So, this is it, with brightness sticking around til 10 each evening, this is the…read moreonce-a-year-it-might-rain-or-it-might-not chance to get out there and do something with it. Besides the pub. Which you could maybe go to afterwards... In a quest to find some cool shizzle to do over the summer that won't leave me regretful and full of fear, I thought I'd give this SUP thing a bash. I tried it last year in Dollymount on one of the most amazing days, and it was sublime, as would anything be in that unexpected heat. So back I went over southside this time, on a not so amazing day, to see if stand up paddle boarding is still as fun when the sun is playing hide and go seek. I can now say, actually, yeah it is. We went for a bit of a cruise just around the jetty area, in and out of the boats, and along the inlet. We had the pleasure of seeing a massive seal dip in and out of the water next to us, and I even went for a few dips into the water (perhaps accidentally..!), but with the super-warm wetsuits we were given, I really didn't mind. Aboveboard itself is hidden down a bit of a higgledypiggeldy laneway just up from the Dun Laoighaire DART. It's been done up to be really super cute. They have a decking area on top of the building that you can sit on and look at the sea, and there are lots of little touches like artificial turf in the changing rooms, super cute bathrooms, and even a blistering hot heater that will blast you if you need it. As I said, the equipment is all top of the range - I've never been given wet suit shoe things before, and they're deadly. You hardly feel the water at all! The instructors and owners are all lovely, friendly, patient and fun. Just what you want when you're undertaking something like this. They also do kite surfing which I'd love to try, and I think I may like more than SUP to be honest. My problem with SUP is that it's a little too... calm for me. It was so nice to be out in the water though and I'll definitely do it again, but kite surfing will be next on the agenda. They do group sessions and one on ones. If you're looking for something different to do with your longer evenings, I'd highly recommend giving them a shout.

What better way to spend a bright summer evening while we have them. This watersports venue is…read morelocated just off the dart line, also with plenty of parking nearby. Its slightly hard to find at the back of a car parts yard but well worth the search. We tried the stand up paddle boarding and I loved loved loved it. We received a friendly welcome and demo on arrival, all very straightforward. We then had a short walk down to the west pier in our wet suits. Its quite nerve wracking as a first timer but once your in the water its really chilled with great views across the sea. The instructor is extremely helpful at giving you tips to not fall in, I wasn't in the humor for a swim that day..... (yes!!! I didn't go in haha). Give it a shot, will defo be back.

A friend is a member of that tennis club and took me as a guest. For free! I liked the bar area…read morefrom where you can see other people play tennis while you are waiting for your court to become available. Playing was great as well. Really well lit and nice surface. All around us were pretty serious tennis players who I probably impressed with my funny way of swinging the racket. I stopped counting the lost balls. The changing room was smelly. But hey - it's sport. Men are sweating. What do you expect?

This club has been updated since this first review in 2011. In November 2016 a new 1.2 million euro…read moreclub house opened. We have even better views of the courts and the Aviva stadium. It has fantastic new changing rooms and showers. The club offers a great mix of competitive tennis and social tennis. It also caters for all levels. I myself was a beginner in 2006 and thanks to great coaching I now love playing league. The club is genuinely very friendly and it is very easy to meet people due to the many tennis events and coaching that take place weekly. I have been a member of a few other tennis clubs over the year due to house moves but this is the friendliest club that I have been a member of. Drop in a on Saturday morning at 10.30am and have a hit and meet some players. Then stay for tea/coffee/biscuits and a chat afterwards. The club also runs regular 30 euro per month trial offers. The club has 11 outdoor synthetic courts that are very well maintained.

Amateur run organisation, kick off times are biased towards certain teams. Referees don't…read moreunderstand the simplest of rugby rules, are biased, don't call games evenly are rude and are not open to any sort of discussion with players regarding on field decisions. Avoid at all costs.

Summer is almost over, so I'm a bit late with this, but next summer you should think about trying…read moretag rugby. My friend describes it as "kiss-chasing" but that's not exactly it! Basically, it's a game for mixed teams where you play with a rugby ball and rugby rules but no contact. Instead of a tackle, you take someone's "tag" from their shorts. There are seven people on the pitch at a time, and there must be a minimum of three girls. Boy tries are worth one point but girl tries are worth three points (yay!). It's a bit of fun. You get to see your friends regularly every week, run around for a bit of exercise and then stay afterwards for a drink and a barbecue. It's sociable and good for exercise-phobes like me. It's great fun.

BAM! 5 STARS!! I've…read morebeen a swimmer on and off since I was about 5 years old (ON for most of my teenage years, OFF when I discovered beer and women, ON again when I took up triathlon to set myself a new challenge), so I have a good idea what makes a good swimming pool, and a fair idea what makes a good gym. Let's start at the start - this is a private members gym; you can't walk in off the street unless you're signed in by a member. You can sign up for some classes by themselves (spin, pilates, etc) as a non-member, but most of the people here are fully paying members. That being said, the membership packages are very flexible - it's basically €230 for an individual for a year of a basic membership, plus either pay-as-you-go, or whatever package you want to put on top for gym/swim/etc. I've been a member since February and I could not be more impressed to be honest. The place is always spotless, the staff are always friendly, the other patrons are always grand (no steroid junkies here!), and the classes are very good; particularly the spin classes which come as part of your full membership. Every facility you could want is here as well: gym, pool, football pitches, tennis and badminton courts, sauna, leisure suite... you name it, it's there! Now onto the pool itself. It's a standard 25 meter pool with a small viewing gallery. The 'adult swim' sessions are the best to go to if you want to go for a proper swim - three lanes will be marked out and most people stick to the slow, medium & fast lanes (it's a pet peeve of mine when they don't!). All in all, a great job in a handy location, and you can customise your own package or pay-as-you-go after the initial membership fee. Only negative is that you have to pay up-front rather than by Direct Debit, but it's not enough of a grievance to deter me from awarding the big 5!

Ah Sportsco is great! I really love it! What I enjoy the most are the classes, they have a good…read morevariety of classes like TRX, zumba, yoga, pilates, spinning, basket, volleyball, swimming, and more... If you are not a member you can pay €10 per class or gym. I found the membership expensive, and didn't like that they don't have student rates. but well... The staff are very helpful and super friendly. They help you and are interested in that you are doing things right and that is good for you. I consider the space very very clean, spacious, comfortable and modern.