SUP for all, Lough Gill, Sligo

The journey for the Wild Atlantic Wayfarer photo exhibition has begun. I’m trying out various tourist activities in Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Donegal and Roscommon and hopefully along the way I’ll get some great photos.

In the middle of a very hectic week I went out to SUP for all, who are based just alongside the Isle of Innisfree on the shores of beautiful Lough Gill.

I was welcomed by David O’Hara who runs SUP for all. His enthusiasm and passion for Stand Up Paddling are infectious. He’s also very encouraging – especially with someone like me (clumsy!).

The hardest part for me was getting on and off the board, I wasn’t too bad when I was out on the water although I did wobble a bit when I was trying to take photos. I had the Canon Powershot D30 so it would have been fine if it had got wet.

The photo above is taken with the D30 it’s the Isle of Innisfree with the Rose of Innisfree tour boat alongside it. The one below is me taking the photo 😉

Now onto the experience itself. It really is something special you are very much in your own little world. The only sounds were the lapping of the water on the board, the birds singing and the occasional instruction from David. Even though you are paddling it’s completely relaxing and although when I arrived I was slightly stressed by the time I finished I was totally chilled and ready to face the world again.

Although I was only on the water for around an hour it did me as much good as a weeks holiday. SUP for all caters for all ages and abilities and it’s a great way to see Lough Gill.

I even managed to get an underwater shot of Lough Gill with the Canon D30.

Huge thanks to David for a wonderful time, check out his Facebook page here and Twitter here.

The Wild Atlantic Wayfarer exhibition will take place in the Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo from July 31st – September 27th. Thanks to the Hawk’s Well for inviting me to have the exhibition and LookWest for promoting my adventures.