About Rossnowlagh Surf School
A Decade of Surf Education Excellence
Our Story
From humble beginnings to Ireland's leading surf school, discover our journey of passion, growth, and community.
2014
The Beginning
James Garvey founded Rossnowlagh Surf School with a loan of 20 beaten up surfboards from his old boss and a dream of starting a surf school in his favourite place in the world, with help from a few amazing friends, his 4 sisters, brother and his mum, that dream became a reality, and the first surf lesson was given in May 2014
2016
Growing the Team
After livin’ the dream for 2 years, we began to grow and with the support from our amazing local community we started to grow our amazing team. James achieved his ISA level certification and we expanded to offer intermediate & advanced surfing lessons
2018
We started getting noticed
We began our inclusion surfing programmes, working to surf with those most in need. We were recognised as one of the Top Surf schools in Europe and we had grown a beautiful community of supporters worldwide.
2020
Covid brought the world to a standstill while we were surfing deep in Mexico during the winter. We returned home to a country in lockdown. When restrictions lifted, we experienced our most successful summer to date, as people discovered the ocean's incredible healing powers. That year, The Irish Times named us one of the best summer camps in Ireland.
2024
Today & Tomorrow
We celebrated our 10th year of livin’ this no longer little dream, We continued to be named as a leading Surf School in Europe and continue to innovate and expand our programs while focusing on our incredible community
2025
Award Recognition
James Garvey Owner & Manager of Rossnowlagh Surf School was named as The Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 by Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce. We continued to focus on giving back to our community and those most in need, growing once again our inclusion part of our business
What Drives Us Every Day
Our Mission & Values
Safety First
Every lesson begins with comprehensive safety briefing. Our instructors are trained to the highest standards in water safety, first aid, and rescue techniques.
Ocean Respect
We teach respect for the ocean and marine environment. All our programs include education about marine conservation and sustainable practices.
Excellence
We constantly evolve our teaching methods, update our equipment, and train our team to provide the best possible surf education experience.
