Kitesurfing is a relatively new extreme sport to Ireland. This unique activity is a combination of several sport skills, including kiteflying, surfing and wakeboarding, and it provides an adrenalin rush to anyone who loves the outdoors. There are many great techniques that you can learn and the maneouvers can help you improve your surfing skills immensely. By harnessing the power of the wind and ocean, your board can reach top speeds while you fly into the air at 20 feet!
Kitsurfing lessons are a must for getting started with this sport as it can be dangerous and there is a lot to learn. Like any other extreme sport you don't want to take unnecessary risks while learning and many of the techniques are best learned in a lesson, which can make Kitesurfing easy and fun to learn. Depending on your ability the initial learning curve can be steep whilst you learn the basics of kite control. Once you have good kite control progress increases rapidly and you will be up on a board before you know it!
County Clare Road Network - Downloadable MapCounty Clare, in Ireland’s Shannon Region, is one of the best locations for kitesurfing in Europe as it has numerous long beaches with prevailing winds. This combination provides good conditions for kitesurfing for most of the year. Orbital Winds offers a range of kitesurfing courses at Lahinch beach. All instructors are International Kiteboarding Organisation (IKO) certified. Courses range from private lessons to full packages designed to teach a complete beginner.
Orbital Winds also runs their own live weather station that is on the Lahinch beach front. This updates to our website every two seconds. http://www.orbitalwinds.com/weather-live.html
Orbital Winds also has a forum which is a great resource for beginners and forms a community of kitesurfers and windsurfers. http://www.orbitalwinds.com/forum 
Tel: +353 87 0659338
E-mail: info@orbitalwinds.com
Web: www.orbitalwinds.com
The sport of kitesurfing completely depends on having suitable weather conditions. If the wind is too light it is impossible to get going, but if it is too windy it can be very dangerous. Never go out in offshore winds. Tides need to be checked on some beaches as you might have nowhere to launch or land your kite. If the wind direction is not right for your beach, DON’T GO OUT. Try a different beach or try a different day. Ask local kitesurfers for advice on the best beaches for the conditions. It is essential to check the weather forecast at www.met.ie before you go kitesurfing. And remember to never kitesurf alone – bring a friend!
The following are useful web sites for predicting the wind for kitesurfing / windsurfing and surfing
Head Office, Shannon Town Centre,
Shannon, Co Clare: t: +353 (0)61 361555 f: +353 (0)61 361903