PROJECT RED

 

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The Beginning

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A visit to Mavericks in California during Christmas 2003 completely changed the direction of my surfing.

Returning home, I became convinced that Ireland's Atlantic coastline held waves comparable to those I had witnessed in California.

Rather than waiting for someone else to discover them, I decided to begin looking myself.

With borrowed money I bought a small boat, commissioned specialist surfboards based on equipment I had encountered in California and filled my car with Admiralty charts covering Ireland's coastline.

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The exploration had begun.

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Into the Unknown

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Project Red was never a single expedition.

It became an ongoing process of observation.

The same coastlines were explored repeatedly under different swell directions, tides, winds and seasons.

Many journeys produced nothing.

Others revealed waves few people had ever seen.

Over time the project expanded from simply searching for surf into understanding the coastline

itself — how reefs worked, how weather shaped the ocean and how small details could completely change what was possible.

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Beyond Exploration

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Project Red has influenced almost every part of my work.

It led to expeditions around Ireland and overseas, the pioneering years at Nazaré, books, documentaries, public speaking and a continuing interest in maritime environments, coastal structures and ocean exploration.

Although the methods continue to evolve, the objective remains unchanged:

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To remain curious.

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Further Exploration

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Project Red eventually extended beyond its original objective, contributing to the exploration of waves including Mullaghmore, Prowlers, Éire 70, the Cliffs of Moher and Creevy, among many others. Each location presented different challenges and became another chapter in understanding Ireland's wild Atlantic coastline, helping to develop both big-wave surfing and what was considered possible on Ireland's most exposed reefs.

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Much of this exploration was carried out alone or in very small teams, demanding a high degree of self-sufficiency, careful planning and a willingness to solve problems without established methods.

Many of the expeditions, discoveries and experiences from Project Red are explored in greater depth through my Tales Upon the High Seas audiobook and ebook series, as well as in several of my other books.

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Although many of its original objectives have now been achieved, Project Red continues to evolve, documenting new expeditions, discoveries and experiences along Ireland's Atlantic coastline.

 

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