Aloha Surf School
Aloha Surf School
5
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About
Aloha Surf School are situated in the heart of the Burren at beautiful Fanore Beach in Co. Clare. They run surfing lessons and Stand Up Paddleboarding for all ages and abilities, from beginners to improvers, adults, families and kids. They also rent all the equipment you need to get in the water. They are recommended and approved by the Irish Surfing Association.
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5.0
49 reviews
Excellent
47
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
michael l
London, UK78 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
We came body boarding here for the second year in a row - beautiful location, great waves and lovely staff - great fun and great value in a stunning spot - not to be missed when on the Wild West coast !
Written 16 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma L
Dublin, Ireland231 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
My friends and I rented wet suits and boards with them and I’ve rarely seen such bad service. They did explain a lot about safety which was nice. However they purposely gave us slightly oversized wetsuits in fear that we would rip them. Of course that led us to freeze in the water. They were also very strict on the boards and any slight damage would cost you 30€. We’re talking soft boards here. Even the sand was considered damaging. Shame since you usually surf at the beach.
I almost thought this was normal until we went to lahinch and had an amazing rental experience. Although Fanore is beautiful and wild, I 100% recommend lahinch if you want to rent surf gear. The waves/current are also much better there.
I almost thought this was normal until we went to lahinch and had an amazing rental experience. Although Fanore is beautiful and wild, I 100% recommend lahinch if you want to rent surf gear. The waves/current are also much better there.
Written 22 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, wow well can't believe we're only getting back to this now! We tend to hibernate a bit after the season! Sorry about that, and we're sorry that you had a less than excellent experience with us. As you'll see from our reviews we strive to provide only a 5 star experience to people who come to surf with us! We do this because we love what we do and want people to have a great time when they come to surf with us! Let me take a couple of your points. Wetsuits to work properly need to be a skin tight fitting. Sometimes it can be the case that someone can fall in between two sizes. It happens to me with some brands of wetsuits, that one size is a bit too tight and the next size up, a bit loose. Some brands fit me better than others. That's the way it is with wetsuits, we're all different sizes, so I can only guess that that's what happened in your case. Regarding damaging the boards, all we ask is that customers don't drag the boards up the car park and all the way to the beach, and then once in the water, don't run into each other. This is for safety obviously, but also if people run into each other, the boards get cut up and absorb water. They then take days to dry out to be repaired and are never quite the same again afterwards. That's all we ask and we don't charge for slight damage or wear and tear. In fact last year I think we might have had to apply a small charge on one occasion just for careless damage to equipment. We just give a comprehensive safety brief and ask people to take care of the equipment. That's it. On waves and current, well waves are like the weather, they change from day to day. So thanks for your feedback and sorry again that you weren't totally happy with your experience. All the best, Ali
Written 6 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
NBDublin
Dublin, Ireland2 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
Our children (aged 11,13 & 14) had a lesson with Sarah this week. They have had lessons all over Ireland and Cornwall and said it was the best lesson and most fun they have ever had surfing (even saw Dolphins). Ali was so friendly and helpful when booking and on the day. We will definitely be back to Aloha Surf School. Highly recommend for all ages for lessons or rentals
Written 5 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liam S
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Family
I went surfing with Aloha in July 2021, and we surfed for 3 days with the school at Fanore. Sarah and Jude were just fantastic, as well as Ali and the rest of the staff that worked there. There were tips galore, as well as general conversation about whatever was going on that day, that really made the experience fun. If you have never surfed before, never fear; these lads will teach you to get up on the board in no time! We hired all our gear from them over the three days, and everything was in such good condition. They are very focused on keeping everyone safe, all ages, so even young children can enjoy the waves. I am already looking forward to coming back next year, because 3 days really was not enough! (I am convinced that even going to Aloha daily for a month straight would still see me rearing for more!)
It’s simple really; if you are looking to go surfing somewhere, or enjoy a lovely beach, this is the place to be. End of story! :)
- Liam Smyth
It’s simple really; if you are looking to go surfing somewhere, or enjoy a lovely beach, this is the place to be. End of story! :)
- Liam Smyth
Written 31 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aisling C
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Friends
6 of us had a blast learning how to surf, Jude was our instructor and he was so friendly and helpful trying to help us get the best out of the lesson! A beautiful day at Fanore Beach that we won’t forget for a long time!
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kayla9
Dundrum, Ireland304 contributions
Jul 2021
The lessons were fully booked on our trip to Fanore but through the lovely Alli we rented a body board and surf boards for 2 hours.(So much so we returned the following day!) Our 3 girls had surfed before when we lived in Sligo 3 years ago but were back in action within minutes on this beautiful safe beach... (Recommend booties...jellyfish alert!) ..Alli is a gem ,there is a shower by the beach, a lifeguard from 2pm, good tide information and plenty of people around, functional toilets and decent parking...will we return? Hell yes! Highly recommend, and see you again in October! Many many thanks, we had a ball x
Written 11 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard M
Dublin, Ireland12 contributions
Aug 2020
Great fun. Three teens and an adult spent a couple of hours surfing on Fanore beach. It was an excellent experience. Friendly, knowledgeable and patient staff and instructor. Highly recommend. My three teenagers loved it.
Written 16 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ash L
5 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
Pete is a really wonderful teacher! He made the lesson really fun and was always about in case anyone needed extra support. I can't wait to come back for another lesson very soon :)
Written 14 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meaghan Perdue
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
A group of us had Pete as our instructor and he was excellent. He was really informative and patient with us as we were all beginners. The whole experience was really enjoyable, we’ll be back.
Written 10 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ailish H
Co. Clare, Ireland2 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
My daughter's took part in surf camp age 8 and 10. I cannot recommend Aloha highly enough. Peter not only taught them the practicalities of surfing but also the safety aspects like how to recognize a rip tide etc. My girls couldn't wait to get to camp everyday and couldn't believe it when the day finished as they were having so much fun the time flew. The staff really took Covid precautions seriously which was so reassuring. We will definitely be back
Written 13 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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