Finn Ni Fhaolain
Finn Ni Fhaolain an Ocean scientist, sustainable clothing guru and celebrity chef! New mum to a gorgeous baby girl, Finn is the creator of @saltwaterstories.me and she’s always up to something new and creative.
‘When I was 16, my dad got me a week of lessons in Strandhill (he’d moved west and wanted something “fun for a teenager to do”) it worked, I was hooked! I spent that summer saving for my first board.
Despite finally having a board made for me, my go-to love-of-my life board is still a 5″8 single fin from a shaper in France. I picked it up cheap on Surfboards for Sale. I will repair and surf her till she’s so waterlogged she’s underwater!
Surfing has brought so much – it’s why I chose to go to college in Galway (not quite as close to the waves as Sligo, but I loved my course, earth & ocean science). Its also why I’ve lived in Bundoran for nearly 10 years!
I used to love a good reef or left breaking point break, but since having my baby last year, I am all for the cruisy longboard beachy.’
Surf pros
People! My girl crew in college, I met through the surf club (we’ve travelled the world together – canaries, California, Mexico etc etc) and the friends I’ve made in Madeira, the Canaries, even met my husband in Bundoran!
Surf cons
A lack of self confidence! Even though I’ve surfed half my life now, I’ve still always struggled to feel “good enough” in the water, I had to psych myself up for years to surf the reefs around Bundoran and then absolutely scared the shit out of myself surfing in Madeira.
What do women bring to the line up?
LIGHT! I still remember my first all-girl line up on a reef in Sligo. It was HEAVEN, so much positivity, so much encouragement. Miraculously, everyone got lots and lots of waves, what a concept!
What is missing in the lineup?
More women! I want my daughter to grow up seeing just as many women as men and I love seeing all the amazing grom girls coming up.
Best comedy kook surf moment?
Oh god many. My favourite has to be, super sunny day, hopping off a cliff into the surf, I’d already strapped on my leash and it caught on a rock, I landed in the water, but the board slid out from under me and got caught on the cliff. Ultimate kook-life moment.
pearls of wisdom
Surfing is supposed to be fun! One friend once said “the most fun part of surfing for me in the bellyride in” it shouldn’t be that way! Now that I’ve had a daughter, I think of what I’d like her to see in the lineup – a bunch of confident women just having an awesome time.