8 minute(s) de lecture
An unfortunate part of surfing is hoping that Mother Nature delivers the goods at a time when you can take advantage of them.
We’ve all experienced that sod's law feeling when either the surf is pumping, but you’re stuck in work or not by the coast, or you’re free as a bird, but the sea is as flat as a pancake.
But the ocean is an unpredictable place, and even in seemingly hopeless conditions, fun waves have been known to be found!
Earlier this year, big wave surfer and dryrobe® Ambassador Izzi Gomez did a recce of one of Europe’s most intimidating surf locations, Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast.
Ireland is an epic and remote place that’s gained great traction for its fierce surf in recent decades. Guided by fellow big wave surfer and dryrobe® Ambassador Taz Knight, who relocated to the country for its punishing but promising winter surf conditions. The anticipation for decent surf was met with good times, and dryrobe® videographer Gabriella Zagni was there to capture it all.
Feeling most at home outdoors or in the water, Gabby specialises as a sports, water, and lifestyle photographer, videographer, and editor. She has been travelling, working, and surfing around the globe since she was seventeen, capturing the beauty of the world from her perspective.
We were stoked to catch up with Gabby about the reality of making UK surf films and how to make the most of uncertain conditions. Be prepared for tales of mizzle, a mega reef slam, and a surprising ocean visitor.
Read on to check out the series and gain behind-the-scenes insight from the filmmaker herself.
The series shows us the real side of surfing. There’s a lot of hoping/waiting that all the elements deliver, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen, especially in such a short window. Luckily, you guys got some waves eventually, though! What were the best bits from the trip?
The funny thing was, it was all a highlight! Although we were challenged by poor weather and surf conditions which was a struggle mentally and physically, afterwards you really feel like you've achieved something. If it had been easy, you wouldn’t feel so proud of yourself and the team.
The main highlight for me was the last day when there was really good surf for about 20 minutes, and we had the whole break to ourselves. We got in at first light, the sky was a lovely pinky/blue colour and you could see the mist-covered mountains from the water, it was very atmospheric, and it really stuck with me. Whilst I was shooting, an otter poked its head up, I froze and just stared at it, I didn’t realise otters swam in the sea, I thought I was going a bit mad! I went up to Taz and said, ‘I’m pretty sure I just saw an otter,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, they come and fish in the ocean’. When it happened I was so shocked I didn’t even think to pull up the camera and capture it!
What were the most unglamorous bits?
Pretty much all of it, haha. Honestly, making a surf film, especially one in a cold climate, has got to be one of the least glamorous things you can do!
We were getting up stupidly early because we wanted to give ourselves a chance to capture sunrise and glassy conditions. Unfortunately for us, most days were very cloudy and windy!
You're very tired before you even start filming, and you’ve got to lug loads of stuff around. All of us had so many things, whether it was cameras, tripods, surfboards, wetsuits, or dryrobes. Then there’s all the necessary neoprene you’ve got to wear so you can shoot/surf in the cold Irish sea, I can’t say that’s very flattering, haha.
How did you know where to search for waves?
Taz has lived in Ireland for many years so he knew where to go depending on the predicted conditions. He analysed the report each night, but unfortunately, it wasn’t forecast very accurately. I think every surfer can relate to that, you get really excited for a surf as it says it’s going to be great, then as you pull up to the beach, it’s flat or super windy, and yet we still keep going back, haha. I could see the potential in each break that Taz took us to, it was a shame we didn’t score, but I could see when this place gets it, it must be amazing!
What was it like to manage expectations vs. reality?
We were all very excited about visiting Ireland, we knew April wasn’t the best time to go, but it was the only time everyone's schedules lined up, so we went for it. The report looked promising, but unfortunately, we didn’t receive the predicted forecast. I think this was the hardest part to manage as we had got our hopes up for some decent surf but were let down each time we arrived at the breaks. Saying that, we still got some waves, even a few head dips and little barrels, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom!
What was Ireland like visually?
The landscape was very dramatic, especially the beaches and mountainous parts. I really enjoyed just driving from one spot to the next. The roads were super quiet. There were a lot of abandoned houses in some places, but that added to the charm. I would definitely recommend visiting Ireland as a photographer or videographer!
Were there any significant learning curves?
The first morning was super wet and windy, we arrived at the first break, and I needed to get Izzi’s reaction to the conditions/landscape and their interactions before they got in the water. I was using the same camera to film on land as well as in the water, you don’t want any moisture on the camera before it goes into its protective housing otherwise it will fog up. I knew I was making a mistake when I was filming them, but I thought, ‘It’ll be alright, I can dry it off in the car’ - I was wrong. I changed into my wetsuit, missioned it down to the sea, swam out, and then bam, it fogged up. I got out, walked all the way back up to the car, got it out, and dried it all off. Megan, the photographer, said, ‘Try putting some sanitary towels in there because they absorb the moisture.’ I had some spare in my bag, so whacked them in and ran back down to the sea, but it happened again, the camera needed properly drying out, it was very frustrating. Fortunately, that was the day there was no surf, so I didn’t miss out on anything, if it had been epic, I would have been really gutted, I’ve definitely learned my lesson.
Did you actually make seaweed spaghetti?
Yeah, and it was delicious! I’ve always wanted to try it, so when Taz managed to forage some, I was very excited. Taz cooked us a lovely meal that evening, half normal pasta, half seaweed spaghetti with some pesto, feta, and tomatoes; it tasted really good!
Were there any windows for you to get a surf in yourself?
No, we weren’t there for very long, so I had to focus on filming. Also, if the surf was good, I’d want to capture it. I saw this guy's motto once on Instagram, ‘If it’s sick, I’ll shoot, and if it’s shit, I’ll surf.’ That pretty much sums it up.
Taz advised coming back again in the winter and for longer. Do you have any thoughts on a second series?
I’d like to do that so Izzi has the chance to experience Ireland at its best, and I could too! Haha. When you're making a surf film, the surfers want the best waves, and you want to capture them. Let's face it, that’s what people want to watch too. So yeah, maybe we can make that happen if we can persuade Izzi to come back.
Featuring photography from Megan Gayda and Joe McGettigan
#dryrobeterritory
Published on August 07, 2024