If you're in Mayo and want to learn to kitesurf, here's the honest picture: Mayo has some of the best kitesurfing water in Ireland — and for your first lessons, most riders are still better off pointing the car south to us in Galway. We teach private 1:1 BKSA lessons at Silverstrand, on a sheltered, sandy lagoon that's about as forgiving a place to learn as you'll find anywhere on the west coast — a little over an hour from Castlebar or Westport. There isn't a school and shop closer to most of Mayo that gives you safe beginner water and a full gear shop in the one trip — and we're rated five stars by more than 55 riders.
Mayo's kitesurfing spots — the local knowledge
We're not knocking Mayo. Far from it — once you're independent, you've got some of the country's finest riding on your doorstep:
Keel Beach, Achill Island — the famous one. Three kilometres of sand that has drawn most of the world's top kiters at some point, on an island that's the first landmass the Atlantic wind touches in Europe. Prevailing south-westerlies, and it's rare to go long without a rideable day. Beside it, shallow Keel Lake is a safe, easy-access flat-water spot.
Bertra Beach, Westport — a sand spit at the foot of Croagh Patrick, about 12km west of Westport on the R335. A well-known kite and windsurf beach with a spectacular backdrop.
Elly Bay, Belmullet — out on the Mullet Peninsula, a Blue Flag beach where the west side takes the swell and the east side gives you more sheltered water. Worth the drive when the forecast lines up.
Cracking spots — for riders who already know what they're doing. But for your first lessons, where you learn matters enormously, and that's where our lagoon has something Mayo's open beaches don't.
Why the lagoon makes all the difference
Most of the frustration in learning to kitesurf comes down to the water you learn on. Open beach break with waves, deep water, offshore wind or rocks will make a beginner's life miserable and slow. Our spot at Silverstrand has a sandy lagoon that, on the right tide, gives you flat, shallow, standing-depth water with steady onshore wind — so when you lose the board (everyone does) you can just stand up, reset and go again. Standing-depth water alone probably halves the time it takes most people to get up and riding. Lessons are private 1:1 with radio coaching — no standing on the beach waiting your turn in a group of six — and you can read how the sessions run on our kitesurfing school page.
Make the trip count: lessons and gear in one stop
The other reason to come to us is simple — you can do the whole thing in one visit. Book a lesson, learn on our kit, and if you catch the bug you can sort your own gear before you drive home, all at our trailer at Silverstrand / Barna. No second trip, no waiting on a courier, no guessing your sizes online. When you're ready to buy, our beginner packages bundle a kite, bar, board and the bits you need at a far better price than buying piece by piece — and right now lesson students get €400 of safety gear free with a full-price brand-new beginner kite package. And it's gear you can't get anywhere else in the country: we're the only Approved CORE dealer in the Republic and the country's only Code Foils and LIEUWE dealer.
One shop for everything else you'll need
Kitesurfing needs more than a kite, and the cold Atlantic means you can't skimp on the warm gear. This is where our Gear Up & Save range earns its keep — the more you kit out, the more you save, across wetsuits, helmets, impact vests, boots, gloves and hoods. Add a harness and whatever wetsuits and waterwear you need to stay warm out there. Walk in for a lesson, walk out kitted head to toe.
The drive is shorter than you think
From Westport or Castlebar you're looking at roughly an hour and a quarter to Galway; from south Mayo it's less again. Plenty of our regulars make that run for a good forecast without blinking, because a steady, safe session beats a sketchy local one every time. And once you've got your own gear and your independence, you'll know exactly what to look for back home at Keel, Bertra and Elly Bay.
Coming from Mayo? WhatsApp us on 087 144 8888 before you set off and we'll line your lesson up with the right tide and wind — no point driving down for a flat day. We're a small Galway family business: call to our trailer at Silverstrand / Barna or book a lesson, and we'll get you started on the best beginner water in the west.
