Let's help make surfing more accessible and sustainable, and let boards on the bus!

+Some of the best surf breaks in Ireland are serviced by busses which do not allow surfers to bring their boards, which can be safely wedged in a vacant seat.

+Many surfers are too young, too broke, or too environmentally conscious to have their own car. We carpool whenever possible but often taking the bus is the only option.

+Using the bus = less traffic congestion & less environmental pollution!

+The current ban on surfboards on Bus Éireann is a nuisance for surfers, bus drivers and other passengers as surfers are denied entry on busses for carrying harmless luggage.

I have been left STRANDED IN THE RAIN before with nowhere to stay, and yelled at for trying to take my surfboard home with me from Lahinch. Other times I’ve been ‘politely’ refused and still had to miss out on legendary surf conditions because of rules that the drivers themselves do not believe in.

A little about myself, and how the situation came to be:

My name is Bill Demery, I am a student in the University of Galway, working in a local restaurant during weekends and holidays. I can't particularly afford a car between college fees and living costs, and prefer to use public transport anyway, as I believe it is better for Galway's traffic and the climate in general.

I am also a surfing addict. Some people are passionate about playing football or hurling, some people are passionate about making art or music, or baking, or going to the gym, or drinking or doing drugs, or speeding on country roads in modified cars, and good for them! Surfing is what I do.

Sometimes I am lucky and find lifts but working weekends means my free time does not align with a lot of people. Thankfully there is an excellent bus service, the 350 running from Galway City Centre and stopping at a number of surf locations including Lahinch. It is also the only such service that I know of. 

Like many surfing addicts, or anyone with a passion, I am willing to put up with whatever it takes to do my thing. In this case: it means taking the bus out to Clare knowing that there is a good chance I won't be let on, or won't be let back on for the trip home.

I know this and try anyway, because I believe what I am doing does not harm or endanger any people or property, and it is often my only option. It is a great privilege to be able to cruise on public transport to the surf when it's on, but one that is just out of reach for reasons that don't add up: not for myself, and not even for the drivers who have turned me down, saying that there is nothing they can do as they do not make the rules.

Some drivers do use their discretion and let me on, but many are not willing to break the rules - which has been a nightmare for myself and, admittedly, an annoyance for the driver and other passengers as I plead my case.

Most drivers understand that a surfboard is perfectly safe wedged between a vacant seat and the seat in front, the wall, the surfer beside, and any of their belongings. However many refuse to let surfboards on regardless, as TFI have mandated a ban on surfboards on the busses which service surf towns such as the 350 to Lahinch.

It has been brought to my attention that surfboards could fly out of the overhead storage and cause damage, which I agree is a serious risk. My response is simple: boards must go on seats, not in the overhead. If there are no vacant seats, fair enough.

As I see it, a surfboard can be more secure in its seat than a passenger! Unlike my surf board, a passenger's body is not restrained in any way as these busses do not have seat belts.

I understand that many people endure much greater hardship than I do, just being inconvenienced in pursuit of a hobby that brings me joy. I am grateful to have the chance to surf at all, and especially for the bus drivers who have had the compassion and common sense to let me on board. I do not expect tears in the eyes of the reader who learns that I have been told off for having too much fun. 

All that I ask is that you may understand that this is a big issue for some, which can be resolved with the stroke of a keyboard in a Transport for Ireland office. 

By signing this petition, you are showing solidarity with adventurous types, you are setting an example against a culture which can be reluctant to accommodate people who no not fit neatly in the boxes; people who pose no risk or harm to others; perhaps people who are not on the property ladder, who do not own their own house or their own car; people who live in vans or boats; people who bring their surfboards on the bus.

TFI - Don't be dry!