Feel what it’s like to surf at the Cliffs of Moher with this 360° video

Ireland’s tourism authority has launched 360° videos of stunning sights along The Wild Atlantic Way. The video above shows a champion surfer demonstrating his skills off the Cliffs of Moher, in County Clare.

These 360° videos allow viewers to click and drag, within the footage, to view the experience from a different aspect. This video was taken by world-renowned champion surfer Ollie O’Flaherty.

The waves off the County Clare coast have made the area a mecca for maritime thrill-seekers. What you see in this video is tow-in surfing, a special technique that uses an artificial aid to allow a surfer to catch faster moving waves than traditionally possible when paddling by hand. It’s a difficult skill for even seasoned surfers to master, and it takes someone with Ollie’s experience to show just how exhilarating it can be.

The Cliffs of Moher, Europe’s highest cliffs, provide a suitably stunning backdrop to a place where the surf, including one known to surfers as Aileen’s Wave, takes on gigantic proportions.

These virtual reality 360° videos, released by Failte Ireland, allow yet another level of immersion for those interested in what Ireland has to offer or those who are planning a trip along Ireland’s west coast. They afford the viewer an almost life-like experience. The videos can be viewed on desktop and mobile websites as well as on VR Headsets, Google Cardboard.

The Wild Atlantic Way features 188 Discovery Points and Failte Ireland plans to create 360° videos for the 15 Signature Discovery Points among them.

These include:

Malin Head, County Donegal

Fanad Head, County Donegal

Sliabh Liag, County Donegal

Mullaghmore, County Sligo

Downpatrick Head, County Mayo

Keel Beach, County Mayo

Killary Fjord, Connemara, County Galway

Derrygimlagh, Connemara, County Galway

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare

Loop Head, County Clare

Skellig Islands, County Kerry

Blasket Island, County Kerry

Dursey Island, County Cork

Mizen Head, County Cork

Kinsale, County Cork

The VR and 360° experiences were commissioned by Fáilte Ireland and filmed earlier this year using a combination of drone, custom built mounted back packs and GoPro equipment to truly give this immersive perspective.

Fáilte Ireland, Ireland’s tourism authority, recently piloted this virtual reality experience as a potential sales tool at ITB Berlin, one of the world’s largest tourism trade fairs with 10,000 exhibitors from 187 countries in attendance. Following on from the successful demonstration to the international trade, Failte Ireland is now giving everyone the chance to view the experiences for themselves.

Speaking about how Fáilte Ireland is using this technology, Head of Marketing, Daragh Anglim, said, “Using this new technology to bring almost life-like experiences to visitors as they research and book their holidays will ensure that Ireland can stand out in a crowded marketplace. Furthermore, it also proves that Ireland can compete with the best when it comes to employing emerging technologies and using innovation to drive tourism numbers.”

For more of this amazing technology visit www.WildAtlanticWay.com.