The Red Cottage
History
The Red Cottage as it is today was purchased by Paul and Linda over 15 years ago as a place to set up home, living beside the sea. Four years later having always wanted to start their own business and having through many travels seen surfing develop in Australia, Newquay, France and Spain, a surf school was decided upon in 1997. 10 Surfboards and 20 wetsuits, a changing/storage shed and the original outhouse of the cottage a Surf School was born - Oceanic Manoeuvres Surf School one of the first surf schools in the country the first ever started by a woman opened it's doors in April 1998
The Cottage
The cottage itself was built in the late 1800's to re-house fishermen displaced from the flooded back strand area on the beach front. Through the years it changed it's identity even being an early tourism outlet back in the 1960's, 3 riverstown (red cottage) was carrying out a tradition of customer service as the previous owners used to sell boiling water to the beach goers to make "the cup of tea" with. And so the tradition of servicing beach goers continues with Oceanics Surf School.
Two years after opening Oceanics, because of the growth in surfing tourism and in the developing school tour markets plus the need for more family space, Paul and Linda decided to extend the rear of the property and provided a decked area, added separate male and female changing areas and a rinse off facility. This allowed Oceanics to cater to larger group sizes. The decked area was again extended in 2003 and as business continued to grow to the extent that in 2006 the family had to extend their living space to include an additional family residence else where in Tramore.
Today
After 15 years in operation the red cottage now offers large seated decked areas both front and back, changing/storage facilities, a garden room for demonstrations/lectures, a booking/reception office and a storage/display are for surf goods. To the rear of the cottage is where all the action takes place and is secluded and private and quite a sun trap! The front deck is where keeping true to tradition the "Hot Coffee" can be had.
All in all the Red Cottage which is steeped in history now offers surfers of all levels indoor changing facilities, toilets, showers and professional, helpful, friendly staff to ensure a host of memories and experiences.