Surf in Portrush, sleep in Portush

Portrush Holiday Hostel is quite simply one of the best hostels I have stayed in anywhere in the world – let me tell you why.  I have stayed in my fair share. Surf trips around the globe (pre-children of course, now all these are very distance memories!) have meant I have been lucky enough to crash for the night in the USA, Asia, Australia, South America, Central America, Europe and Africa. One may easily fall into the trap of thinking a young surfer will sleep anywhere but I’m actually a wee bit if a fuss-pot when in comes to my zzzzzzzzzzz’s – fleas and dirty pillows are not for me!

Cosy!

I met Philip and Colette while asking them would they mind letting me leave some flyers in their hostel in Portrush last year, they offered me a tour. Showing me around the hostel Philip explained the pride they both have in making sure everything is of the highest standard – and it was. Each bedroom is en-suite (I REPEAT, EACH BEDROOM IN THIS HOSTEL IS EN-SUITE!), and spotless – they have private double bedrooms, rooms with four bunks, 8 bunks and everything inbetween. When we got to the very well proportioned kitchen he explained that breakfast is provided, free cereal, toast, tea and coffee – I have never had this in a hostel before. The kitchen led to an outdoor area for chilling out if the weather is nice – have a bbq, a few beers and of course somewhere to hang your wetsuit after surfing your brains out, a long kayak or just a swim at West Strand!

Colette made it clear surfers, and people wanting to learn to surf, were the type of people they wanted to attract – ‘surfers who come to Portrush are generally nice people here for a good laugh and a good nights rest – we want to provide them with exactly that.’

Its seemed only natural Alive Surf School and the hostel teamed up to provide the best value deal in Northern Ireland – one nights accommodation and one surfing lesson for £32.50.

Call 02870 821228 and speak to Colette or Philip to get booked in! Check out the hostel for yourself…..

Download your Portrush Pass here – The Portrush Pass

Since moving back to Portrush from Australia I have probably become a very boring person to have a conversation with as most start exactly the same way..’Do you know how lucky we are to live here?’ or ‘I saw dolphins in the water at west strand again today’ or ‘I can’t believe how many things there are to do around our coastline’ or ‘I just love being in the sea’ or ‘Do you fancy going for a freedive later’ or ‘what a great day for a kayak’ or…..well you get the drift. I love living in Northern Ireland and I love living in Portrush, having the privilege of bringing up my young family by this beautiful coastline.

Since taking over Alive Surf School 4 years ago I have also realised that there are lots people who think like me, lots of active and fun-loving people around who not only love surfing in Portrush but have a real passion for life and being as active as possible. So, a few months ago I decided all the local activity providers  needed to come together and make sure we can offer everyone the best deals possible and I started to make a few calls…….. the Portrush Pass was born!

The Portrush pass is basically your ticket to do anything and everything this coast has to offer at a discounted rate. It includes;

-        Surfing in Portrush with Alive Surf School (obviously!)

-        Stand-up-paddle boarding with SurfSupNI in Portballintrae – a must!

-        Coasteering with IrishC in…..well, all over the coast!

-        Scuba-Diving and Boat trips with Aquaholics – what a way to explore!

-        Krav Maga (self-defence) with world famous big-wave surfer Al Mennie (I’ve been about 20 times so don’t mess!)

-        Hiring a bike to go and explore at your leisure with Causeway Cycle Hire

-         Free ice-cream (you can’t come to the Port and not get an ice-cream!) at Mauds, opposite Barrys

-        Free coffee at Bentleys (main st) with your all-important breakfast

-        Discount off all the gear you will ever need at Woodies Surf Shop

-        A well-deserved dinner at the Spinnaker after a tough day at sea!

-        Family fun at our very own Dunluce Centre

-        Kayaking, coasteering and well lots of things really at Xplore Outdoors

-        RNLI safety information straight from the experts

The pass is valid from right now until the end of October and you can use it again and again and again and again…………..and again! Either download it from here or the other activity provider’s sites or try and get your hand on one of the 14,000printed booklets!

I know that everyone who surfs with me will love everything the pass has to offer – especially the price – ITS FREE!!

We all want to see everyone getting fit and healthy in the natural gym we have on our doorstep, invigorate yourself this weekend – ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ is rubbish, switch off ‘real housewives of…..’ and get rid of that games console.

I want you to close your eyes and imagine you live at the top of a tower block in any of the major cities; imagine the dreary sky above you and buildings all around. Your options for the day are to walk into the city, traffic everywhere, smog and loud noises or maybe just sit at home and watch nonsense on TV.  Imagine what you would give to be at the beach, go for a surf or bike-ride through the countryside. Imagine how alien it would seem to be able to go scuba-diving or jumping off rocks into the crystal clear water beneath – imagine seeing dolphins swim beside you as you paddle around Portballintrae. Imagine what you would give to breath in the fresh air and feel the sand in between your toes!

Now open your eyes and realise you have all of this, on your doorstep, and not only that but you now have a pass that allows you to do it all – COME ON PEOPLE, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET INVOLVED……………WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR YOU TO COME AND JOIN US!!

Download your Portrush Pass here – The Portrush Pass

Charity Surf Day (click on me please!) with Davy Boyle, MBE. Here is the man himself being presented his stunning prize, a Citizen Eco-Drive by David Martin (Martin’s Jewellers, Coleraine) and David Rankin, Coleraine Times Editor.

The only thing better than having a surf school in Portrush is having a surf school in Portrush that raises loads of money for charity – thanks to all you lovely people we have raised just under £4000 for a variety of different causes in a variety of different ways!

Boxing for MENCAP

I decided to swap surfing lessons and a wetsuit for boxing gloves and a gum shield – after spending 6 weeks of training (getting my head battered!) I took part inNI Live Vision’s White Collar Boxing at Kelly’s in Portrush representing Alive Surf School. Not only was it a great night but my supporters raised over (a massive!) £1500 – the tickets for next month’s fight night (which I am not taking part in) go on sale today and I would highly recommend giving it a bash!

Click here to see my fight in November!

Surfing for Africa

Last year saw some of the worst famine Africa has seen for decades – particularly in the Horn. Alive Surf School offered a day of surfing lessons in Portrush with 100% taking going to Save The Children and their great work. We managed to raise £800 which was gladly accepted by Save The Children in Coleraine

RNLI

Living by, and using, the sea means that it’s difficult to find a more relevant – and brilliant – charity than the RNLI. The lifeboat crew in Portrush and around the UK and Ireland are volunteers who give up enormous amounts of their time to train every week and then risk their lives to rescue those who need their help. Alive Surf School has raised well over £1000 thanks to your help and will continue to raise more in the years to come!

SUNDAY 27^TH MAY – WEST STRAND, PORTRUSH

Please come and support Davy Boyle ‘The caring caretaker’ and Alive Surf School in raising £1000!

We have 72 spaces available throughout the day for a 2 hour surfing lesson – we provide all equipment, tuition as well as a drink for afterwards. Its costs £25 per person with £12.50 going straight to Davy’s charities.

We are running the usual session times, 10am-12 noon, 1-3pm and 3.30-5.30pm.

We know we can count on you to get involved!!

IF YOU ARE RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY PLEASE LET US KNOW – WE’LL DO THE SAME FOR YOU THAT WE ARE DOING FOR DAVY – ORGANISE A DAYS SURFING AND WE WILL GIVE 50% BACK TO YOUR GOOD CAUSE!

Surfing in Portrush has never been more refreshing! Alive Surf School has teamed up with N.I.C and their awesome Aloe Vera soft drink………which is all good news for our surfers, after a 2 hour surfing lesson quite a thirst is gathered! This is a relationship set to last as the drink has gone down a treat. www.naturalimportcompany.co.uk

Surfing is thirsty work!

Now that the surfing season in Portrush has really gotten into full swing now almost 500 people have come for surfing lessons with Alive over the last two weeks.

Outdoorni.com had their second Adventureland weekend on the 24^th and 25^th March – to say it was a success was an understatement.  With just under 100 surfers taking advantage of £10 surfing lessons –in the soaring heat! – it was a brilliant weekend. Check out our fb page for some great photos http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150690097384836.416885.334533619835&type=1

Surfing in Portrush - Adventureland 2012!

During the week Dominican school in Portstewart came surfing with a French school who have been staying with families of students for a week. 50 students, and lucky teachers, took part and had excellent waves and weather – what a delight to take French students surfing in Portrush and really show off what a beautiful country we live in……..in fact, amazingly, this school has been coming for 4 years in a row and have never experienced anything other than wall-to-wall sunshine!! I think we need a petition to make them stay for longer next year with luck like that. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150695948159836.417743.334533619835&type=1

Check it!

Last weekend meant three in a row for sun and surf in Portrush – amongst over 100 budding surfers we had the Boys Brigade, corporate surf clubs and Neales stag party! Not many people have the guts to go surfing in Portrush in March in a pair of hotpants and stockings ha ha ha!http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150704329859836&set=a.10150704329669836.418990.334533619835&type=1&theater Everyone gave it 100% and had loads of fun, vowing to come back again soon.

Surfing, check. Hotpants, check.

On behalf of everyone at Alive thanks to all for making our job the best job in the world – imagine getting to do what you love everyday and only ever meeting happy people, brilliant!

Might as well start of by saying what every other Portrush surfer is talking about – we have just had the best winter of surf for a long long time. Portrush has had consistently solid swell for the last six months – in fact the entire coast from the Causeway right through Donegal and all the way down Ireland’s west coast has had phenomenal surf. Long may it continue.

Its hard to believe how much surfing in Portrush has grown over the last ten years – I was giving a lesson at the start of February at East Strand and there were about 70 people using the sea – SEVENTY PEOPLE USING THE SEA IN FEBRUARY!! It’s so great to see……….the people of Northern Ireland are getting out of the house and taking advantage of the stunning coastline and beautiful countryside we have. I am not just talking about surfers either – families are out for walks, from grandparents through to grand kids, people are cycling, hiking, running, fishing, scuba-diving, canoeing, kayaking – in fact just about any outdoor activity that exists can, and is, being done right here on our doorstep!!!

I want everyone to try and get outside as much as possible, get fresh air into those lungs – if its raining then stick on a jacket, even better get a pair of water proof trousers and you will be invincible! If you are willing to join the wetsuit revolution and jump in the sea with us then it really doesn’t matter if its raining!

There are loads of great websites and companies around that will help you make 2012 your most active year so far – have a look at www.outdoorni.com for a wide range of things to do in this great country we live in – zorbing, archery, kayaking, surfing, coasteering, horse-riding, hover-crafting or even go on a treasure hunt! Go to Surfs UP NI and have a chat to John, ring Richard at Aquaholics and scuba-dive off Rathlin Island, call Matt at Irish C, go horse riding at Sheans Farm, join Jonny Black for a Beach Fit class to shed those winter pounds – why not even have a go on a Segway?! NORTHERN IRELAND IS YOUR OYSTER! Here are some sites you might want to take a look at;

www.surfsupni.com
www.irishc.com
www.aquaholics.org
www.facebook.com/pages/Beach-Fit/117500028338643
www.theadventureteam.co.uk
www.sheanshorsefarm.com
www.treasuretrails.co.uk
www.segwayni.co.uk

2012 is Northern Ireland’s year of tourism and we are at the forefront – Portrush has the Irish Open, the new Causeway visitor centre is opening and surfing is growing at a rate beyond belief. Lets tell everyone about our ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’!!!!! Lets look after it, don’t drop litter – if you see someone do it then pull them up on it and show them a bin.

Clean up after your dog – our beaches and surrounding areas are in danger of being ruined by a selfish and lazy few who refuse to pick up what their dogs leave behind….it is disgusting and we need to stand up against it! I am sick of being worried every time my son runs through the grass that he will stand in something – if you see someone do this please please go over to them and explain how disgusting they are and demand they pick it up!

Phew, rant over – sorry.

There are a few things happening in the area I would like to point out that some of you might be interested in,

- Saturday 3rd March; Free surf survival clinic being ran by Tim Doran, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor – call 077 899 25998
- Every Thursday @ Kiwis Bar Portrush – bottle of Peroni and a Pizza for £5
- 30th March-1st April; Yoga and Surf retreat with Alive Surf School – 2 nights B&B at Ramada hotel, 2 yoga sessions and 2 surfing lessons in Portrush
- Keep your eyes peeled for the soon to be released set of surf-safety videos…………I have teamed up with world-renowned big wave surfer Al Mennie to try and help people feel safer when taking to the ocean with their boards

I hope that wasn’t too painful to read – please let me know if there is anything you would like me to chat about…..surfing related or not!

Ricky M