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.