Catching the Olympic wave: Ireland's top surfer Gearóid McDaid

The Sligo native is our leading competitive surfer and ahead of next week’s World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico, he’s a man with an Olympic dream.

Gearóid McDaid pro surfer.

The life of a pro surfer is one of constant flux. For most of his day, Gearóid McDaid is either paddling out into the ocean or riding the waves back in. When he’s not doing that, the 27-year-old is scanning weather forecasts, scouting specific conditions and hopping in his car to go and find them.

One week, the Sligo man might be found plying his trade off the coast of Strandhill. The next, he might be in Hawaii or Namibia.