Ireland was again making headlines a couple weekends ago when the treacherous big wave break of Mullaghmore Head lit up for two of the best days of surf it’s had all winter – and there’s certainly been no lack of swell this season. French big wave surfer Benjamin Sanchis and an extensive crew of local chargers were all over it.

But when it’s not Mullaghmore Head you’re hearing about it’s usually hollow heavy water left of Aileens or super thick and square righthand slab at Riley’s, all of them demanding a level of commitment and training that comes with chasing XXL-sized surf. Exposed to the full force of unruly North Altantic storms, the west coast of Ireland unquestionably boasts some of Europe’s heaviest waves. But what a lot of people perhaps don’t know is that it’s cut up coastline also offers plenty of mellower, more rippable set-ups if you know where to look. Here Cornwall transplant Oli Adams exposes the funner and more approachable facet to surfing on the Emerald Isle.

“Irish surfing isn’t all about massive tow kegs, there are some mental points and a new breed of high performance rippers coming from these shores,” commented Oli on this latest edit. “This was a week where I chose to chase turns instead of pits and had the time of my life!”