Bundoran Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Bundoran over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first few days are a tough watch. We’re talkin’ Friday the 28th of August through to Monday the 1st of September. There’s barely a ripple. Swell heights are sittin’ at 1ft to 3ft, with combined swell energy anywhere from a weak 12 up to a moderate 104, and the periods are short, around 6 to 8 seconds. Winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and messy. You’re better off stayin’ on the beach with a cold one. This is a gap of four days with nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for.

Now, Tuesday the 2nd of September starts to show a little pulse. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the W, period 8 seconds, and the wind swings to a light SSW cross-off. The energy is still low at 63, and the surf report calls it “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s clean, but it’s not gonna blow your mind.

But hold on – Thursday the 3rd of September is where things get interesting. Wednesday night into Thursday morning, a proper swell arrives. We’re lookin’ at 7ft from the W, period 10 seconds, with the combined energy jumpin’ to a solid 848. That’s moderate energy, but the real story is the wind: SSW at 9 mph, givin’ us a clean, offshore flow. The report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the standout of the whole window, hands down. Bundoran is a reef break, exposed to the NW, and the optimum swell direction is NW – so this W swell is knockin’ right on the door. For a seasoned intermediate, this Thursday morning session is the one to circle. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothin’ wild to report.

Now, the caveat. Thursday afternoon gets a bit dicey. The swell pushes to 8ft with a 12-second period (that’s a long-period groundswell), and the energy hits a strong 1665, but the wind whips around to a fresh WSW cross-shore at 19 mph. It gets lumpy and messy. If you’re an expert, you might still find somethin’ out there, but it’s not as clean as the morning.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September blow out. Swell is still big – 10ft on Friday, 7ft on Saturday – but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore W at 19 mph, and the energy is strong (2914 on Friday!). Everything turns lumpy and poor. Honestly, this setup looks way more interestin’ for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Sunday the 6th of September drops off fast. Swell backs down to 3ft to 4ft, period drops to 9 seconds, and we’re back to onshore WNW winds. Poor conditions again. This theme sticks through Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th – small, weak, and mostly onshore.

There’s a little flicker on Wednesday the 9th of September afternoon. The swell jumps to 10ft from the W with a 9-second period, wind is SW at 22 mph cross-off so it’s clean, but with that much wind and that size, it’s only for the brave. The report says “marginal.” Then Thursday the 10th of September gets nasty – near gale-force winds, 12ft swell, and 3207 energy. Do not go out there.

After that, it’s back to small, weak, and not worth mentionin’ through to the 12th of September.

So, here’s the takeaway: the one true standout is Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. Get on it early. After that, the window gets messy or flat. That’s the long and short of it.

Rusty, out.

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