Surfing the tourism wave

BBC NI's rural affairs correspondent Martin Cassidy joined a surfing school on Northern Ireland's north coast to see how natural resources like wave power are being used to drive the tourism industry.

You can see why the surfing bug is so infectious. Out in the bay the huge grey breakers form up to charge in like a brigade of lifeguards.

Tourism is on the crest of a wave in the province

The beach beneath your feet reverberates to the crash of the walls of water.

The exploding surf on the northern coastline is like a series of dynamite charges.

It's like a battlefield scene where the senses are overwhelmed by sound and colour - the feeling is one of exhilaration tinged with fear.

Now a sobering moment - it's time to advance to meet the waves.

Our instructors lead from the front and suddenly we are in with the breakers all around us and with the back tow of the waves pulling at the brightly coloured surf boards.

For owner Bryan McAuley this is a sport and a passion which is now offering him a business future.

Bryan McAuley has turned his sport into a business

Seven times he has won an Irish national title and he has been rated in the top six bodyboarders in the world.

Now he has set up a school for surfers and bodyboarders.

The idea is simple - to offer people the equipment and guidance to give it a go as well as more advanced instruction for surfers who, like Bryan, spend much of their time travelling around the coastline in search of the best waves.

And the beach boy lifestyle has been given government approval and a grant to help get it going.

The funding has come through a programme which aims to harness businesses and jobs to Northern Ireland's natural tourism strengths.

West strand, Portrush, is now the sort of place where you used to find a government official.

Surfers advance to meet the exploding waves

But clad in his wet suit and surveying the waves, Gareth Evans represents a new face of a department which now focuses on rural development as well as agriculture.

"All the other industry in Northern Ireland is on a downward trend, tourism though is on an upward trend," said Gareth, who was ready to take the plunge despite admitting to being wary of water.

The surfing school is just one of more than 400 businesses to receive funding under the Natural Resource Rural Tourism Initiative.

To date, the fund has put in just over £1m into projects like this.

Government funding for the mobile surfing school amounts to just over £7,000 - not a great deal of money.

But the cash, says owner Bryan McAuley, has helped the business get on the road with a trailer, wetsuits, and surf boards.

"It's all about having fun and enjoying the sport. We have such a wonderful thing here on our doorstep we might as well use it," he said.

Time and tides wait for no man, and two hours fly by for both students and instructors.

The surf school's Ryan Greer says most people manage to get the hang of it by the end of the lesson.

Gareth Evans said tourism was a big growth industry in Northern Ireland

"On the first day we take them out and show them how it is done and after the two hours you are almost guaranteed to be able to stand up," he said.

And out in the surf the beginners group are taking their first faltering steps - each eventually ending in a flailing backwards tumble!

We come ashore tired and awe-struck at the big waves further out in the bay.

Bryan and Ryan smile as we ask could those giant breakers really be mastered.

Perhaps, but it seems that's down the way a bit for most of us.

The immediate battle is to get out of the wet suit.

Then we quench our thirst putting bottles of mineral water to our salty lips.

Out in the bay the big rollers are building up again, as a squall sweeps across the bay.

School is out for the day - but the beach gang will be out again tomorrow, searching the coastline for the best surf.