Keel Beach
Keel beach is one of Irelands top wavesailing locations, situated perfectly to catch most of the wind and swell that first hits our West coast. The beach produces a range of windsurfing conditions suiting everyone from beginner wave sailor to expert. The waves here regularly reach mast high and can be very heavy in the mid section of the beach producing some awesome wavesailing.
Due to the location of Achill Island the predominant winds here are West to Northwest. This produces excellent starboard wavesailing conditions at Keel beach.
The best conditions for down the line wavesailing are Northwesterly winds and a Westerly swell. This produces the cleanest down the line wavesailing. Southwesterly wind produce excellent cross onshore jumping conditions with big ramps.
The reef at the Western end of the beach saw some epic action last Winter, with Danny Kealy and Gareth Allen from WindWise getting some of the best wavesailing seen on Achill Island to date. This is a fast heavy reef with one big section that breaks fast and then walls up as a perfect peeling right hander with lots of turns and finally runs into a channel allowing for easy access back out again. Beware the rip here is strong and you are far out so have a back up plan and DONT!!! go near the reef at low tide it only works from two hours after low tide up to an hour before high tide.
Due to our Westerly location the Summer months on Achill Island produce regular wavesailing conditions. Beware of the general national weather forecasts, you could be fooled, Achill has it's own micro-climate. Check with the locals here and you will find them out sailing in excellent conditions right through the Summer.
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