The right crew is critical! Windsurfing attracts an eclectic mix of personalities, some mix well, some don’t. Everyone’s ‘free’ time nowadays is so precious that if you can choose to travel with anyone you may as well make sure they are sound of mind and up for the craic, so I’ve no idea why I went with Mini George and Coxy!
For an Ireland forecast I am looking for warm temperatures! Ireland does not like cold temperatures for windsurfing, less than 7 degrees can make the air unstable and a pretty windy forecast can in reality be pretty lame due to gusty winds, or worse no wind. Higher temps seem to help a lot with normally more consistent winds. Swell is paramount, so many people forget NW Ireland needs a W or preferably a NW swell to work. Most importantly, I am looking for even a small glimmer of a smile from my wife when I first broach the subject of clearing off to Ireland for 3-4 days!