Surfing the West of Ireland in Autumn
Carrowniskey — October First
The waves were big today.
Carrowniskey — Ceathrú an uisce — is Irish for ‘washing machine’. This isn’t true, but it’s what comes to mind any time I think of this beach. It lies out on the far fringes of west Mayo, where an uneven and shallow beach receives a large and unpredictable swell.
The relentless onward nudge of the waves blankets the shore quickly and repeatedly. They carry sizeable rocks with it with surprising force — each time pulling back and the lo, the assortment of hundreds of thousands of large stones has been rearranged, a sneaky magician’s trick, a large white glove diverting attention while the prestige is performed out of sight.
But it’s only when looking out further you get a full idea of their power and ferocity, the sort of thing I’ve only seen navigated in fishing trawlers or boats, and those maybe not even in real life.
Today was a reminder that humility is an essential part of surfing and of being in and around the water. From the car I could see a few torsos and heads bobbing on waves. It looked a mess. Just getting out to the waves required some smart timing, furious paddling, a bit of know-how, and maybe a bit of foolhardiness. Sizeable rocks from the stony shore were being transported into my feet and ankles with the strength of the wash. The sea meant business.
Reminders of things I’d known and learned from a lifetime of swimming in the sea. Knowing that looks can be deceptive. That you’ve to manage your breath. Timing. Learning when to push against it, and when to submit to its power and submerge yourself, play dead so you can rise above the surface when the wave passes. Like when you encounter the Predator from the movie, or a prowling bear. I meet a friendly face from home but I get distracted, caught between catching up and small talk and doing the job I’m there to do — catch a wave. I go too late for a big one and get swept away on it before I’m ready. It catapults me forward and all I can do is hang on as I rush towards the shore.
I ended getting washed up on the shore at one point. Not because of a major calamity, just riding out the end of the wave and coming to an end lying flat on the board. Face down on rocks, at first more concerned for…
