Bundoran Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a slow start. The first few days are pretty junked up with cross and onshore winds, making for some choppy, uninviting surf. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there for the first couple of days. We’re looking at a bit of a lull to begin, but don’t go puttin’ the boards away just yet.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday morning the 12th. There’s a fresh pulse of swell pushing in, a solid 6ft from the WNW, and the wind swings offshore. It’s a bit of a raw, powerful wave and the energy is pumping (1230), but it might be a bit of a handful. The afternoon looks like it’ll get blown out though, with onshore winds messing it up.

After that little blip, we settle back into a lull for a few days. There’s some cleaner conditions, but just nothing doing for waves as the size drops way down. You’ll be staring at a pretty flat ocean from Sunday the 13th through to Tuesday the 15th. This is a good time to wax your boards and fix that ding you’ve been ignoring.

Now, pay attention, because Wednesday the 16th is where it starts to get interesting. That morning, we get a bit of size back, 4ft from the WNW, but the big story is a moderate offshore wind from the ESE. That’s going to groom the waves beautifully, making for some proper clean faces. A far cry from the slop we’ve been dealing with.

Then we have another little window of small surf and less-than-ideal winds, just a few more flat days around the 17th. But hold onto your wetsuits because right around the 18th, a proper winter swell tries to rear its head. We’re talking 7ft from the west on Friday morning. The energy is strong (1475), but the cross-onshore wind is going to make it a messy, challenging paddle. It's one for the experienced lads, and even then, you’re looking for a window. Friday afternoon gets a little cleaner as the wind eases, but it’s still on it.

We get another couple of small days for the weekend. It’s the calm before the storm. Then we see the real standout of this entire forecast.

Clear your schedule for Monday the 21st. We’ve got a clean 3ft from the WNW in the morning, but the period is a solid 12 seconds, which is proper groundswell. That extra energy is just what this stretch of coast needs to make the most of the swell. Then, Tuesday the 22nd, sees another window with an offshore ESE wind and some decent swell.

But it’s Wednesday the 23rd that looks like the pick of the lot. The swell is set to push up to a solid 8ft from the WNW, and the wind is looking offshore for most of the day. The afternoon is the standout, with light offshore winds and the swell at a hefty 8ft. The energy numbers are massive (1881), and this will be a proper, powerful, grinding west swell. This is a session for the experienced surfers only—this size and power is not for the faint of heart or anyone just learning. It’s going to be big, it’s going to be heavy, but if you handle your business, you’ll be getting some of the best waves of the month. Thursday the 24th is still good, with a couple of metres of clean west swell wrapping in.

So, there you have it. The start is mellow, the middle is a tease, but that final push around the 23rd is the one we’ve all been waiting for. It’s a long way off, so don’t take it to the bank, but it’s a hell of a promising look.

This is Rusty, signing off. Stay stoked.

Read more