How Wildlife Sightings Can Take a SUP Tour to a Whole Other Level!
The weather is a favorite topic of conversation among Irish folk. I think that is because it is so mutable and is a shared experience between all people and things. However, We humans have been the only ones to label certain weather as “good” or “bad”. Some animals seem to prefer conditions we would consider…
May 14, 2020
Wild SUP Tours, An Origin Story
Wild SUP Tours was born out of a few different ideas. It all started with Ed’s love of the water, but it grew to encompass much more than that. I was in Sligo, at a bit of a loose end. The film connections I had made in my brief time in Dublin didn’t appear to…
April 23, 2020
A story about Ed Lacey: Co-founder of Wild SUP Tours
My Mum always says that when she was pregnant with me during the summer of 1976, it was the hottest summer in years. She swam every day down at Sandybay beach without fail. She still maintains that that is why I love the water so much. She may well be right, but spending all of…
April 16, 2020
Stand Up Paddle Boarding, An Origin Story
It all began in a different universe only five counties away. Pulled in to a layby on the side of a small country road sat the van, towing a rather precarious trailer full of luminous green SUP boards. It was the very same van you’d be accustomed to seeing at the Wild SUP Tours shed…
March 26, 2020
Trapped on the Dingle Peninsula – How I’m Not Paddling the Wild Atlantic Way
The hardest part of this journey so far has been the time I have spent not paddling. I arrived on the Dingle Peninsula on May 23rd. I’m looking to continue my journey tomorrow on June 24th, but I may not get more than a day out of it. During that month on land, I have…
August 1, 2019
Stand Up Paddling the Southern Peninsulas, except Dingle – Week 2
I saw my first whale! I’ve seen dolphins and seals. I’ve even seen porpoise, but I’ve never seen a whale before last week. In all seriousness though, this section of the journey had moments of pure elation and moments of complete frustration. The wind has such a huge impact on whether paddling is pleasure or pain. I know this, trying to plan sections of coastline in accordance with the wind, yet sometimes you just have to get on with it, grit your teeth and tackle the headwind. It’s frustrating, exhausting, and sometimes downright undo-able. It’s these moments when stand up paddling can become dangerous. It’s these moments when you are extremely glad to find an unexpected pier or landing site. The Mizen is the most southerly point in Ireland, striking out into the ocean, the first point of land for…
May 30, 2019
Stand Up Paddling the Haven Coast – Week 1 of My Wild Atlantic Way Expedition
As I was preparing for the launch of my unsupported paddle up Ireland’s West coast, I heard from various people, “that sounds like a lonely existence”. And the thought of it seemed just that. Paddling all day on my own, camping at night under the stars, on my own. It sounded peaceful yet lonely. As I was…
May 15, 2019
California, A Chance to Plug in with the Greater SUP Community
One of the benefits of owning a seasonal business is it gives you the chance to explore other places during the off season, and not just visit other places but actually live there, like a local for a time. This past winter we chose to go to California. We chose California, not only because it…
April 3, 2019
Why Am I Stand Up Paddle Boarding the Wild Atlantic Way?
Some of my fondest memories from my childhood are of my father reading bedtime stories to me and my brother. These weren’t just any old stories though. These were adventure stories! Our favorites were His Dark materials by Philip Pulman, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, though the full list was much more…
February 12, 2019
Exploring the Dingle Peninsula on a Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Board
On the odd occasion here in Ireland, you’ll get three magical things happening all at once. One, the wind dies off to nothing but the lightest breeze. Two, The swell drops to the smallest of rises. Three, The sun comes out. When this happens there is only one place to be, on a stand up…
July 18, 2017