November Newsletter

IMPORTANT: SHOP WINTER OPENING HOURS
From the 1st November 08, Surfdock will be closed on Tuesdays for the winter period. Our other opening hours remain the same.
Mon 10am to 6pm
Wed- Fri 10am to 6pm LATE NIGHT THURS. TIL 8pm
Sat 10am to 5pm

Dont forget, OUR ONLINE SHOP IS OPEN 24/7, buy online and you will recieve customer loyalty points - saving you money.

APOLOLGY
Sorry for any problems you may have had accessing our website or sending emails last weekend (24th-27th ) . We had a double technological whammie ! Server went down AND our shop modem failed ! Don’t you just love hi-tech !

JUST ARRIVED
We’ve just topped up our Circle One Epoxy Surfboard stock after the sale and some of the graphics on these babies are really something. The quality finish on these boards just get better & better.

We also have a couple of Spider polyester minimals (7’2” & 7’4”) at €399 !

If you like Fish then you should also check out the great deal on the Dean Geraghty Polyster 6’ Retro & 6’2” Hybrid inc a bag & leash for only €469 !

The '09 JP Funrides 125 & 140 have arrived ! The perfect stepping stone for intermediates wishing to perfect shorter board sailing and move on to the infamous carve gybe ! A superb quality board with a very reasonable price of €1029

For a slightly racier feel of the 09 JP XCiteRide 130 MKII Full wood sandwich will certainly deliver ! Re-tuned for a bit more top end this year the XCite now has race winning capabilities (in the right hands of course !!) as well as being the benchmark freeride board of this decade ! Price is €1399

For Slalom enthusiasts the JP SuperSport delivers full on race winning performance but with a bias towards a freeride feel . So for blowing your mates off the water and giving it loads in next year’s Irish Slalom Series this is a strong contender. The 127 FWS is now in stock @ €1399

Neil Pryde's stunning new wavesail designed for Kauli Seadi: THE FLY , and the all new crossover sail the FIREFLY have already proved a huge hit with Oisin and the rest of the Surfdock customers who have sailed their new sails. We have THE FLY & the FIREFLY in stock in specific key sizes. If you want to find out more about these sails or demo one, contact the shop who will put you in contact with Oisin and give you all the information you need.

COLD HANDS?
Don’t get caught out this year ! The famous Neil Pryde Open Palm Mitts (the only thing for cold weather windsurfing and kitesurfing) are back in stock @ €24.95. [more info]Surfers have a good range of gloves to choose from .. O’Neill Psycho 1.5mm €39.95..O’Neill SLX 3mm €29.95..Circle One Superstretch 3.5mm €34.95.

NORTH POWER XT EXTENSION
You either love or hate them ! Many people wouldn’t be without this powerful downhaul tool. Designed to add those last critical centimetres of downhaul without wrecking your back this product launched a few years back & sold well for a while. However, there were early problems with the main cog & then the rear tensioner (plastic !!) wore out & ropes slipped ! There is now some hope for any sad extensions hiding in kit bags. A retro fit main cog has been available for some time & now the rear tensioner has been redesigned (stiff stainless steel) and is also available as a retro fit part. Phone or email the shop for details. We are also stocking a few of the new generation XT & XT Race extensions.

DUNGARVAN SPEED... the course proves it's worth.
I couldn't make it down, but hear from all that attended, that the Dungarvan Speed course is awesome ! Although the course was quite square to the wind.. the likes of JK, Martin Waldron and Oisin VG were putting in runs with peak speeds of around 38-40 knots. And the final results of the event were exactly in that order: JK (New Irish Speed Champion), Martin & OVG.

Congrats all round (and Martin for putting it all together) !

Not forgetting of course Surfdock Teamrider Noelle Doran who has unfortunately missed all the wave events this year due to work schedules. However, Noelle (who had NEVER used a race sail before), reached peak speeds at around 32 knots, and with it took the Ladies Speedsailing Title. CONGRATS NOELLE !

Watch out now for the Production Board Speed World Championships which will be taking place in Dungarvan in the 1st week in December.

BELMULLET DELIVERS..... once again !
The final round of the IWA Wave Series took place in epic conditions over the October Bank Holiday weekend in Belmulet. With the added attraction this year of Slalom coaching taking place at UISCE there was a good turn out of both competitors and onlookers. The weather forecast also proved a big draw with 50 + knot winds forecast for the Saturday and strong winds for the Sunday & Monday. I left Dublin at 7am on Saturday and drove straight into the gale ! 3 pitstops for coffee later I arrived at Falmore at the very end of the Belmullet `peninsula. This is for me one of the most beautiful wave venues in Ireland. The stunning backdrop of Achill Island and the white sandy beach with waves peeling from the Atlantic side has provided some exceptional down the line sailing over the years.

The event organisers had chosen Falmore not for the wind direction (SSW.... it works better in W to WNW) but because the whole of the west coast was unsailable ! The wind had been measured at 60+ knots around breakfast time and the event start had to be postponed until things settled down a bit. When I arrived about noon 3.5m sails had just become under powered and heats were just getting under way. Conditions were far from ideal with massive closeout sets causing a little carnage from time to time . Despite this the event team pulled it all together and all of the fleets (Gold, Silver & Girls) got to compete . As the evening drew in, conditions got worse with dodgy wind & lack of waves leading to the Gold fleet final heats being held over til Sunday. I didn’t venture out on Saturday as the conditions weren’t what I’d call “recreational” but those who did had a ball ! There was even some slalom coaching in Elly Bay in the pm.

Sunday dawned cooler but brighter with occasional squally showers but the wind had moved into the W and Falmore was looking much better. Inspired by much better sailing conditions I rigged my trusty 4.2 Combat & my old AHD 68ltr Maui Force. A little light on the inside but once I hit the wind line I was swinging out of it. A couple of runs later it was time to downhaul & take a breather ! And so it stayed all day with 4m to 4.5m being the order of the day.

In a hard fought final held from the night before, Oisin van Gelderen slashed & styled his way into 1st on his JP TWINSERS & PRYDE FLYs (available to demo by arrangement) to beat Jimmy Villiers & Dan Gardener, who also showed nice style on the wave & banging in the obligatory aerials. Finn Mullen seemed slightly off form and struggled slightly in the early part of the day, only gaining 4th place in the final.

This crucial win handed Oisin the 2008 National Wave Champion title there and then ! as no matter how he placed from then on, he could not be beaten by Finn. CONGRATS O !!

I had to head up to UISCE just after lunch and before setting up shop in the centre I grabbed another blast in Elly Bay.... 4.2m again ! This time I grabbed the JP 92 Freestyle Wave as another test of it’s chop absorbing qualities. Wish I’d had a GPS because some of the runs when a flat section appeared between wavelets were amazing . There were lots of people out giving it socks and generally having a ball.

Meanwhile in the next Final, a relaxed Oisin had a poor heat failing to find jumps, while Finn Mullen it seems was finally waking up. I apparently missed the best heats of the day. The wind had moved more into the WNW giving super clean down the line conditions and I believe Finn just found the groove & ripped. You’ll have to get someone else eye witness report ! He won that final & that left it 1:1 ! Everyone was so stoked with the conditions, most of the fleet stayed out til dark, catching smooth wave after smooth wave... as the old saying goes: "just one last wave"... must have been said a lot ! As no one wanted to come in !

The party mood had a profound effect on some of the competitors & fans alike on Sunday night with the slalom gang looking the worst for wear on Monday when the Wave event moved to Drum, on the Atlantic side. The wind had swung to NNW & as the tide filled the reef in the middle of the beach began to really stack up. Temperatures were a little on the cool side and as I hadn’t under indulged the night before a spectator’s role seemed most fitting ! What a spectacle ! A complete round of Silver, Gold & Girls was again run through by the now very proficient UISCE crew, lead by Cormac & assisted in the judges van by Mark Hosegood .... poor guys did a great job ! Not to mention the lunch crew & the general organiser Jacqui.

When was the last time you saw four good logo plus waves with talented Irish sailors ripping on each one ? That’s how good it was . Check out all the links you can find for pics. As they say if you weren’t there you missed it ! Finn Mullen won the day & the event with another stylish performance in the kind of conditions that he obviously enjoys.

The girls who took part in ALL of the conditions over the weekend deserve a special mention. Laoise, Clodagh, Emma & Ailbhe (hope I got that right !) took on the best & the worst of what the weather threw at them & managed some creditable performances ( and maybe a few rinsings) with great style . Maith na cailini or something like that !!

The prize giving took place at UISCE & was well attended. A notable prize winner was Jeff Cochrane for “best rinsing” of the weekend ! Finn Mullen won the event but had to take second place to Oisin van Gelderen for the overall title of Irish Wave Champion 2008. Well done O ! Laoise won the Girls & Irish Wave Title. Silver fleet winner was Chris Cartin.
Already there are some cracking pictures of the event on [Boardseeker]

HOT OFF THE PRESS - SLALOM
Plans are afoot for a Windsurfing Celtic Challenge next year. Backed by Pryde/JP and in conjunction with the Pryde UK Slalom Series there will be two “International” events . Funsport in Rhosneigr (a few miles from Holyhead) will host a wave & slalom event to which the Paddies will be invited. Surfdock & DMG Sailsports will host a slalom event in Malahide which our British friends will attend. Watch this space for more info & keep practicing those gybes !!

SPECIAL RACE PACKAGES
The Irish Slalom Series is designed to encourage all levels of ability on any type of kit to get out there and race ! For those of you who want to give it a more serious go I’m putting a couple of SPECIAL RACE PACKAGES together. More details will appear soon on the website soon, and in the next newsletter.

For now,
Have a great windy wavey run into November !

Alan & all the crew at Surfdock.

Ant tests the Bic Jungle

With all the Stand up paddle boarding going on there is one brand who seem to be getting ignored: BIC.
Yes... Bic who make pens, windsurf boards and of course extremely popular plastic boards. B don't forget, they also make higher end Epoxy Composite surfboards.
I use their 6'10" e-comp surf board which is an Epoxy composite and it's great! I have done some my best surfing on it, and it is very durable... as I keep smacking it off the doors and poles on buses.

So clear your mind, here it is: " The Jungle" At 10'10" it is a nice size (I'm 72 kilos) and very well thought out board.

My first time paddling it was into 6-8ft waves and there was a strong enough wind. It wasn't too bad paddling out into it (cross on wind Force 3-4) which is quite fun when they break on you (as you'll know if you've tried). I actually found it harder paddling for a wave on the first day, I think because of the wind from side and the chop, but when it got the wave, man it tore off!
I stepped back - it has a nice bit of v in the tail - so it turned without effort and I was tearing across the face of the wave for one of the fastest longest rides I've ever had. I have to say there was a lot of falling that first day with the wind, so I got rid of the paddle and surfed normally and of course it paddled easy onto waves and was great as just a surf board.

Over the next few days the waves died down and things got a lot easier and I suppose I got more comfortable with the balance. I got out the back quickly, and paused for a breather cause it's such a good work out, and then catch the rolling swell before it turned into a wave.
It was great, maneuver into the right part of the wave get your self ready for the big acceleration as the wave peaks and carve it up, " God I wish I was back in Kerry now"...

Anyway.. It was great fun and it was perfect for the week that was in it as the waves where no too steep and not too powerful at times. A friend even came to join me on a messy on shore wind day and used it as a surf board And he seemed to get up and for longer then any of us and he had only surfed a small few times before.

It can also be used as a windsurfing board which is quite fun, as it gets up and going in a fart! I first used it in the Dock for teaching off so it is nice and stable and with dimensions not too far of the old boards and the fact that it comes with a centreboard (and foot straps) it could be used to teach some one to windsurf on.

Next I brought it out to Dollymount in 15kt's. Now that was fun.... it was going before I could step on to it, and would just take off. A better fin would have made a big difference (it comes with a wave fin) but still it's lots of fun and would carve around really easy. When the wind dropped off at the end of the day it was still moving and once you got in front of any small wave it would take off on it. I think it would be great fun in light wind and medium to bigger waves.

In summary, I was very impressed all-round, though we never even got to try it with its seat on (as it has attachments for a seat with back rest for use with a Kayak paddle)… I think if MacGyver had a board it would be the Jungle.

Oh it is also very light, has a handy carrying hole, has a soft central deck, and is only €999 new. We have the this board on demo, so why not contact us and give it a try!

Enjoy,
Ant

http://www.surfdock.ie/

Freestylewave just as good in waves!

The JP Freestyle Wave 92 proved itself again over the weekend ! Having had the blast of my life last Thursdy in Seapoint on this board I leant it to Oisin at the IWA Cork Wave Event to cope with the nasty onshore conditions. Result ! Oisin powered his way to his 2nd win of the year proving just how versatile the JP FSW is .... especially in the right hands ! Well done Oisin !

On the subject of the Wave event, a big well done to the Kinsale OEC crew & judges who put on a very efficiently run event in pretty awful conditions. It was hard work for all the competitors as the walls of white water rolling in on Garretstown beach made it difficult to get out the back. If you got caught in a lull or were undersailed then it was the wash pit in the left hand corner for the rest of the heat ! Those who regularly did get outback still had to contend with very onshore conditions & make the most of the occasional clean ramp for aerials. Catching a wave to ride was also tough and some of the down the line riding called for a contortionist !

The final between Oisin, Finn Mullen & Jeff Cochrane had to be recalled as just as the green flag went up the mist descended and the judges could barely see the beach let alone the sailors ! Shame this as it was way windier then than it was when the judges restarted the heat. The judging had to be done from the waters edge with the sailors restricted to pulling moves “within sight of the judges” !

Oisin won out narrowly beating Finn into 2nd & Jeff 3rd . Other guys doing well were Morgan Maguire, Nathan Regan & seasoned local competitor Wes Packham.

http://www.surfdock.ie/

Sale extended till next week

For those of you who haven’t heard there’s an Autumn Sale on at Surfdock at the moment. Lots of great offers in most departments. Check out the SPECIALS list at http://www.surfdock.ie/

In going through the stock of boards to put on offer for the sale I found that I had two JP Freestyle Wave 92 Pros in stock. Better try one of those so ! Seapoint on Thursday was the venue & the excuse was provided by Cullen Allen (of Cullie & Sullie food fame !)who was doing a lifestyle piece for TV3 . The wind was wnw & gusty but plenty for the 5.0 Loft Lip . Tried my trusty Ahd Pure Wave 78 first but it was a bit small in the lulls so I grabbed the FSW 92 ! WOW ! Why haven’t I sailed one of these regularly ? The acceleration was the first thing to impress and the total ease of control just added to this to enable crazy downwind blasts in very lumpy conditions. Could it gybe ? Could it what ! Anyway good blast for a cold October afternoon & great to see a few other faces getting out there. Oh yeah and the other board is currently on offer at only €1279 ! If you’re a bit more more than my 75 kg then there’s a 101 & 107 on offer too !!


http://www.surfdock.ie/

IWA Wave Champs CORK

Here's the poster for the upcoming wave event this weekend in Cork, hosted by KOEC.



http://www.surfdock.ie/

Achill Wave Event

After a long break since the first IWA Wave Championships event in Brandon Bay, Irish Wave-sailors have been eagerly awaiting the Autumn gales and a busy schedule of wave events back to back over the coming months.

The second round took place last weekend at Keel Beach - Achill Island on Ireland's West Coast.

As is often the way, a week of gales preceding the event blew through, with the event forecast looked only moderate for the Saturday, with no wind and a big swell for the Sunday. This kept a few regulars sitting on the fence, and wondering if they should make the trip. But as they say: "If you don't go, you wont know" ...and the die-hards who travelled to support the event were not to be disappointed, with enough wind to complete a full round of competition in cross-onshore port tack and occasional head high waves.

A call for an early start ensured the competition run through the 24 heats (only just), which could not be said for the Kitesurfing event that was being held on the lake - their event only kicked off at 2.30 and had to be binned half way though when the wind died.

In the Gold fleet, Surfdock Team rider Oisin van G got the edge over Finn Mullen to take the final, with Kerry event winner Morgan McGuire taking 3rd this time. This keeps the Championships wide open, with Oisin & Morgan sharing joint 1st, and Finn trailing by 0.3 of a point. No doubt it will go all the way to the final heat of the last event in Belmullet to see the outcome of this years Championships.

30 minutes after the final the wind died, which cleaned up the swell and gave everyone the chance to hit the water for a great evening surf session, and the promise of no wind the next day guaranteed that the evening social at the Achill Head Hotel went off until the wee small hours. On Sunday the 4m swell hit as forecast, which gave classic glassy conditions for an all-time surf session before the prize-giving and everyone hitting the road home.

Oisin fills us in on the action: "The conditions in Achill were moderate cross-onshore winds and waves upto head high.
My brand new NP Fireflys were put to good use, using 5.7 for most of the event, and sometimes 6.1, both with JP Freestyle 90 & 99. The freestyle boards actually ride waves pretty well, and of course are great for getting planing which means good jumping.
At times it looks like it was getting windy enough to try the 5.4 FLY, but I just didn't have enough time between heats to get it on the water to test.

I borrowed 3 JP boards I am missing from my good mexican friend who couldn't make the event (but has recently learned to flaka on his new 99 Freestyle Pro), which was great as I needed the 99 in the Final.
It also meant I could put on a good equipment display - I had the new NP FLY rigged on a rig stand attached to my van, with all the JP twinsers on display around it.
On a grey wet day in Achill, the Brazilian colours of the gear really stands out!

Pity we did not have enough wind for the twinsers to be shown in action properly, but hopefully we will get decent wind at the next event, which is in 2 weeks time in Cork."

Results:
Gold Fleet:
1st: Oisin van Gelderen (JP/NeilPryde)
2nd: Finn Mullen
3rd: Morgan McGuire

1st Lady & Silver Fleet: Laoise Ni Dhuada (U.I.S.C.E)
1st Youth: Nathan Regan, who also won the top prize in the raffle, a spanking new sail!

The next IWA Wave evnt is in Cork on 27/28th Sept.

For full results, more details on the IWA Championships or windsurfing in Ireland, see: www.sailing.ie/windsurf

http://www.surfdock.ie/

September 3rd Newsletter

Well here we are, September rolling in... the wind is howling and the Autumn gales promise plenty of windy action !

Coolmaine Rips
The 4th round of the Irish Slalom Series was a windy one ! Yes, it was very wet on Saturday but being able to race on a JP 110 X-Cite and a Loft O2 5.9 more than made up for this ! Thanks to Ralph Ferguson and his hardy crew a figure of 8 course was set running across the rolling swell which was pushing into the bay. As the tide dropped this left the outer mark lying in breaking waves making gybing particularly interesting ! The top guys were in good form (well you’d expect that ! They did organise all this after all !) with Pearse Geaney , Maurice Owens , Fintan Day , Danny Mulryan & Hannes Louet constantly vying for the top places. Yours truly managed to mix it with the lads a few times but consistency proved illusive.

Ceoil & Craic was had in the Harbour bar Courtmac on Saturday night with no reports of anyone going awol.

Sunday was a slightly less windy day but a lot drier !! Time to try the V8 7.5 & JP Supersport 74 mentioned in the last newsletter. This combo proved very competitive and was capable of staying with the top crew all the way ... even if the pilot wasn’t ! 1st race Fintan & myself lead to the 1st mark ... I’m just recovering a wobbly gybe & get run over by Pearse ... I recover to 13th having run over Danny in the process ... apologies from all quarters !! Got it dialled a bit better in the 2nd race & pulled a 4th ... my best result of the weekend. More practice & that kit will hum !
There was a great gang in from the North again lead by the very dedicated Peter McNutt. In fact I ended up in a McNutt sandwich with the talented Matt taking sixth overall (1st U-17 !!!!) , Peter in 8th (2nd Master) & me in 7th (1st Grand Master Flash) .


FULL REPORT & NOTICE OF NEXT EVENT AT http://www.irishslalom.ie/





NEW STOCK IN & PRICE REDUCTIONS !!

Of note this month is the arrival of a number of new neoprene products.

O’Neill launch their Psychofreak 4.5/3.5mm ...... a new “air pocket” neoprene allows lighter weight with the warmth of much heavier suits .... as flexible as the Psycho II 5/3 but with the warmth of the 6/5/4 mm suit. Price is €449.

More details here: http://www.surfdock.ie/product_info.php?products_id=442



Neil Pryde launch their outstanding Elite II with “air pocket “ neoprene in the chest area for even more warmth. For Dec to March hardcore windsurf or kitesurf this suit delivers ! Price €495.

The very popular Pryde E3 5000 series 5/3 is down in price this year to €349 ..... benchmark flexibility & warmth ... now cheaper !
More details here: http://www.surfdock.ie/product_info.php?products_id=406

The Pryde E1 3000 series 5/3 is also down in price to €219 !

Pryde’s new E1 Combat 5/3 combines the durability of “double lined” neoprene below the waist with the warmth of “single lined mesh” in the body & arms. A great suit for kitesurfers & windsurfers alike. Price is €279.

SOME EXTRA SPECIAL DEALS

Fanatic New Wave 80 ltr. Team Edition 2007 - NEW €999

Naish Global Wave 87 ltr. Wood Sandwich 2008 - NEW €899

Fanatic Shark 130 ltr. 2007 - NEW €899

Fanatic Hawk 108 ltr. 2008 - NEW €1159

Fanatic Freewave 95 ltr. 2008 - NEW €1159

Naish Freewide 130 or 160 ltr. 2008 - NEW €999

Neil Pryde Combat 5.0m2 2006 - NEW €349 (CASH ONLY)

Neil Pryde Combat 5.6m2 2007 - NEW €429 (CASH ONLY)

North Silver Series RDM 55% 370 Mast - NEW €299
North Silver Series RDM 55% 400 Mast - NEW €309
North Silver Series RDM 55% 430 Mast - NEW €319

Check out more special offers and 2nd hand gear, updated regularly on the site.

http://www.surfdock.ie/

Now in stock !!

The Helmet Hero is a fully waterproof digital stills and video camera that is capable of filming upto 56 minutes of high resolution video action.
Mount to your board, helmet, boom etc..
The possibilities are endless !

For more info: http://www.surfdock.ie/wind.php?cPath=29_61_94



http://www.surfdock.ie/

Tricktionary II

NOW IN STOCK, TRICKTIONARY II

The Tricktionary is a comprehensive windsurfing training book of 292 pages devided into 9 chapters, which show beginners how to start, intermediates how to improve and experts what to train.

With every level taken in consideration the Tricktionary tells beginners about the equipment and guide them through a complete beginner course with all the additional info you'd otherwise have to learn the hard way by yourself. While intermediates can improve their jibes, tacks and 360s - freestyle-enthusiasts will be finally able to follow and learn even the most difficult moves. Windsurfers who want to sail in waves, will find everything they need to know. No matter if you are starting to get into it or if you are already a wave-guru - there is always something to learn!

On high quality photo sequences you can retrace every single movement. Explaining text as well as pre-exercises, problems, proper solutions and Hot tips hasten your learning process!

TRICKTIONARY 2 INNOVATIONS:
A complete Basic Windsurf Course (written by Simon Hurrey, and performed by Marco Wedele, both experienced windsurfing instructors),
A lot of equipment knowledge (including timm-guide and board tuning)
A special for "how to get fast" (Slalom, GPS)
Brand new windsurfers fitness and health pages (with Dr. Aly Sabri)
A big new Wave chapter (written by John Skye)

The Tricktionary II is also available as a DVD, which will be in stock soon.

To buy the Tricktionary, click here for more info: http://www.surfdock.ie/product_info.php?products_id=428

http://www.surfdock.ie/

PWA freestyle Sotavento 2008

Check out more action from Fuerteventura, filmed over 4hours in Sotavento.
Theres about 80 moves from the World's best freestylers as they pratice and compete in the final day of the Sotavento Freestyle World Cup.

http://www.surfdock.ie/

Oisin has been testing his new 2009 JP Twinser Waveboards and Freestyle boards in Fuerteventura.
Here's a video of the action:

www.surfdock.ie

68 litre JP Twinser for sale

For more details, have a look at our second hand list.

http://www.surfdock.ie/

2nd Hand List

As is usual at this time of year, much of our team riders' gear is for sale, and also new gear is being traded in while customers treat themselves to new toys for the new season.

Keep an eye out on our second hand list, which changes daily. There are some current great deals in waveboards, including Oisin's 2009 68 litre JP Twinser Prototype, hand built by JP's shaper Werner Gnigler. See also some top end carbon masts and booms from Neil Pryde.

www.surfdock.ie

Special Offers

There are still a number of clearance sails available in various sizes at http://www.surfdock.ie/special.php.Remember that if you need a new mast and/or boom to suit the sail you’ll get 10% off these items.

With the imminent arrival of the winter season Neil Pryde wetsuits I have a few 5000 Series 5/3’s to clear at €329 (were €389). Sorry if you’re a medium (euro 50) you’re out of luck !

ALSO one only size small NEIL PRYDE ELITE (euro 48) was €499 now €359 !

Bic Techno E Large 135ltr was €749 now €649 !

Naish 9’4 Mal Woodie now €999 !

Free Harness lines with all harnesses or booms purchased before the end of August !

www.surfdock.ie

Loft 2009 Pre Orders

I'm about to place an order for 2009 Loft Sails and in an effort to keep windsurfing affordable I'm offering '08 prices ( and yes, your IWA discount !!) on any pre-ordered sails for December delivery.

THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT if you wish to purchase any Loft Blades for racing or speed as these are only to order. Next possible pre-order for these will be late Nov. for March delivery.

Note:
New Lip Wave sizes for '09 include. 3.7, 4.1 & 4.5m2
New Blade sizes for '09 inc. 8.3 & 9.0m2

Deadline for pre order Mon. 18th August.
Please contact the shop directly at shop@surfdock.ie / 01 6683945

If any of you would like to check out the pricing, you can have a look at our website for current pricing.

Pryde & JP 09 Preview

Last week, in sunny Poole, Dorset I was treated to my first physical viewing of the Pryde JP 09 collection. Needless to say all the products look stunning . Kauli Seadi’s signing has coloured some of the graphics .... the green & gold is great ! A new colour layout also identifies the ES , FWS & PRO construction of the various boards.

The 09 X-Cite Rides have been tweaked for top speed action and have a slightly more (dare I say) “slalomy” look to them. A new board, the FunRide slots in nicely between the X-Cite Rides & the Funster range. It comes in ES in 2 sizes 125ltr & 140ltr. A slightly detuned X-Cite Ride, ideal for first time short boarders. The SuperSports have a super light construction available in 118ltr & 127ltr this year. The “Gold” is even lighter than the Pro & is one to pre order if you want some seriously fast “recreational” sailing/racing.

I’ll leave it to Oisin to add his direct experience of the much talked about Wave Pro Twinser & Freestyle Pro .... when he gets back from Fuerte ! Keep your eye on our news blog for more info on his experiences.For East coast wave sailing & general high wind bump & jump it’s hard to beat the Real World Wave ... UK’s top seller !

By early Sept I’ll have a few of the new boards in the shop ... among them the FunRides & X-Cites plus the 145ltr Funster. With the oversupply of 2nd hand wave kit available around the country, I’m initially just taking orders for Freestyle,FreestyleWave & Wave boards ..... BUT these will be offered with a NICE board bag !

The Neil Pryde Fly & Firefly are the new & beautifully crafted Wave & Wavefreestyle sails. Both in eyecatching colours... purple/gold, green/gold & possibly more... The Fly is aimed at recreating the “feel” of the Core from a few years back. The Firefly replaces the Expression but with a little more “wave” bias. Construction is bullet proof as ever. The Combat (Neil Pryde's best seller) remains largely unchanged as do the Alpha & Zone.

I was particularly interested in the Freeride/Freerace sails (after all maybe if I get fit I can go faster !!). I had tried both the '08 Hellcat (6.2m on the SuperSport 100 Pro !!) & the V8 at the Fleadh and had a big smile on my face. Both of these sails feature the slightly shortened boom length and “overhanging” clew for improved feel. Again stunning colours, beautiful construction & yes you’ve guessed it ... I’ll be on a V8 7.5m & SuperSport 127 Pro as soon as I can get one !
TheSolo is one of the most user friendly sails for early intermediates and makes a perfect rig with the JP Funster or FunRide. Very popular as a package this year I expect some of the new colours will attract strong attention again in 09.

5 sails sizes, one mast , one boom... it has to be the Zen. This versatile model continues in 09 & having used the 6.1m quite a bit this year I can recommend it as a responsive & gutsy Freeride sail that feels incredibly light in the hands. Worked well on my 78ltr waveboard & 93ltr freewave.

Some of these sails will be arriving soon so keep an eye out for them .... they’re hard to miss !Lots more about the boards & sails on http://www.surfdock.ie/ soon.

P.S. Despite rumours to the contrary prices on Pryde are generally little changed for 2009 & JP’s are even better priced than Europe ! Contact the shop for more details.

-Alan.
http://www.surfdock.ie/

Downings a blast !

I hadn’t been there for years & slalom is a fresh new (old) buzz, so could hardly refuse Aidan Breslin’s invite to attend the 25th Downings Winsurf Event held in aid of the RNLI. The forecast was fair so I threw in a Naish Freewide 140 & Loft O2 7.4 & hoped for a bit of a blow. There was a slight feeling of Deja Vu as Denise packed boxes of T’s & Sweats to set up a stall on the beach on Sunday as requested .... some of you will remember Blue Planet ! We packed China in & hit the vastly improved road north . This used to be a bit of a trek but thanks to the EC a Friday lunchtime departure had us in Downings by tea time. Coming across the low road past the Rossapenna hotel we could see the flash of sails moving fast across the bay in the misty rain. A quick recce of the beach revealed some pretty BIG sails & more rain ! Off to the hotel for dinner so....

The totally rebuilt BEACH HOTEL offers some of the best service & cuisine around & we should know. Denise gave the restaurant “best veggie” of the year so far (or was it decade ?) & we both enjoyed the wine list (Top Tip.. check in the restaurant for non-listed bottles squirreled away by the owner !). A great place to stay for this event or any other time for that matter.

Surprisingly I was on the beach early enough to register for racing and was cheered by the wind speeds of 15 – 30 knots being recorded out on the course. Nick Fletcher & Gartan OEC’s team lead by John Boyce, had everything under control with a fleet of rescue boats ever present to bring the unfortunates ashore. Trying to decide what to rig shouldn’t be too difficult with a choice of 2 boards & two sails..... anyway I chose the 6.1 Zen & the comfortable AHD Rebound 93.... wrong choice as the wind inshore was all over the place and by the time I got out of the lee of the land I was nowhere near the course. Guess that’s why the big boys were on 8m2+ with 125 ltrs at least. Back to the beach for me .. grumble, grumble..know why I was glad slalom had disappeared for a few years !!

Two races gone and at last the 140 & 7.4 were ready for action. Surprise ! Planing down the first leg in the top 10 ! This might work .... The course was a massive 5 gybe downwind blast with plenty of time to overtake & be overtaken. The start was a massive 40 or 50 strong so there was some occasional chaos at the marks (hope your head’s ok Danny !). The array of kit out there was also huge & some great results were logged by Neil Sands on his trusty Pryde VX3 / Mistral combo ! I didn’t hang around either placing 6th & 8th before the lunchtime break. Hot stew, soup & rolls never tasted so good .. thanks ladies !

Another 4 races almost back to back finished off what was a cracking days sailing. I managed to pull a 7th but started to fade a bit & began dropping my gybes towards the end after some good starts .... must work on the old fitness ! Staggered back to the hotel for another slap up meal & out to the Harbour Bar with good intentions of an early night ! Good intentions got me all the way to the RNLI Disco & very late to bed !

I believe there was a bit of racing on Sunday too but I managed to miss that !! Winds were lighter but the competition was still fierce. Mid afternoon saw one of the biggest prize givings seen in a long time. I even managed to pick up 2nd Grand Master & a 14th overall .... all on a standard Naish Freewide & Loft O2 !!

The message here is simple .. grab your freeride kit & give it a go! Competitions like this are one of the best ways I know to up your skill levels & the craic at all levels of the fleet is mighty !

Alan.

The next event is in COURTMACSHARRY , CORK. 23rd – 24th Aug.

http://www.surfdock.ie/

We are fully live !

July 1st - Surfdock are delighted to announce that we are fully live for selling online. After months of work behind the scenes, hundreds of man hours at the keyboard, and many late nights, everything was finally ready and the shopping cart was switched on.

Many thanks to everyonw who has already registered, We hope you enjoy the shopping exerience! Do let us know how you find the ordering process, we tried to make it as simple and efficient as possible.

For those of you who have not yet seen it, please have a look at our customer loyalty scheme.
http://www.surfdock.ie/Surfdock-loyalty-scheme.php

Basically the idea is that when you purchase from Surfdock online, you will be awarded loyalty points (each product has a different amount), which can be redeemed against future purchases. You can choose to use them whenever you want, or keep saving them up in order to buy a free sail or whatever.

Just create an account, and login. You will be shown how many points you have.

We hope you like the new site. More new products are being added every day, and if you dont see something you like, just let us know, and we can add it online.

See you on the water !
All the team at Surfdock.

www.surfdock.ie

Special Offers

Hi All,
Here's a few offers which might take your fancy. Offers only apply to in stock items and is on a first come first served basis. Hope you're all enjoying the bit of windy weather,
Cheers…. Alan

Fanatic Shark 160 now €999 inc. board bag
Fanatic Shark 130 now €999 inc board bag
Fanatic Eagle 126 now €999 inc board bag
Fanatic Hawk 108 now €1349 inc board bag
Fanatic Freewave 95 now €1399 inc board bag

Free Harness Lines with any boom

Free Loft Quiver bag with any Loft Sail

www.surfdock.ie

Andy Radley's Blog

Only a week old at this stage, and already over 300 hits. Surfdock customer Andy Radley was reading through the Surfdock Blog, and noticed the 'create blog' link at the top of the page. He clicked on it, created a blog for himself and got busy posting just for fun.

Andy sails freestyle mostly in Malahide, no matter what the wind, and is now also trying his hand at freestyling on his Scrubs mountain board too.

Check out his videos at: www.andyradley.blogsot.com

http://www.surfdock.ie/

Topless windsurfers spotted in Dublin

Well who would have thought it? Only 7 knots forecast today,so not much hope of windsurfing. Probably another day for practising freestyle on the Turfdog board on the beach, or go for a paddle on the SUP. The first suprise was the temperature: 24.5 degres !!

And then hang on... trees are moving? So a quick trip to the Estuary revealed about 17-18 knots.. with sun.. and it's warm.. HAPPY DAYS!
Went out sailing for 10 minutes with the wetsuit rolled down on top, and was too hot, so came in and put on the only shorts I had in the van... the denim ones I had been wearing all day. Not exactly boardies.. but did the job just fine !
Sailed for 4 hours before havig to put on a thermal vest. Still can't believe this is Ireland?!
Plenty of folks out...Carlos the mexican practising his flaming burritos, Andy R almost getting his first spock, and Tricia K hanging onto a bigger sail than the mexican (despite being at least 20 kilos lighter).

Enjoy the weather - see you on the water!!

http://www.surfdock.ie/

Tuesday Night Racing launched next week

In their post Fleadh enthusiasm Alan www.surfdock.ie & Dave www.dmgsailsports.com have decided to give FUN RACING a focal point for the summer months.

Starting on Tuesday 27th May, there will be an introduction to fun racing followed by some actual races round whatever marks are appropriate. All to take place from the DMG base at Malahide Dinghy Club. Whenever possible Alan or Dave will be on hand to get things going. Others will no doubt occasionally take their places. This week it will be Oisin, as Dave & Alan have other commitments.

IMPORTANT. This about FUN !! All levels are welcome ! How about some of you lightwind specialists dropping by & impressing the novices with what can be done ?

7 ish seems a reasonable time to kick off but DMG are open all day anyway !

If you wish to rent kit from DMG talk to Dave through the above address.

www.surfdock.ie

Fun at the Fleadh !

Really great to see so may people turn up for the 2008 Fleadh! We were blessed with sun, wind of all sorts - to suit everybodys taste, and loads of gear to play with.

The 30 or so racers had a great time in light and strong wind, while the beginners and improvers courses were almost booked out. A great future for our sport, seeing so many newcomers around and having a go.

Our demo kit from was in high demand, with plenty of people taking the opportunity to try out as many boards and sails as they could. With the stronger winds on Saturday, the smaller boards like the Freestyle Waves, Freestyle, XCites and smaller Supersports (particularly the 100 litre which is a dream machine) were very popular.

Sails wise - the new Hellcat & Oisin's Combats proved very popular, as did the new Zen, which is a rig package option from pryde, all 5 sizes designed around one mast and boom.

Once the wind lightened off, the bigger sails like 7.2Hellcat, V6, V8 & Rs Slalom were unleashed on the bigger Supersports, and the blasters had a field day.

Thanks too must go to Oisin for asking RedBull along with their RedBull Dodge music truck (Lyndon the DJ kept us chilled out with smooth grooves).. and of course the girls Jill & Joanna in the RB minis (cars - not skirts!). Dunny too for firing up the Surfdock BBQ.

Sunday dawned calm, which suited the beginners better.. but as the saying goes.. if you rig - the wind will come. Again a good day for the bigger kit to get planing, and for a few to try windsurfing on our Naish SUP boards. The sun got warmer still, and made for a nice vibe, and the coaching sessions went very well under the watchful eye of Dave Garvey (DMG sailsports) and teamriders Noelle and Jeff C. Even though at times there was not much wind.. it was cool just to see so many new faces, and of course many of teh regulars, just hang out and enjoy everything windsurfing has to offer.

Monday the wind turned to a better direction for a seabreeze to kick in, which sucked in some fog half way across the estuary. The morning was spent SUP-freestyling-paddling-sailing, until the breeze was good enough for the big kit again. It was funny to be sitting in glorious sunshine, and watch people planing across the estuary at full speed and dissapear into the fog.

We packed up later in the day, and can say that from our side, seeing the amount of people enjoy the weekend showed the event was a huge success - we hope you aggree.

A huge thanks to: DMG sailsports (Dave, Cora, Aoife & Ali), Shakelton OEC students for all the help, Chris and JP/NeilPryde for turing up, Oisin & the RedBull crew... and finally VERYONE for coming along and making it a great weekend !!


www.surfdock.ie

The “Fleadh Sheoil na hÉireann” Irish Windsurfing Festival began in Belmullet in 2004 with the aim of providing a non-competition meeting point for Irish windsurfers of all ages and all levels to come together, and has been a resounding success from the very first session.

Free coaching for all levels from Ireland's top instructors and windsurfers, along with a great social aspect and great support from the windsurfing industry- the Fleadh has always been sure to offer something for everyone - new or old.

Last year the Festival moved from it's spiritual home in Belmullet to Dublin, and quickly became the biggest event so far. Hundreds of windsurfers, new and old came out to celebrate the worlds best sport, and all the coaching and in particular the beginners lessons were completely overbooked. The future looks bright for windsurfing in Ireland!

The 2008 Festival is this weekend May 5th, 6th & 7th in Malahide Co. Dublin. This year’s event sees subsidised beginner lessons at €20 for a two hour session, free improver coaching for all IWA members, round 1 of the new IWA slalom series and a host of top end toys to try out from manufacturers including JP, NEIL PRYDE, Fanatic, Loft Sails and Naish.

The Fleadh Sheoil is an Irish Windsurfing Association event organised by DMG Sailsports and www.Surfdock.ie. For more information and a full timetable of events check out www.windsurffestival.ie.

www.surfdock.ie

Welcome to the New Surfdock Website !

In this news blog you will find information about everything thats happening in the world of Surfdock and beyond. News on products, events, diarys, gear for sale, and just general ramblings from everyone at Surfdock.

We will post daily, weekely, whenever... it's not windy, an theres somethying to tell.
Enjoy reading, and don't hesitate to get in contact if you want to know about anything.

Good wind from Alan & all the Team.
Hope to see you on the water soon !