Bundoran Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in on the Bundoran stretch. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, so let’s get into it.

Right now, the surf is flat and fired out. For the first few days, from the 20th through the 23rd, there’s barely a ripple. We’re looking at tiny 1ft to 1ft wind slop with weak energy readings (between 11 and 50), and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. It’s a write-off – grab a coffee or a skateboard instead.

Things start to move on the 24th of July. Friday morning brings a bit of a pulse, with swell lifting to 4ft from the WNW, period at 9 seconds. The combined energy picks up to 227 (moderate), but the wind is a problem – a fresh 12-19 mph cross-onshore breeze gonna chop it up and make it lumpy. It's not great, but at least there’s some water moving.

The 25th and 26th see a real jump in size. Saturday the 25th pushes 6ft from the WNW with a 10-second period and a solid 710 energy reading (strong). Sunday the 26th backs off a bit to 4ft, still with moderate energy (253). The problem is the wind: it’s onshore or cross-onshore the whole time. For a reef setup like Bundoran, that onshore flow is a killer. The quality is just not there. This swell is too big for beginners (over 5ft) and with the wind on it, it’s only going to look like a washing machine. Honestly, with that wind and the size, it might be a better day for the kite surfers to get out there than us paddle guys.

The water temperature is sitting at 65°F with a big anomaly of 7°F, meaning it’s *much warmer than normal* for this time of year – a strange little treat from the ocean, but it won’t save the waves.

Unfortunately, the pattern holds. We go through the end of July and into the start of August with the same story: onshore to cross-onshore winds, and while the swell bumps up to 6ft again on the 28th (499 energy) and 6ft on the 29th (539 energy), the wind keeps it messy. By the 30th, we see 6ft from the W with an 8-second period, but still onshore. The 31st drops off to tiny 3ft, and the first few days of August are flat again with 1ft junk.

The best of a bad bunch is probably the 25th and 29th of July, where the swell energy is strongest (710 and 539 respectively), but with the wind as it is, there’s no standout session here. We’re in a 16-day window, and there’s very little to get excited about. It’s a long stretch of poor conditions, so don’t hold your breath. Still, the forecast can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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