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Displaying items by tag: Prowlers

#Surfing - The Irish Times was on hand earlier this week to capture six daring surfers' excursion to the secret swell spot known as Prowlers.

Big Wave Award contender Kurt Rist was among the group who had waited three years for the return of the rare surf phenomenon off Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo, which is only accessible to the hardiest waveriders by Jet Ski tow-in.

Discovered in 2006, Prowlers was only captured on camera for the first time in late 2010 - and videoed again this past Monday 3 March as Rist and company took up the challenge. The Irish Times has more HERE.

Speaking of rare waves, Red Bull recently highlighted some never-before-seen snaps by student Christian McLeod of Rist and others surfing nearby west coast slab The Unfound.

And MagicSeaweed has also celebrated the 'grit and guts' of the Mullaghmore regulars, particularly this stunning display by Newquay surfer Tom Butler (beware the NSFW audio):

Tom's Bomb by Peter Conroy from MSW on Vimeo.

Further afield, Ireland can hail the exploits of Lahinch resident and 'adopted Clareman' Tom Lowe, who last month became the first European to surf Mexico's notorious Killers, according to the Irish Examiner. Check out the video evidence:

Published in Surfing
Tagged under
Two new videos posted online offer a fasincating insight into the impressive and mysterious west coast big wave spot known as Prowlers.
The first includes footage and images from the infamous surf session from last November that put the wave on the map:
The second video, in stunning high definition, shows Al Mennie and Andrew Cotton paddling in to take on the incredible surf:

Two new videos posted online offer a fasincating insight into the impressive and mysterious west coast big wave spot known as Prowlers.

The first includes footage and images from the infamous surf session from last November that put the wave on the map:

The second video, in stunning high definition, shows Al Mennie and Andrew Cotton paddling in to take on the incredible surf:

The precise location of Prowlers is still a closely guarded secret among the big wave surfing community.

Published in Surfing

Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Ireland Information

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity to save lives at sea in the waters of UK and Ireland. Funded principally by legacies and donations, the RNLI operates a fleet of lifeboats, crewed by volunteers, based at a range of coastal and inland waters stations. Working closely with UK and Ireland Coastguards, RNLI crews are available to launch at short notice to assist people and vessels in difficulties.

RNLI was founded in 1824 and is based in Poole, Dorset. The organisation raised €210m in funds in 2019, spending €200m on lifesaving activities and water safety education. RNLI also provides a beach lifeguard service in the UK and has recently developed an International drowning prevention strategy, partnering with other organisations and governments to make drowning prevention a global priority.

Irish Lifeboat Stations

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland, with an operational base in Swords, Co Dublin. Irish RNLI crews are tasked through a paging system instigated by the Irish Coast Guard which can task a range of rescue resources depending on the nature of the emergency.

Famous Irish Lifeboat Rescues

Irish Lifeboats have participated in many rescues, perhaps the most famous of which was the rescue of the crew of the Daunt Rock lightship off Cork Harbour by the Ballycotton lifeboat in 1936. Spending almost 50 hours at sea, the lifeboat stood by the drifting lightship until the proximity to the Daunt Rock forced the coxswain to get alongside and successfully rescue the lightship's crew.

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895.

FAQs

While the number of callouts to lifeboat stations varies from year to year, Howth Lifeboat station has aggregated more 'shouts' in recent years than other stations, averaging just over 60 a year.

Stations with an offshore lifeboat have a full-time mechanic, while some have a full-time coxswain. However, most lifeboat crews are volunteers.

There are 46 lifeboat stations on the island of Ireland

32 Irish lifeboat crew have been lost in rescue missions, including the 15 crew of the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) lifeboat which capsized while attempting to rescue the crew of the SS Palme on Christmas Eve 1895

In 2019, 8,941 lifeboat launches saved 342 lives across the RNLI fleet.

The Irish fleet is a mixture of inshore and all-weather (offshore) craft. The offshore lifeboats, which range from 17m to 12m in length are either moored afloat, launched down a slipway or are towed into the sea on a trailer and launched. The inshore boats are either rigid or non-rigid inflatables.

The Irish Coast Guard in the Republic of Ireland or the UK Coastguard in Northern Ireland task lifeboats when an emergency call is received, through any of the recognised systems. These include 999/112 phone calls, Mayday/PanPan calls on VHF, a signal from an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or distress signals.

The Irish Coast Guard is the government agency responsible for the response to, and co-ordination of, maritime accidents which require search and rescue operations. To carry out their task the Coast Guard calls on their own resources – Coast Guard units manned by volunteers and contracted helicopters, as well as "declared resources" - RNLI lifeboats and crews. While lifeboats conduct the operation, the coordination is provided by the Coast Guard.

A lifeboat coxswain (pronounced cox'n) is the skipper or master of the lifeboat.

RNLI Lifeboat crews are required to follow a particular development plan that covers a pre-agreed range of skills necessary to complete particular tasks. These skills and tasks form part of the competence-based training that is delivered both locally and at the RNLI's Lifeboat College in Poole, Dorset

 

While the RNLI is dependent on donations and legacies for funding, they also need volunteer crew and fund-raisers.

© Afloat 2020