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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…

First off, most things that cost $7.50 don’t even deserve a review but these socks worked so well this past winter that I’ve been compelled to give them some credit.

As with most Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) water sports gear these are designed for paddling but are amazing for surfing come winter time when you need some additional insulation while you’re surfing.

I have 7mm Xcel booties, but my feet are always the first thing to freeze up on me.  Trying to stand up on my board after being in the water for two hours gets rather difficult when your feet are numb and you feel like a pirate with peg legs popping up.

Last fall I met this French surfer at my local break and he was sporting a pair of these 3mm MEC socks. I went and picked them up to give them a try.  Since then they have added at least another 30 minutes to how long I can stay out in the water. Read More…

The 7mm INFINITI is a lightweight flexible high-performance mitten with the backhand panel made of 300% PLUS stretch Ultraspan Superlight neoprene engineered to fit your hands.

It is quadruple glued and blindstitched with Synergy seams. Just by looking at the seams and how they are fused together with rubber, you can tell they will remain in tact a lot longer than your basic stitched and neoprene taped glove.

My first pair of gloves were 5mm Rip Curl five-fingers. After four months of use they developed holes along the fingers. So I bought a 5mm pair of three finger gloves; they suffered the same fate after about six months of surfing.

Read More…

The spring issue of Canada’s SBC Surf Magazine includes features on Africa, Portugal and, of course, Canada.

Nova Scotia photographer Yassine Ouhilal and his new work are also profiled in the latest issue.

Pick it up before it’s gone! To visit the SBC Surf website, click here

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Materials you’ll need:

• Spray paint (two different colors at least)
• Running water (hose works great)
• Liquid dish soap
• Clear acrylic sealant
• Masking tape

1. Strip all wax off board and then use paint thinner or acetone to wipe it clean. If you want to be environmentally friendly, Pedro’s makes a bio citrus wax remover or my preference, a heat gun. This is the most important step because if the board is dirty or has wax on it the paint will not stick at all or it will just peel off shortly after. Read More…

From all of us here at ScotiaSurfer.com, we hope you have a great St. Patrick’s Day! 

Hopefully this unusually intoxicated green celebration will bring the luck of the Irish across the pond, and some surf with it!

Cheers!