Bundoran Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s run through what’s on the cards for Bundoran in the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid start Monday the 24th of August. That morning the swell is 3 ft out of the WNW with a clean 11-second period and a light offshore breeze from the ESE. The combined energy is moderate at 254, and the water temp is about average for this time of year. That’s a proper go—clean, lined up, and not too crowded yet, though it does get busy sometimes. That morning is the standout of the whole stretch. The afternoon holds up too, with 4 ft from the west, still offshore, and 270 in energy. That’s the pick of the first week.

Tuesday the 25th drops off quick. The morning is 3 ft with a cross-off wind, energy down to 118, and the surf is pretty ordinary. By Wednesday the 26th, we’re scraping the bottom with 1.0 ft and barely any energy (12 to 14). That’s a flat spell, and it drags on through Thursday and Friday. Friday the 28th is a write-off with onshore wind and weak, short-period swell. Saturday the 29th afternoon has a moment: glassy wind, 2 ft from the NW, but it’s only 53 in energy and the waves are “very ordinary.” Not worth getting excited about.

Then we hit a gap—Sunday the 30th through to Tuesday the 1st of September is all poor surf, with onshore winds and tiny, short-period leftovers. The next real chance isn’t until Wednesday the 2nd of September morning, when a 4 ft west swell shows up with a cross-off breeze and a moderate 214 in energy. But the report flags it as marginal, so don’t bank on it.

Now, Thursday the 3rd of September morning is where things get interesting again. We’ve got 8 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1260—that’s strong. The wind is cross-off and light, so it’s clean. But 8 ft is big, and this is a reef break, so this one’s for experienced surfers only. The afternoon turns sloppy with a 30 km/h crosswind and energy at 1420, but it’s choppy. That Thursday morning is a standout for the second week, but it’s a long way out—nothing’s locked in yet.

After that, Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th drop off again with onshore winds and messy conditions. Then Sunday the 6th sees a very long-period groundswell roll in: 5 to 5 ft from the west with an 18-second period, energy through the roof at 1426 to 1679. That’s a massive, powerful swell, but it’s hitting with onshore and cross-onshore winds, so it’s marginal. Long-period swells like this can be tricky at a beach setup—tend to stand up fast and close out. A reef or point would handle it better.

Monday the 7th keeps the energy high—8 ft from the west, 14-second period, 2816 in energy—and the wind is cross-off and clean in the morning. That’s a serious groundswell, again for experts only. Tuesday the 8th drops a bit to 8 ft but still powerful.

Overall, the best bet is Monday the 24th morning. That’s your clean, fun-sized session with the right wind and decent energy. The big stuff around the 3rd and 7th is promising for experienced surfers, but it’s a long way off and the wind could change. There’s a flat patch from the 26th to the 29th, so don’t plan a trip around that middle week.

Rusty.

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