PureMagic

On one of the last days before the epic summer of 2013 ended, I decided to do (prior to this summer) no man had done before (kinda) — get into the Dublin sea. It was like bathwater and decidedly un-​Irish. Overcome by an urge to share this revelation with everyone I knew, I organised a trip out Donnabate Strand, stand up paddle boarding.
Now, let me preface this by saying I’d originally planned on a day trip paddling around Ireland’s Eye, which sounded decidedly more exciting, but the crew in the shop weren’t keen as most of us had never done SUP before, and suggested it might be better to start small, and on the next trip get around the island.
So, with the sun splitting the stones, off we went with our huge boards. I have dabbled with some surfing before (to varying levels of success), and in the midst, discovered that my favourite element of the ‘surfing’, was paddling out into the flat space and sitting on my board taking in the ocean around me. SUP is perfect for this — you’re not contending with many (if any) waves, and once you’ve got your balance figured out, it’s a lovely calming feeling.
It’s still a great workout as you’re using a lot of your core for balance and arms to paddle.
It costs € 15 for one hour of paddling, which I think is more than enough for a first timer.
These guys also do kite surfing lessons and have another branch on Achill Island that teaches surfing and more.

PureMagic is primarily a Kitesurf center, providing kitesurfing lessons and renting and selling all related equipment. However, they are also actively involved with SUP (stand up paddle boarding).
The store is located near the wooden bridge on Clontarf road, so only a short skip to the kitesurfing spot on Dollymount Strand and short drive to Burrow Beach in Sutton. You can purchase and rent equipment from the store, but for anybody new to kitesurfing lessons are also available. I have had lessons here and found the team really good. They are a really friendly group and very patient (important for novice kitesurfers). They also organise kitesurfing trips abroad during the cold months, I went on a trip to the Sahara which was a truly unique experience, they also go to Brazil.
PureMagic have a western outpost on Achill Island that consists of a B&B and kitesurf center, so worth keeping in mind for trips west.
On the odd occasion of calm weather in Dublin, they also organise SUP trips around Ireland’s Eye which are well worth checking out if that’s your sort of thing (
).