About WindWise

WindWise over view and history

WindWise was established on Achill Island in June 2001 by Gareth and Ruth Allen to provide professional windsurfing courses at every level of the sport. Our motto is "Safe Simple Fun". We provide quality tuition, by using modern suitable equipment, ISA qualified instructors who are trained in the most up to date teaching techniques and the lake from which we run our lessons is ideal for teaching all levels of the sport.

Gareth Allen has 14 years of teaching experience at every level of the sport, he has been appointed as an instructor trainer for the Irish Sailing Association since 1998 and is one of a group of windsurfing trainers who re-wrote the book on teaching windsurfing in Ireland by developing the "Go Windsurfing Scheme". He was a competitor on the Irish Windsurfing Association national wave sailing championship for a number of years, with consistent ranking in the top ten and is now involved in the organisation of wave sailing competitions.

Ruth Allen has 14 years of experience teaching sailing and windsurfing and has a history steeped in sailing. Ruth has worked as a senior sailing instructor in a number of sailing schools, teaching both adults and juniors. Ruth is dedicated to progressing windsurfing and runs our Junior Windsurfing courses and our sailing sessions which are open to everyone. Ruth also runs the Sea Scouts on Achill Island and is highly motivated when it comes to passing on the skills of windsurfing and sailing.

In 2008 we changed our logo, the logo on the right is the old WindWise logo. We wanted to change the logo to reflect the changes we have made over the last year. We wanted a fresher look and a logo that we can break up and change the color to suit the background of any marketing products we use. We have also retained our windsurfer man "or part of" from the original logo which you see on the left.

Our new logo which is on the right will be the logo you will see from now on. The new logo has a more professional look. We hope that the changes to our logo will reflect how WindWise is also changing and updating to deliver professional courses using the most modern equipment and teaching techniques.

WindWise History and development

During our first year in Achill in 2001 we only provided courses to advanced students looking to learn waterstarting, carve gybing, looping and wavesailing.

In 2002 we began to teach windsurfing to beginners and intermediate windsurfer's on Keel lake, trying to get people from around Mayo to learn to windsurf and develop their skills. We were also offering advanced courses to students that were willing to travel to Achill.

During the summer of 2003 we ran our first junior courses, we were also offering taster windsurfing lessons to small groups, providing the opportunity for tourists and locals who were not here specifically to do a windsurfing course but just a taste was enough to get them hooked.

In 2003 windwise became an Irish Sailing Association recognised Go windsurfing school.

Over the past couple of years we have continued to grow the school and the number of students passing through the school has continued to grow. The junior windsurfing course has developed loads of youngsters who have returned year after year. We aim to grow the junior course numbers in 2009 and provide more advanced tuition to the junior windsurfers.

Why Achill ? Achill Island is an ideal location for teaching windsurfing. The lake at Keel is the perfect teaching location for beginners. The beach at Keel receives a huge amount of swell right throughout the year and Achill, Belmullet and the Northwest coast are consistently windier than anywhere in Ireland. See our Achill page or gallery for information and pictures of the lake at Keel.

You can't beat learning to windsurf in an area of outstanding beauty and with beaches and lakes to accommodate any wind direction and every level of windsurfing, superb water quality and consistent surf, it's been said The West of Ireland is the second best place in the world to windsurf "we say it's the best". All this together makes Achill a wonderful place to windsurf, with changing conditions everyday and a great diversity of windsurfing. From freestyling on the lake to wave sailing down the line on Keel beach, you are sure to find somewhere on Achill Island that suits you.

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