is exposed to the wild Atlantic Ocean and the swells that are generated by the huge storms that occur far offshore. There are many surf spots to be found from Co. Donegal all the way down south to Co. Kerry, some famous and crowded, others more remote and hard to reach.
Bundoran in particular is considered by many to be a surfingEden. From world class reef breaks to fun beach break waves, Bundoran has an awesome array of waves. This is the reason why my friends and I have been surfing the cold, powerful waves of this region for the past 7 years or so.
The Irish surf experience is somewhat different to what us South Africans, or, ‘Saffas’, are normally accustomed to. I grew up in the coastal city of Durban, a warm, sunny, sub-tropical region of the country where life revolves around the outdoors, and in particular, the beach. The sea provides a playground for those who enjoy fishing, sailing, swimming, paddling, bodyboarding and of course surfing. Temperatures in the depths of winter average around 15 degrees, and surge into the upper 30’s in summer which is made to feel worse by the intense humidity caused by the warm Indian Ocean.
It is an understatement to say that my first surfing experience on The Emerald Isle was quite a shock to the system, considering what this ‘African’ is used to, where air-conditioning reigns supreme and central heating is unheard of. When you pull up to the beach and the temperature gauge on the dashboard of the car reads 3 degrees, it makes complete sense to back up, drive back to the B&B, and climb back into bed. Instead, the sight of perfect lefts reeling down the reef compels you to do the ridiculous. Climb out, strip down to your boxers, and struggle into your wetsuit. This 5mm neoprene marvel protects you from dying from exposure in a matter of minutes. Along with the full length wetsuit, boots, gloves and hood are added to the ensemble, leaving only your face exposed to the freezing wind and refrigerator cold water. All this preparation is actually beneficial as you work up a bit of a sweat putting on all this rubber! Following what seems like planning a combat mission, you are ready to paddle out into bliss, albeit Arctic bliss. This is in stark contrast to my daily surf routine on the southern tip of the Dark Continent, where the only thing required was a pair of boardshorts and factor 30 sunscreen.
There is one thing that is worse than climbing out of the warm car, taking off your layers of clothing, and getting into a wetsuit in the freezing cold. It is getting out of the water after a few hours negotiating the Atlantic, exhausted, and attempting to change out of your suit. Movement of limbs and digits as well as mental processes are dulled when on the brink of hypothermia, which makes extraction from a wetsuit harder than climbing up a greasy lamp post! The wind chill on your wet skin is painful and at this stage you are functioning on autopilot, with thoughts of the car heater on full blast keeping you going.
Once you have thawed out and circulation has resumed again, you can reflect on the pure joy experienced over the past few hours. Surfing is something really special, you can for a brief period of time, leave behind any issues you may have, tune into nature and take in the true beauty that surrounds you. I would recommend it to anyone. Enjoying the experience with friends, and discussing the day over a few beers that night in the pub rounds off a surf trip perfectly. Can’t wait until the next one…