Out of the Darkness follows Al Mennie, a big-wave surfer and mental health advocate, as he swims alone in the freezing Atlantic — not for sport, but to spark conversation about the silent struggles many face. Filmed in the dark depths of winter, this documentary captures Al’s raw, meditative journey through cold water and isolation, using his nightly swims as a symbol of resilience and hope. I’ve spent the past few months documenting Al’s story — learning what drives him, and swimming beside him in the dark. This project means a lot to me, and I hope it connects with you too. If it does, please like, share, and leave a comment — it helps spread awareness and gives this story the reach it deserves.

These clips are me aged 18 surfing in Ireland between stops on the first Surf Safari Tour. It was a series of competitions that stopped at a variety of surf spots from Portballintrae all the way down to Donegal, Mayo and Galway. The winner from each stop travelled on a tour bus owned by the Spice Girls (I know random eh) to the next stop to compete against the locals there! Californians Shane and Gavin Beschen, Dino Andino, Justin Matheson, Australian Derek Hynd and a few others travelled on board experiencing their first time in Ireland and making it onto UTV in the process. The UTV interview by Justin whilst standing on the rocks at Portballintrae no doubt interested many Northern Irish viewers being that it was 1999. I was the winner from various stops in Ireland and I went on to compete against the welsh and english. I ended up finishing 2nd across the three countries. Welshman Nick Swinnerton took first and we went to JBay South Africa with Gareth LLewellyn as the prize! The series was filmed by Channel Four in the UK and aired across two one hour slots on consecutive Saturday mornings.

A Film about the Development, Evolution and Innovation of Big Wave Surfboards. The film looks at some boards from a collection of over 50 surfboards used between the mid 1990's and early 2020's to ride big waves in Ireland, Nazare, Chile, Lincoln City, Capetown, Madeira, The Canary Islands, Spain, The Basque Country, France and more. It covers the inspiration, the story behind my desire to surf big waves and how I went about getting the right boards under me as my surfing progressed through various stages. Big Wave Paddle in Guns and Tow Boards are both shown. Be sure to check out the captions on the footage and stills for more detail on the boards and the development of rescue and safety gear. All the boards in this film can be seen at The Surfer's House Portrush, Causeway Coast, Ireland, The Nazare Lighthouse Surfer Hall Portugal and The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum Belfast. Surfboards in this film were built by... Circle One Surfboards Rosy Surfboards Pearson Arrow Surfboards Neptune Surfboards Sweit Surfboards Bilt Surfboards JP Surfboards Video and stills in this film are by... Charles McQuillan Aaron Pierce Wilson Ribeiro Tony Canadas Mark Millar Andrew Mennie Kelly Allen Causeway Media Billy McMenamin RAFA RIANCHO (INCLUDING COVER IMAGE) Justin Avery Rory O'Doherty None of this film is offered as advice of any kind. If you enter the sea be sure that you are trained, experienced, capable and have the right equipment suitable for your needs. Surfboards are built for the individual. What suits me, will most likely not suit you, so speak to the shapers mentioned in this film and have the right board built to suit you, your ability and your desires and that way, you will get the most out of your surfing. Thank you for watching.

100 Foot Nazare and The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed November 11, 2011. The Day That Changed Surfing Forever. AUDIO RECORDING Story written and recording performed by Al Mennie at The Surfers' House Portrush. Sound Edited, Mastered and Engineered by Miguel Oliveira. Copyright Al Mennie 2023. All Rights Reserved. Part of - Tales Upon the High Seas - Short Story Adventure Series by Al Mennie In November 2011, one year after the beginning of the North Canyon Show three men ventured out aboard two jet skis into the North Canyon where it meets the shore at Praia do Norte, Nazare Portugal. They were supported by a crew of Portuguese locals as they set off to ride the biggest waves ever surfed. These "Biggest waves ever surfed" kind of story's traditionally come from the Pacific, not a sleepy out of season village on the shores of the Atlantic. November 11, 2011 was the day big wave surfing changed forever. The Surfers on this day were Hawaiian Garrett McNamara, Englishman Andrew Cotton and Irishman Al Mennie. The land based support crew were Pedro Pisco (Nazare), Paulo Lopes (Villa Nova da Gaia), Paulo Salvador (Nazare), Dino Casimiro (Nazare), Nicole Macias (USA), Jorge Leal (Villa Nova da Gaia), Guti Martin (Spain), Wilson Ribeiro (leira), Maria Joao Leite (Porto) among others.

SURFING DECEMBER 1ST 2007 MULLAGHMORE HEAD IRELAND A Gigantic Swell Thrashes the West Coast of Ireland and Takes the World by Storm. AUDIO RECORDING Story written and recording performed by Al Mennie at The Surfers' House Portrush. Sound Edited, Mastered and Engineered by Miguel Oliveira. Part of - Tales Upon the High Seas - Short Story Adventure Series by Al Mennie When an enormous storm was forecast in the winter of 2007, Al and Duncan met up with Richie and Gabe and tackled monstrous waves off Mullaghmore Head in a tiny window of opportunity before the storm chased them ashore. The waves the men rode were published across world media. The rides resulted in award nominations and international recognition demonstrating that Ireland not only possesses some of the biggest and wildest waves on the planet but also, the surfers that are willing and able to ride them. Note. On this day our land spotter was Kelly Allen. Thank you also to Justin Avery and Tony Plant.

The Giant's Crossing Audio Recording. Story written and recording performed by Al Mennie at The Surfers' House Portrush. Sound Edited, Mastered and Engineered by Miguel Oliveira. The First Crossing of The North Channel Between Ireland and Scotland by Paddle Board by Al Mennie Part of - Tales Upon The High Seas - Short Story Adventure Series by Al Mennie In 2012 I undertook the first crossing between Scotland and Ireland by Stand up Paddle board. This is a short story about how and why I came to do this and what I did to prepare. The story begins in my living room as a child where an ocean chart hangs on the wall illustrating the waters between Ireland and some mysterious islands on the horizon that appeared and disappeared with the weather.

Escape to the Wild dark Sea. An Irish Sea Story of Our Times AUDIOBOOK This is the audio version of the print book available at www.almennie.com Audio performed by Al Mennie on the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland. Sound engineered and mastered by Miguel Oliveira in Porto, Portugal. Cover photography by Charles McQuillan Cover design by Sara O’Neill The book is published by Mananan Publishing Ireland The book and the audio version are copyright protected. No use is permitted in any way, any form, any media or other type known today or in the future unless granted by the author, narrator, publisher and copyright owner. All rights reserved. Back Cover Swimming alone at night, through the chaotic Irish winter surf began as a simple escape from the fallout of the pandemic, but became so much more. I ventured into darker, wilder and more isolated waters, finding a new world and perspective on life in the process. As I swam through the waves and currents out there in the darkness, I began to realise the similarities between my actions and our combined efforts in relation to the pandemic. We are all facing head-on into the unknown, swimming through whatever the darkness throws at us. Every one of us is in the same dark waters, but we swim different strokes. The Irish winter of 2020 was harsh and bleak. The cold, dark nights made worse as the claws of the pandemic began to leave a mark on all of us. The water became, and remains, a new-found saviour for many people. A huge swell of dippers and swimmers have also found a new world in our chilly waters. This story is set in the sleepy village of Castlerock, where the tumultuous North Atlantic thrashes the black basalt cliffs on the north coast of the island of Ireland.

An excerpt from the book Escape to the Wild Dark Sea - An Irish Sea Story of Our Times. Poem written, read and performed by Al Mennie Shot, Directed and Edited by @the_real_youcef Sound by @ae.ltd Drone and Production by @d3rkmatter

In 2010, before the International surfing world or general public knew of Nazare as the biggest surf spot on earth, Irish Big Wave Surfer Al Mennie was part of the original surf team that worked in conjunction with the City of Nazare and the locals in an attempt to pioneer the big waves of Praia do Norte. Over the first few seasons their mission was documented in a video and stills series titled 'The North Canyon Show'. In 2018 Al was invited by the CEO of Praia do Norte, Carlos Filipe, and The Mayor of Nazare, Walter Chicharro, to attend a ceremony and display a surfboard and a plaque on the 'Surfer Wall', inside the iconic Lighthouse that stands defiantly in the face of the biggest waves in the world at Praia do Norte. https://www.visitportugal.com/en/content/praia-do-norte-nazare https://www.instagram.com/al_mennie/?hl=en https://praiadonortenazare.pt/surfer/al-mennie/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2580706/

Swim Through Darkness news feature. All footage owned by ITV. Copyright owned by ITV.

A four part TV Show called Tide based around lifestyles of those who live by the tide which features the lifestyle of Al Mennie living on the shores of the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland.

Chasing a myth takes a legend, and a community. 100 Foot Wave, an HBO original documentary series, premieres July 18 on HBOMax. #HBO #100FootWave Subscribe to HBO on YouTube: https://goo.gl/wtFYd7 Stream July 18 on HBO Max: http://itsh.bo/hbo-max Get More HBO Official Site: https://itsh.bo/dotcom Twitter: https://twitter.com/hbo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hbo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hbo 100 Foot Wave: Official Trailer | HBO

Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, Downhill, Beck) stars in and co-created this suspense drama that examines what happens when one brother takes over the life of his twin after a tragic accident. Premiering in the U.S. & Canada FEB. 4th, 2020 exclusively on MHz Choice (mhzchoice.com). Kristofer Hivju is best known for his role as Tormund Giantsbane in HBO's global smash series 'Game of Thrones'.

Short insight during Swim Through Darkness. Full info on swimthroughdarkness.com

Are you ready to choose your next Giant Adventure? Play our Interactive Video Experience and discover what your next getaway looks like! Follow the link to Play: 👉 https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/my-giant-adventure For local wave surfer and certified thrill seeker Al Mennie, big adventure is on the Causeway Coastal Route. Watch as he swaps his surf board for a kayak and takes to the waves with Causeway Coast Kayaking Tours. Fancy giving it a try? All you need for this tour is a Giant sense of adventure! Beginner or Advanced? Everything is provided. And it all starts at Ballintoy Harbour - which you'd be forgiven for thinking looks like an epic movie location - and it is (specifically The Iron Islands for all you Game of Thrones® fans!) #MyGiantAdventure #DiscoverNI

A short clip from 100km Swim Through Darkness. Check swimthroughdarkness.com for full info.

Swim Through Darkness insight before heading into the surf to swim. Full info on swimthroughdarkness.com

Filmed at Prowlers, Aileens, Mullaghmore, Finn MacCools, Nazare in Portugal and footage from a couple of secret spots. www.almennie.com

Survival is part of a 4 part series on Al Mennie's life as a Big Wave Surfer

Using innovative new tech, Al measures the impact of big waves... with surprising results. Watch more: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/man-vs-wave/on-demand Channel 4 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channel4 | Facebook: https://facebook.com/Channel4 About the programme: Following Big Wave Surfer Al Mennie, a pioneer who has discovered and ridden numerous surf spots off the Irish coast and is now developing new ways of finding and surviving extreme surf.

North West 200 onboard lap

Facebook video

Facebook video

In March 2014, top surfer Al Mennie travelled to the West Coast of Ireland searching for big waves with the help of Volvo to get him there. Follow Al as he valiantly tackles the waves off the Emerald Isle. This is the fourth film in a series of four, showcasing athletes at the peak of their careers travelling to untapped regions of the UK. Follow the links below to see more: First Up, First Down: Steve Peat Downhill Mountain Biking in the Scottish Highlands - http://bit.ly/VolvoMountainBiking First Up, First Down: Steph and Olly Bridge Kitesurfing off the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides - http://bit.ly/VolvoKitesurfing First Up, First Down: Bryony Shaw windsurfing off the West Coast of Ireland: http://po.st/VolvoWindsurfing Featured vehicle, Volvo XC60: http://po.st/VolvoXC60