:: Friday 20 April '07 ::|

AAs update by Al Meenie
Click here to read the full story from Al Meenie



:: Friday 30 March '07 ::|

The tow crews split up over February and March to pursue normality. Ben Granata renewed his tow instructor qualification in California - he is the only UK K38 instructor. Skindog visited Senegal and Ecuador, Lamiroy was in Israel, and Mole in Puerto Rico. Russ Winter got married in Barbados and Spencer is working in Oz. Duncan Scott got lost in SA, allegedly testing a new Kevlar towboard, but more likely harassing innocent photographers.
Gabe Davies, Richie Fitz and Dave Blount towed some huge barrels in Donegal a few weeks ago. Check out Gabe’s pit! (above)

Also on the case (as always) were Al Meenie and Andrew Cotton. Al missed the session above because he was ill, but he made up for it later with two macking sessions at Spot M and the newly-named AA’s. Click here to check it out!

:: Wednesday 21 February '07 ::|

A mega swell hit the west coast of Ireland over the weekend of 10 February. It was so big a H30 session at Aileens had to be called off!

With the swell showing at 20 feet and breaking at high tide at a low tide spot Al Meenie and Andrew Cotty did attempt a launch but found the local harbour washed out with waves breaking into the car park. Also the normal channel was being blocked by 20 foot closeouts! Wave heights at Aileens were estimated at 30+ feet with a 21 second wave period, with a 5mph offshore wind. The faces were more like 50 feet! With the nearest launch area 8 miles trek, and no back up skis or boat the attempt was abandoned due to safety issues. It was also questionable whether rescues could have been performed on the inside section due to the amount of water moving about and the proximity of the cliffs.

Cotty and Al, did manage a few tow ins at a reed called Heggartys, but it was pretty sketchy. "It was just like a big beach break" said Cotty " We got a few, but it wasn't really what we were after."

:: Wednesday 7 February '07 ::|

H30 on critical
The O Neill H30 has been placed on critical. A large low is currently tracking over the Atlantic forecast to push in eight metre swells.

There has been plenty of swell around but so far the winds haven't been that helpful. Two unsuccessful attempts were made over late December and January but gale force winds forced the skis back in to land on both occasions. Not exactly Hawaii like conditions!

The depression is quite volatile so it's touch and go as to where and when, but hopefully teams will be setting off to intercept swell on Friday.

:: Tuesday 19 December '06 ::|

H30 teams placed on Billabong XXL list
All the lads who took part in the Aileen's session have been placed on the Billabong XXL list! The XXL comp documents the biggest waves surfed in the world over the year and gives out prizes for biggest wave, biggest tube and biggest paddled-into wave. It is a great honour to be nominated – this is the surfing world's World Cup!

The lads are the first British and Irish representatives in the XXL and it'll be interesting to see how their big-wave adventures are rated on a global and European scale!



:: Friday 15 December '06 ::
The H30 team of Duncan Scott, Mole Joel, Ben Granata, Russ Winter, John MacCarthy and Ben Skinner have been put on standby for a break in the huge storm currently battering the UK. The changeable winds are forecast to abate at first light for a few hours and the crew will be heading for…somewhere in England!

Meanwhile in Ireland, Al Meenie, Dave Blount and Richie Fitzgerald are monitoring conditions for a forecast nine-metre swell set to hit Northern Ireland over the weekend. The website will be updated to keep you in the loop.



:: Monday 11 December '06 ::
The boys have headed off to Ireland, in anticipation of what could be epic surf depending on the wind direction. We will keep you updated on their progress.



:: Monday 4 December '06 ::
H30 is currently on stand by. Some huge waves have been battering the west coasts of Britain and Ireland but so have gale force winds.

We had one failed attempt at huge Cribbar and Zorbas (off Newquay) last week. Despite waiting all day for a window in the weather the winds and squalls failed to abate.

More depressions are tracking across the Atlantic so there's a strong possibility things may kick off again later in the week.



:: Friday 11 November '06 ::
It wasn't as big as the boys first thought, but they scored some sick pits. Footage and more pics are on the way soon so check back. The full story will be in the next issue of Carve out in two weeks. Mac and Gabe scored some sick pits. Pretty heavy wave by any standards!!



:: Wednesday 15 November '06 11am ::
H30 part two is on!
After a long wait and two hoax swells the crew have assembled somewhere in Ireland overlooking a sick barreling left with 15 foot faces.

Gabe Davies, Richie Fitzgerald and John McCarthy have joined Mole Joel, Al Meenie and Dave Blount for this episode. (Russ Winter, Spencer Hargraves, Sam Lamiroy and Duncan Scott all have other commitments.) Also on board are bodyboarders Jack Johns, Dan Skajarowski and Tom Gillespie.

Skis were launched at 12 o'clock GMT. We will be doing our best to update the site as the day unfolds! Check the pre-launch podcast interviews here.

Click here to see part of the H3O Project article featured in CARVE 85


The CARVE O'Neill H3O Project Kicks Off!

The CARVE O'Neill H30 Project got off to a mind-blowing start when the team timed it perfectly to score the biggest surf ever ridden off Eire. The waves were estimated at a decidedly heavy 20 feet. Surfers Duncan Scott, Sam Lamiroy, Dan 'Mole' Joel, Spencer Hargraves, Russell Winter, Dave Blount, Al Meenie, Ian Battrick and Andrew Cotton jumped into the maelstrom at a secret location in Ireland's County Clare.

High-powered Kawasaki jetskis capable of 60 mph towed the boys into the huge waves. They surfed for over six hours, emerging exhausted but triumphant. All the surfers notched up historic rides, but it was Porthleven's Dan Joel who rode the biggest wave, which came in at over eight times his own height. “It was a privilege to be part of this amazing project. We all surfed the best waves of our lives and this was just the first day of our adventure," said Joel. The CARVE O'Neill H30 project is poised to track the biggest storms and surf the biggest swells that hit the British Isles for the next three months.