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Staycations with wet and wild adventures - seven great coastal activities to try in Ireland

Ireland has a host of water adventure destinations that are certain to float your boat

Irish sea kayaking is world class

Kitesurfing for adrenaline junkies

Get on board with surfing lessons

Take the plunge with Swim Ireland

Take a dip with Scubadive West

Coasteering with Nevsail

Sailing in Dún Laoghaire harbour

Irish sea kayaking is world class

Helen Fairbairn

June 20 2021 02:30 AM

If you’ve decided to opt for a staycation this year, you could treat yourself to a water adventure with some great activities happening all across the country.

Not only is messing about on boats, boards or kayaks fun and something the kids will enjoy, but water sports take the focus off any less than sunny days on a bucket-and-spade trip.

And, who knows, you might just come away having discovered a new passion.

Kitesurfing for adrenaline junkies

1. Kitesurfing

This exhilarating sport was only introduced to Ireland in the last 20 years but has a growing number of dedicated followers.

Enthusiasts use inflatable kites to propel themselves and their board across the water. For experts the possibilities are awe-inspiring: the current kitesurf speed record is over 100km/h, and the highest recorded jump is almost 25m.

It’s a thrilling activity suited to fit people, but there are also technical and safety considerations that make instruction necessary for beginners.

Pure Magic (puremagic.ie; 01 805 4912) can teach you all you need to know to get going. Sessions are based in either Clontarf, Dublin, or Achill Island, Mayo. A three-hour introductory session is €130, while a full, 12-hour foundation course is €425.

The Achill location also offers accommodation, from €45, delicious food, and starts first-timers off on the shallow waters of Keel Lake before heading for the trickier waters of the open sea.

Get on board with surfing lessons

2. Surf and SUP

Ireland is home to some of the best surfing in Europe, with hundreds of quality breaks ranging from beginner-friendly beaches to world-renowned big waves.

Whatever your level, zooming along the face of an ocean swell provides simple yet addictive fun. In calmer conditions, stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is an equally pleasurable way to enjoy the water and coastline.

The four dominant surf towns around Ireland are Portrush, Bundoran, Lahinch and Tramore, and all have good surf and SUP schools. For something more exotic, Blackfield Watersports (blackfield.com; 089 422 1553, pictured) is based on Mayo’s Achill Island.

It offers surf lessons (€35) and week-long surf camps (€120), as well as SUP trips along the Atlantic coast (€40).

3. Sea Kayaking

Irish sea kayaking is world class. Our long and diverse coastline is so liberally endowed with beaches, islands, sea stacks, caves and arches that sea kayakers are spoiled for choice.

Weaving among the formations is the perfect way to explore these coastal treasures, enjoying intimate encounters with marine life along the way.

Even if you’re a novice, you can join a guided trip. Shearwater Sea Kayaking (shearwaterseakayaking.ie; 086 836 8736) is a great option in the Dublin area.

A full-day trip to the seabird colonies on Ireland’s Eye costs €120 per person, there are regular Wednesday evening outings, and plenty of other trips both around Dublin Bay and further afield.

Pure Adventure (pureadventure.ie; 087 226 5550) also offers trips and instruction along Waterford’s Copper Coast.

Take a dip with Scubadive West

4. Scuba Diving

If you’ve ever enjoyed snorkelling, full scuba diving could be something you’ll love. The extra breathing apparatus means you can go deeper and stay submerged for longer, discovering a wider diversity of wildlife.

Ireland boasts a host of intriguing dive sites, from simple shore dives in sheltered harbours, to spectacular outings and remote underwater outcrops.

If you’re a beginner, you’ll need an introductory course. Scubadive West Ireland (scubadivewest.com; 095 43922) is a great place to learn. It’s located in beautiful Connemara, and offers a four-day PADI Open Water Diver course for €699, as well as day trips, wreck explores and island “safaris” .

Sailing in Dún Laoghaire harbour

5. Sailing

Wind and water are two elements Ireland has in abundance, making this a perfect place to learn how to sail.

Whatever your level of expertise, there’s an inescapable thrill as the breeze fills the sail and your boat accelerates through the water for the first time.

There are sailing venues all around the country, ranging from sheltered inland lakes to exposed Atlantic coastlines.

The largest provider of sailing courses is the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School (inss.ie; 01 284 4195), based in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. They offer a range of courses for both adults and children, with a weekend course for adult beginners, at €299 per person.

Take the plunge with Swim Ireland

6. Open-water swimming

It used to be known as just “swimming”. Not anymore. Open-water swimming Is the biggest positive trend to come out of lockdown. And why not – it’s free, invigorating and sociable, as groups of daily dippers meet up to take to the water together.

If you’re ready for the next stage, sign up for coaching to focus on improving your stroke with Swim Ireland’s Beach to Buoy or Open Water Skills courses (meandthewater.ie) at 80 sea spots across Ireland (see right), or sign on at Dublin-based Swim Camp (swimcamp.ie), which runs open water clinics, camps and private coaching for adults and children.

And if you’ve yet to catch the bug, try their four-week adult beginner’s course, €120.

Coasteering with Nevsail

7. Coasteering

Our long coastline offers plenty of beauty spots, beaches and sea caves, and coasteering is one of the most adrenaline-fuelled ways to explore it.

You tog up in wetsuit and helmet and hurl yourself off crags into the sea, swim through caves and scale rocks, all the while keeping an eye out for residents such as seals, dolphins and porpoises.

Extreme Sports Ireland (extremesports.ie) offer trips with an experienced guide who has local knowledge of tides and weather conditions, offers a safety briefing before you take off, and will lead you on a thrilling expedition over blowholes and cliffs.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly outing, contact Nevsail Watersports (nevsailwatersports.ie; 086 3308236) in Co Clare, pictured.

Additional reporting: Fran Power

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