If you're in Sligo and serious about learning to kitesurf — or kitting yourself out properly — it's well worth the two-hour run down to us in Galway. You've fine beaches on your own doorstep at Enniscrone and beyond, but for your first lessons nothing beats the safe, sandy lagoon we teach on at Silverstrand, and for gear we're a full kitesurf shop you can actually walk into.
Here's the honest case for making Paddy in the Elements your shop and school, even with a county between us.
Great local beaches — but learn on a lagoon first
Sligo is spoiled for coast. Enniscrone's long beach catches the wind beautifully and there's lovely riding to be had around the northwest once you know what you're doing. The thing is, open beaches with waves and deep water are a slow, cold place to learn the very basics. Our spot at Silverstrand gives you flat, shallow, standing-depth water on the right tide — when you drop the board you stand up, reset and go again, instead of swimming after it. That one difference is why most people get up and riding far quicker with us. Once you've nailed the fundamentals here, you'll take them straight back to Enniscrone and your home spots. There's more on local conditions in our guide to kitesurfing in Ireland.
Lessons that send you home independent
We teach to a recognised syllabus, on our own kites and boards, so you don't spend a cent on gear until you actually know what suits you. Come down for a focused block — a couple of days back to back will get you much further than the odd hour here and there — and you'll head back to Sligo able to rig, launch, body-drag, water-start and self-rescue safely. Have a look at the options on our kitesurfing school page and message us so we can match your session to the tide and forecast — no point driving down for a flat day.
Your kit shop, even from two hours away
This is where we really want to be Sligo's shop. We carry the brands worth owning — North, Core, Ozone, F-One and more — and we'll size a kite to your weight and your local wind rather than selling you whatever's in stock. Browse the kites and, when you're ready to commit, our beginner package deals bundle kite, bar and board for far less than buying piece by piece. Not able to pop in? We post gear all over Ireland, so you can ring us for advice and have it on your doorstep in days.
One stop for everything else
The cold Atlantic means warm gear isn't optional, and we'd rather you got it all in one go. Our Gear Up & Save range rewards you the more you kit out — wetsuits, helmets, impact vests, boots, gloves and hoods — and you can add a harness and grab any wetsuits and waterwear you need to stay out longer. Walk in for a lesson, walk out kitted head to toe.
Make a day of it
Galway's a grand spot to land for a day or a weekend — plenty of riders from up your way tie a lesson in with a night in the city and treat it as a proper trip rather than a chore. Keep an eye on the forecast, pick your window, and the drive starts to feel like part of the fun.
Why bother coming to us?
Because you get the lot in one relationship: proper instruction on the safest learning water in the west, gear matched to you by people who actually ride here, and a real shop down the road for repairs, spares and a second opinion for the life of your kit. That's worth a two-hour drive a couple of times a season. If you're coming from Sligo, give us a shout before you set off and we'll line everything up — call into the shop in Barna village or book a lesson, and we'll get you riding.