Agni Products – Wetsuit Heaters

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Surf: 3.5/5 = Above Average
Price: 2/5 = Quite expensive!
Party: 4/5 = Great pubs and better people.
Localism: 4/5 = It’s anyone’s wave!
Thieves: 1/5 = Pick pockets & car break-ins are common.
Time frame: January-March 2008

We started off by flying into Shannon Airport, a small airport outside Limerick (stab city), Ireland.  My stay would be for four months, but my mates were only here for three weeks, so we headed straight for a place to sleep and check the surf forecast.

The first thing we noticed was how expensive everything was compared to back home in Canada. A pint of beer is about $7, however, at least it is a real beer not some semi-American stuff sold and “brewed” in Canada.

A place to stay is about the same as in Canada but the quality is nowhere near comparable. Most motels/rooms are much smaller; old pipes and finicky electricity is common, especially near the surf, which is almost always in rural areas.

If you are looking to save some major $$, fly into one of Europe’s major airports (i.e., London, Frankfurt, Dublin, etc.) then buy a separate flight with one of Europe’s low cost carries.  Check www.ryanair.com for $25 flights between airports you may save a boatload when flying from Canada. Read More…

June 19, 2009 – Cape Town, South Africa

The past two days might have seen clean solid eight-foot swell, light winds and clear blue skies and sunshine, but don’t be deceived. The wildest event in professional surfing looks set to live up to its name.

Locally predicting conditions for the O’Neill Cold Water Classic South Africa is Spike, a local surf forecaster.

“There’s a big storm coming from Monday but we’re in the thick of a very volatile winter episode,” he said. “We’re in for seriously Coldwater Classic conditions.

“Heavy storm weather and strong winds are set to build on Monday but the charts have been fickle and the meat of the storm now seems to arrive on Tuesday.

“We will see wild peaks all over the show, heavy squalls, near gale-force winds, very messy wild and woolly seas, and shocking weather at times.”

It sounds like it could be a contest director’s nightmare, but Matt Wilson is looking forward to the conditions.

“I read the report from Spike and thought this is the wildest event in surfing and it is for sure going to live up to its name,” he said. Read More…

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Sitka clothing, accessories and surfboards are now available online.

In order to keep up with the demand for gear, Sitka has decided to open an online store. They partnered with Shopatron, an eCommerce service provider, to open a store that will offer retailers the opportunity to get in on the action.

The Shopatron system offers retailers the chance to fulfill orders placed by online shoppers. Shoppers can choose to have their order shipped directly to their door or opt to go down to the retailers’ location and pick their order up there.

The full Spring ’09 collection is available for purchase and soon all of their past lines will also be available.

Biarritz, France

Surf: 3.5/5 = Above Average
Price: 1/5 = Expensive!
Party: 4/5 = Great bars and crazy people.
Localism: 3/5 = They’re pretty friendly, especially if you speak French. (Go Quebec!)
Thieves: 2/5 = Pick pockets and car break-ins are common.

Time Frame: August 2008

I flew into Paris from Munich, Germany to meet up with my brother and girlfriend, who flew in from Calgary and Hamburg, respectively.

We got our hands on a diesel rental car – first bit of advice: always rent a diesel, more bang for your buck, especially in Europe where everything is expensive (e.g. gasoline was $2.10 CDN per liter). Diesel is about 0.25 cents per liter cheaper and you get more mileage from it. Read More…

After being to Nicaragua for three months and having to bribe my way out of a little sticky situation (It wasn’t mine…..I swear!), I found an even more interesting article.

This feature story is by NicaraguaSurfReport.com. Below is an excerpt from the article. For the full article, and many more, click here.

We all dread being pulled over by a police officer – especially in a foreign country and especially if you aren’t fluent in the native tongue.

The time, the money, the fear and worst of all, the general aggravation will inevitably tax even the most seasoned traveler.

Traveling surfers with pick-up trucks loaded to the hilt with big board bags stand out like pepperoni pizza in a homeless shelter. These days, it’s getting more difficult to drive from the airport out to the beaches without getting pulled over for a meaningless infraction and getting hit up like an ATM machine.

Here are some things that I’ve compiled to increase your odds against receiving an infraction, reduce the dollar amount you pay, and take away your fear of getting stopped by the police. Read More…