The Waterford coastline is laying claim to being the major surf training area in Ireland, as hundreds of local young people learn to master the waves there.
The largest surf club in Ireland is not in the west or north-west, as much publicity in recent years might suggest, but in the Co Waterford resort of Tramore.
The Tramore Bay Surf Club, which is 30 years in existence, has nearly 200 members and is at present building the country's first dedicated surf centre.
Donegal may have the dramatic large waves which, combined with experienced surfers, make for impressive photographs.
But Tramore, with its three-mile-long strand, offers good surfing in conditions which are much safer for beginners while still challenging for the accomplished surfing enthusiast.
Last week, in the regional section of the AIB Better Ireland Awards, the club won a £1,000 prize as a community enterprise project and will go forward to compete for the national awards.
"We're very active in bringing surfing to the greater community, particularly the young, through our coaching programmes," says Michael Kelly, the chairman. The club's coaches are certified by the Irish Surfing Association and many have served on the Irish National Surf Team.
The new £155,000 centre being built at the end of the promenade in Tramore will facilitate the further development of surf coaching and water safety courses.
A non-profit making enterprise, it will open on a year-round basis and it is hoped it will become the national centre for training lifeguards.
The circular design of the building is planned to complement Tramore Bay's famous landmarks - the three pillars at the Metalman in Newtown and the two pillars on Brownstown Head.
The centre will provide shower, changing, locker and storage areas for all water sports enthusiasts, and will offer rental of wetsuits, surfboards and other equipment.
Mr Kelly says Tramore Strand is probably the most used beach in the country, even in winter, and the surfing centre is the only one with a major city - Waterford - on its doorstep.
Through the years the club has become an integral part of the Tramore community, and Waterford city membership has increased dramatically in the last three years.
The cost of the new centre is being part-funded by Waterford Development Partnership and the Sports Council, and the site has been given to the club by Tramore Failte on a 99-year lease for a nominal sum.
Local businesses and individuals have also provided financial, technical, legal and more support to the club, which is engaged in a major fundraising campaign to complete the project.
With its new centre, the club will be a base for the youth of Tramore and Waterford, providing access to surfing and water sports throughout the year. "It's a very difficult sport - the younger you start, the better," Mr Kelly says.
The club's long experience has paid off on the competitive side.
Tramore has five members on the Irish Surf Team and a local enthusiast, Jamie Byrne (13), is the national under-16 champion and will compete in the World Surfing Championships near Lisbon in October.