In this edit we reckon that we have captured some of the best waves ever ridden on this side of the country. Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Brian made this possible by producing extremely rare & massive swells that filtered up into the Irish sea, lighting up mysto sandbars and points. Eoin is now based in Sligo, but made sure to drop all his plans with news of these incoming swells on the Irish Sea.
Surfer: Eoin McCarthy Deering
Cinematography: Freddie Browne
Edit: Freddie Browne
Music: George Fitzgerald – Burns
Carve: How is it as an east coast Irish surfer?
Eoin: Being an east coast surfer is all about having fun, making the most of any waves close to the capital city, Dublin, and just generally frothing for some water time mid-week close to home!
How often do you get surf?
During the winter months, you can usually surf once or twice a week which tapers off in the spring to once every few weeks, with the summers being flat and occasional waves during the autumn.
Do people think you are slightly insane when you run off from the west coast to chase an east coast swell?
Haha yes, it was a one-off phenomenon which will rarely, if ever happen again, so safe to say, I doubt anyone will be following suit!
Is there any difference in water temperature due to the Gulf Stream?
Yes, there is a significantly noticeable difference in water temperature between the west coast with the Gulf Stream and the east with the Irish Sea! The west coast is blessed to have the Gulf Stream which keeps the water temperatures on average in and around 10C. The east of Ireland, on the other hand, has the Irish Sea water temperature which can be on average around 7C. So the roughly 3C difference in the water temperature which adds to the grit and determination required to surf regularly on the east coast of Ireland!
Do you ever chase the swells that come down from the north past the NI border?
Yes indeed, we often chase northerly swells yet these are very few and far between. Interestingly enough there might indeed be some waves north of Dublin captured in this east Ireland edit, which shows there are lots of opportunities to find good conditions if you put in the time and energy searching. After 25+ years surfing the Irish Sea, I am finally able to have my finger on the pulse in this short fetch, fickle yet interesting coastline.
I guess now with the rejuvenated roads you can get anywhere in Ireland pretty quick? So being a Dub surfer ain’t so bad?
I couldn’t agree more, our capital is well connected with the four corners of Ireland now with an improved road network, so this makes Dublin an excellent hub for scoring waves on all coasts. From east coast waves during the working week to weekend escapes out west it has been an enjoyable place to grow up and evolve as a surfer. It looks like there are a few of the new generation of east coast groms coming up through the ranks now, so it’s cool to show them what’s possible being a Dublin based surfer!
