Kayaking in Ireland

I picked up kayaking about 3 years ago and since then got really addicted to it.

What's so great about it?

Well, first of all, it relaxes you - completely. The second you are in your kayak and on the water nothing else matters that much anymore. You focus on your environment, on the paddling strokes and the feeling for your boat. All the stress and concerns of your daily life disappear and you are just there, in the moment.

It is so relaxing that some of my workmates tend to suggest I should go kayaking soon whenever I am a little bit too grumpy ;)

Next is that it gives you a great full body workout without the feeling that you are working out. You have fun, you enjoy the water around you and you paddle but at the same time you do your body a whole lot of good things, many muscles need to work together to move a kayak efficiently.

Finally the country itself. Ireland is so beautiful but from the water, you can discover so much more of it. Kayaking is a quiet way of traveling across water bodies and that increases the opportunities to come across wildlife really closely.

And, of course, Ireland just has a lot of water ;)

The sea gives you all kind of sea kayaking, from a mirror-like sea for the relaxed trip around up to a wild and rough exciting ride on waves. Numerous lakes invite you to a spin around and a great number of rivers give you all grades of whitewater fun and excitement you might wish for.

Let's just have a look what is around in my area, Galway.

Want an easy entry to whitewater? Dunkellin river, Rusheen Bay tidal feature are great places to start. Or maybe the Lower Corrib with not too many gates open first? With all gates open and down at the rapids you find some more challenging conditions. Maybe Boluisce - place of the annual #GalwayFest whitewater race. For some freestyle you find Oranmore and the Tuam hole quite handy I'd say - or the rapids on the Lower Corrib again of course.

Hours can be spent in Galway Bay or Lough Corrib with weather dependent more or less challenging conditions.

You see why #kayaking in #Ireland and here in #galway is so great fun! You're around? Give me a buzz and I'll happily show you some of those spots.