Name: John Fitzgerald, 38
Hometown: Dundalk
Home region: North & West Donegal/Sligo/Mayo/Causeway 3 sentences that describe you/what you do: Love the sea, camping and traveling, don' t like cities or sitting in traffic. Graduated from Belfast, work in Dublin, live outside Dundalk. Mechanical Engineer in the pharmaceutical industry...but still holding out for a Lotto win. How long you surfing?
About 6 years Quiver: 9' 6" 23" 3" McTavish fireball and 7'6" 21" 2 7/8" McTavish Carver. Love them both but the long board is my real passion. Any surfing honours, comp wins etc? Wish I was that good! Surf wagon/vehicle? How do you get to the water? Hotel Medi-Terrano. Commercial jeep with bed in the back. Great for an over nighter and will get you to in-accessible breaks in comfort! Hope to get a camper at some stage. Where/Why did you start surfing?
Always loved the ocean. Was swimming in nappies. Progressed to diving, kayaking and anything water related. First though of surfing after seeing "Big Wednesday" when I was a nipper. Took a lesson in Sligo about 6 years ago and haven't looked back. Great sport and great people. Was a bit disappointed to discover the meat head territorial thing was out there but thankfully it's well in the minority and is more than made up for by the vast majority of chilled out welcoming surfers...plenty of waves for everyone! Best/Worst thing about surfing:
Sitting on a board off Byron admiring the beautiful day. Looked down at the crystal clear water and saw a 2 meter grey shape about 10 meters below me turn and swim really fast up at me. When it was about half way up I saw a dorsal fin! Though well that's it then....Luckily it turned out to be a really friendly dolphin which popped up beside my leg and went straight back down (probably something to do with the water quality around me after the fright!) Started as a potentially really bad experience but ended up giving me a new appreciation for life...
More recently I lost my new board in heavy surf in Guethary (France) after a big close out. Was stuck a couple of hundred meters out in the middle. Was swimming back in when a French surfer came to my rescue and paddled in with me. Thought my new board would be mashed on the rocks but half way in met another French guy paddling it back out to me. Would do your heart good to meet a line up like this living the Aloha spirit. Favourite Surfer(s) and why: Met Belinda Baggs Peterson and her husband Dane in the line-up at Noosa First point last year ..they were nice people and truly gifted to watch. Like the free surfer lifestyle choice. Malloy brothers, Bob McTavish ( Thanks for the boards Bob), Wingnut, Robert August and too many more to mention. Your fave board/quiver me timbers!: I've got it! Would love a Balsa board some day but probably just to hang on the wall! Advice for someone just starting: Enjoy it. Get a few lessons and try to get tips from more experienced surfers. You'll spend years trying to figure it out yourself.
Advice for someone wanting to move on from newbie status: If you got experience mates surfing they'll drag you along. If not I got a intermediate advanced lesson once from Perfect Day in Strandhill. Video analysis and all. Very good to see what you do right and where you're going wrong. Tip on surviving the Irish winter: Neoprene!!! Lots and lots of Neoprene... Best/invaluable single bit of kit: Sounds kind of obvious but a good quality wetsuit, booties, gloves and hat. If you're freezing every time you go in you can't function and you'll associate the sport with misery and give up! Neoprene is your very bestest buddy in this game. Other kit tips: New thermal rashies are class. Usually wear a 2mm rashie under a winter suit during the really cold months. Make sure you have a good heavy leash even lighter new ones can be a bit crap as I found out this year! Most surf friendly pubs / gigs / eateries: Byrnes Strand bar and the Dunes Bar and B&B Strandhill Sligo. Recommended info - books/movies/websites/clubs? "Wingnuts art of long boarding 1 & 2" if you want a few tips. "Step into liquid" and "The endless summer" for entertainment. "Big Wednesday" for retro culture. Books: reading the advance surf manual at present it's pretty good! Loads of choice out there now. "Surfing is getting more popular in Ireland for sure". Discuss: Absolutely...summer is crazy if you get any swell and winter mornings are pretty busy too especially at the causeway. Goes to show it's not just the weather or camping that takes people to surf spots. If you're out in January...you really love surfing for surfing alone. Very frustrating and tiring sport but one good wave makes you forget all of that. One of the few free sports around (once you've forked out for your gear that is). Once you're hooked you're hooked. Your thoughts now that Ireland is a global surf destination?
After seeing crowded aggressive line ups in certain parts of the world I'm a little concerned that that element will slip in here. In general Ireland is a real friendly spot to surf. Because it's mostly baltic it's not too crowded and I've made a lot of friends through the sport. Hope that everyone remembers to enjoy it at all levels and not take themselves too seriously.. "Surf guidebooks make things too easy, and have been a bad thing for Irish surfing" Discuss: Don't think so really. When you're starting out it's a great help in getting to find your way around. Think too many surfers forget that they were learners once and want to keep certain spots secret and to themselves. It can be a bit frustrating if there are learners out who haven't read up on etiquette and ruin waves for everyone else. Can't say that I've found this to be the norm though as most people seem to have a fair bit of savvy or are open to a friendly word of advise Any ambition as a surfer?:
To have fun and improve all the time. Dream surf trip: Would love to see Costa Rica and Japan they sound good. Favourites so far have been Byron, Noosa, Guethary.
What one way has surfing changed your life? I've rediscovered parts of Ireland I haven't seen in years made good friends and seen some lovely parts of the world in the search for waves. It's a fun way to stay in shape too..It's just great Anything else to declare? I think you will always be learning at this game but then that is probably the whole attraction!? Join the batch cast to recieve weekly surf updates...» Links to other surf related sites...» Check out the surf gallery...» WEBCAMSCo Clare
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