Latest addition to the Surfdock Team – Lewis Eickholt (Starboard SUP)

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We have recently taken on the Starboard SUP range in the shop and are delighted that Lewis Eickholt has agreed to represent Surfdock on Starboard SUP.

Lewis won the Surfdock SUP Spring Race Series in the crossover board class, which has impressed all of us. At 16 years he is not only a great SUP racer, but is also a keen sailor and windsurfer and has started to compete in local and national competitions.

We are looking forward to working with Lewis in the future and most importantly can’t wait to see him perform in the ranked SUP race events across the country this year. He has just received his new Starboard 12’6 Race BOP and he can’t wait to try it out in the Dublin Bay SUP Classic.

Check out the Starboard SUP product range on their website.

Docklands Summer Festival

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Docklands Summer Festival 26th/27th May

As a special promotion on May 26th and 27th we are running great value “come and try it” sessions as part of the Dublin Docklands Festival.

If you fancy trying the exciting new sport of stand up paddling or have a go at kayaking then we have half hour classes running over the course of two days from 10am-4pm.

Classes are only €5 per person.

If you would like to participate in this great offer then pre-booking and payment is recommended. Please contact us on 01-6683945.

We will supply all equipment necessary, kayaks, SUPs, wetsuits and buoyancy aids. You may wish to bring old runners for your feet if you do not have wetsuit booties.

Please note that the minimum age for going on the water is 8 years and anyone aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult who is also going on the water.

All participants must also sign waivers. Waivers for those under 18 must be signed by a parent or guardian.

For other activities happening on the Docklands area that weekend, have a look at the Festival website.

Full Range of Kids Wetsuits in stock

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We are ready for the summer (when it finally arrives!) with a new delivery of O’Neill short and full length wetsuits for toddlers, children and teenagers. We stock all sizes from ages 1 to 16.

Our O’Neill Reactor 3/2 mm suit for €65 (full suit) or €49 (shorty) is a great suit for any water sports activity like sailing, windsurfing, surfing, stand up paddleboarding or kayaking in the summer. For the younger kids the Reactor Toddler full suit for €45 is a great option.

A warmer suit for year round use is the O’Neill Epic 5/3 which is the same construction as the O’Neill Epic wetsuit for adults. The extra level of warmth thanks to the thicker neoprene means the kids can spend more time in and on the water. The price for this suit is €109.

We also have neoprene booties and slippers for children in store.

New Arrivals – Surfboards / SUP

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new-surfboard-range

We have just unpacked our new range of 2012 surfboards and they are looking pretty darn special!

There are some well known favourites like the 7S Super Fish II range that has been updated for 2012 and is now available in a really nice looking blue tint. Its generous outline and smooth rocker makes this board incredibly easy to ride. If you’re looking for a high volume, easy to ride surfboard that will increase your wave count then the Super Fish II is the board for you.

Another favourite in the shop has been Greg Webber’s The Pulse, a fish based hybrid and the most versatile board in the Webber range. Greg’s latest innovation is the Webber Gutter Lover, the shortest and fullest of the small wave boards. It feels alive and responsive and comes with a tri/quad option that allows you to tune the board to your local conditions.

We also have some brand new additions to our surfboard range and are stoked to stock the new Haydenshapes boards. Both the Hypto Krypto and Psychedelic Germ are built with Futureflex Technology, using high density EPS foam with a parabolic carbon fiber frame to create a board with a high energy, rapid spring back resulting in ultimate speed and drive. The Hypto Krypto is the one stop board that you can travel all around the world having fun in average conditions, as well as taking to the barrel and open face when the swell pumps! The Psychedelic Germ is a board that can be ridden in all conditions up to 4ft. It is fast, responsive and easy to ride.

The Aloha board range has been around for 30 years, but is new to our shop and we are excited about the Aloha Bean. This progressive shortboard transfers the performance features of a standard shortboard into a more compact design that’s incredibly fast and responsive in small-to-medium size waves. Fast and full of spark as a thruster or a quad; the Bean offers acrobatic performance in the smaller sizes, and reliability in the higher volume sizes. As a general rule you can ride the Bean 3-to-6 inches shorter than your regular shortboard.

For beginners we have two sizes of Gnaraloo softboards in stock. These boards are super durable and their forgiving shape is great for people who are just learning their skills in the waves. The Gnaraloo boards are the top tier of soft surfboard performance and durability.

And last but not least, we have a new addition to our SUP range, Walden’s Magic Model SUP in a 9’11″. The 9’11″ is an excellent all round performance board that is as comfortable performing on a wave, noseriding in trim or paddling on flat water. It is wider to provide the stability for a beginner to intermediate SUP enthusiast.

Surfdock Summer Camp for kids aged 8-16 years

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Surfdock Fun Watersports Camp for children 8-16 years

The Surfdock Summer Camp is an action filled week of water sports and fun for children aged 8-16 years. The children learn sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and stand up paddleboarding in the safe surroundings of the Grand Canal Basin.

We offer great discounts for bookings for multiple weeks/children.

More details about the camp are on our Summer Camp Website.

If you have any questions, call us on 01-6683945 or email courses@surfdock.ie

SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Races

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During April we ran the Surfdock SUP Spring Race Series here in the Grand Canal Dock and were delighted to see a total of 40 racers compete over 4 race nights. Despite tough conditions including gale force winds, rain and cold temperatures we never had less than 18 racers on the water with 27 on the busiest night. It is worth checking out some of the pictures/videos from the different races, all of which can be found on our Facebook page.

The competitors were divided into four categories based on board and gender:

Race Board (12’6) Men’s & Ladies’
Crossover Board (all round boards of any size smaller than 12’6) Men’s & Ladies’

Paul Byrne and Jane Downes won their respective classes on the race boards, with Lewis Eickholt and Nina Boeker winning the crossover board classes. The fight for the title in the men’s crossover board class was a tight battle between Lewis, Brendan Meaney and Colin Harris, who all had a chance to grab the title on the last race night. In the end, Lewis paddled a blinder and won the division.

On the third race night we were joined by journalist Heather Irvine from the Sunday Times, who had just taken a crash course in stand up paddleboarding. This was her first ever SUP race experience and she wrote up a great piece based on her experiences for the Sunday Times Magazine, have a look at what she wrote here.

Our feedback from competitors was that the Dock is a fantastic spot for the races with easy access, free parking and even in strong winds racing is still possible thanks to its sheltered location. This makes it an ideal race location for experienced racers as well as those that are new to the sport.

We are now planning the next race series, which will include fun races for everyone who has not had much experience with SUP races and longer distance races for the more experienced competitors. Watch this space!

In order to get in shape for the races, we will also offer race training sessions for €10/hour, where you can join Surfdock Team riders for a paddle in the Dock to get advice and tips on racing. Dates and times will be announced shortly.

Don’t have any SUP experience at all? Check out our flat water introduction class that runs regularly on weekday evenings and weekends.

 

Nationally ranked race event – Dublin Bay SUP Classic 26th/27th May,
Dollymount Strand

On the 26th & 27th of May the Dublin Bay SUP Classic will take place in Dollymount.

The event will include races in the following categories:

•Team Relay 6km total. (Crossover boards 12ft and shorter only.)
•Technical Sprint Novice 2.25km. (Crossover boards 12ft and shorter only.)
•Technical Sprint 4.5km. (ISA Ranking Event. 12ft 6 or shorter.)
•6-8km Novice Marathon. (Crossover boards 12ft and shorter only.)
•18km Marathon. (ISA Ranking Event. 12ft 6 or shorter.)

Surfdock are proud sponsor of the team relay race.

More information on the race days can be found on the Dublin Bay SUP Classic Facebook page.

We are looking forward to a great summer of SUP racing and will hopefully see a lot of racers – experienced and new – on the water.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about stand up paddleboarding, the equipment and races, get in touch with us in the shop on 01-6683945 or email shop@surfdock.ie.