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TIMO MULLEN’S IRISH SUMMER SWELL MISSION

Summer swells in Ireland are usually the stuff of wishful thinking. Forecasts often promise more than they deliver and with the Atlantic notoriously fickle at this time of year, most windsurfers would think twice before booking flights, arranging travel and gambling on a sketchy forecast.

But when Timo Mullen spotted a window that had potential for a summer wave session at one of his favourite spots, he decided to take the chance.

What started as a low-expectation mission turned into one of those rare sessions: sunny skies, strong wind, empty peaks and waves far bigger than anyone expected.

We caught up with Timo to find out what made him pull the trigger, what he found when he arrived, and why sometimes the best sessions come from simply saying: “Sod it, let’s go.”

Photos: Tam Mullen and ‘This_is_Sligo’ (Instagram)

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WINDSURF: What caused you to pull the trigger and book a flight last minute to Ireland?

Timo Mullen: “Well, actually, that was a funny one because I wasn’t really watching the Ireland forecast too much. It’s summertime and anytime you see a swell forecast in summer, it’s usually never quite as big as they say it’s going to be, so you don’t normally make it a priority.

I also had to be in Gwithian on the Saturday to do the changeover for my Airbnb, so my focus was on that. It was windy there anyway, so I knew I’d be windsurfing regardless.

But while I was cleaning the house, I thought to myself: “You know what? It’s summertime…this might be the only chance to go wave sailing on the west coast of Ireland this summer.”

So, I just thought, sod it, I’ll book it.

I paid a lot more than I normally would because it was summer, but I figured it was worth the gamble. I could have flown cheaper from Bristol, but it was only £50 extra to fly from Southampton, which is just 45 minutes from my house.

The Southampton to Belfast flight with Aer Lingus is actually a great option. They allow you to take gear, and it’s only £45 each way for a 32kg bag, so £90 return, which is pretty decent.

I knew I’d get sailing anyway because it was windy, so even if the swell didn’t arrive, I’d still have a session. There was no wind forecast on the south coast, so I thought it was worth taking the chance.”

WINDSURF: What conditions were you expecting when you booked the trip?

Timo Mullen: “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. The spot we go to is pretty fickle. If you want guaranteed conditions in winter, you’d normally head to Magheroarty. But when the swell is less consistent, this spot actually picks up more swell…it just rarely works. Maybe we only sail it two or three times a year.

I was expecting head-high waves at the most. Maybe two to three foot, side shore, and probably quite a few surfers because there hadn’t been much surf in Ireland for a couple of weeks. So yeah, expectations were pretty low!”

WINDSURF: What was your reaction when you arrived and saw the beach?

Timo Mullen: “My expectations were definitely low. With webcams these days, I checked the Bundoran webcam before leaving my mum’s house, and it looked pretty flat…maybe two foot maximum. So, I was pretty confident the forecast was going to be what I expected.

But when I pulled up to the beach, it was absolutely pumping.

It was logo-high, with some bigger sets coming through. It was windy too…really windy. I rigged a 4.7m which is rare for that spot. Normally you’re on a 5.3m or bigger, so that gives you an idea of how windy it was. It was also sunny, which is super rare there. I literally couldn’t rig up quick enough.”

WINDSURF: How was the session?

Timo Mullen: “Action-wise, I got a couple of good aerials and some nice cutbacks, but the best thing about that spot is the smooth bottom turns you get. They’re big, steep bowls that you drop into. Because the wind was a little onshore, you don’t get as much of an open face…it becomes more of a shoulder, but it was still really good.

The swell just kept building too. There were some proper waves coming through…mast-high sets for sure.”

WINDSURF: Who else was out and talk us through your best waves?

Timo Mullen: “There were a few of the local crew around…Finn, Colin Harris and Dan…although they were all out at different times. Colin had a really good winging session in the morning. The wind was slightly more side-off then, and I reckon that would have been an amazing windsurfing session too. Dan Keeley joined me halfway through my session.

Rob Creane, who’s from Dublin, doesn’t really sail that much, but he came down and gave it a go. He had a couple of nice waves too. My brother Finn had his daughter’s dance final all day, but he still managed to get a great cross-off beach break session at nearby Streedegh later on and he said it was amazing. My brother Tam also joined me to come and film as well as a local photographer, Instagram handle, ‘this is Sligo’

It was good to see Tom Bennett Lloyd. I don’t know if anyone remembers Tom from, he won the amateurs for quite a few years in Tiree. Tom lives out in Ireland now and he came along for a session as well.

For my best waves, my second wave when I first went out was probably the one that stands out. The wind was still a bit more southwest and I got a couple of really nice turns. Then the swell started building and halfway through the session there were some proper bombs coming through.

I had one wave that was well over mast high. I got an amazing view of it and I also had a couple of smaller but really fun ones. One right-hander came through, which is unusual there and I managed to smack the lip. That was a pretty special one.”

WINDSURF: What gear were you riding?

Timo Mullen: “I was on my Duotone 94-litre Ultra Grip and the Super Hero D/LAB 4.7m.

The 94 quad is my go-to board in Ireland. It just works everywhere. Even with different spots and conditions, it’s ridiculously easy to sail.”

WINDSURF: Looking back, was the gamble worth it?

Timo Mullen: “Yeah, 100%. Definitely worth it. My other option was going to go to Rhosniegr because there was a Gwithian demo day happening on the Saturday and I was going to head up for the Sunday. But it turned out they didn’t even run the demo on Sunday, so I had actually got the dates wrong. That would have been a disaster if I’d gone there. Instead, I got an amazing Ireland trip.

I even got up super early on Monday morning and sailed Magheroarty on my own from around 8am until 10:30. That was super good fun…5.3m conditions with chest to head-high waves on the beach break. So, I managed to squeeze another session out of the trip.

TAKING THE CHANCE!

Timo’s Ireland mission is a reminder that some of the best sessions don’t come from perfect forecasts or guaranteed conditions. They come from taking the chance.

A questionable summer swell, a last-minute flight, and a bit of optimism turned into one of those rare Irish days: sunshine, strong wind, and waves that were far bigger than anyone expected. The gamble paid off.