Bundoran Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve got the goods on the Bundoran stretch for the next couple of weeks. Let’s get straight into it, because this forecast has a bit of a slow start, but there’s some serious firepower waiting for the patient surfer.

The outlook kicks off today, Monday the 14th, but honestly, don’t bother paddling out. We’ve got a weak 2ft to 3ft swell coming from the W, but with a stiff southerly breeze making a mess of things. It’s just not worth the hassle. That lumpy, cross-off wind and low energy mean you’re better off checking the tides and waiting.

Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th stay just as grim. The swell bumps up to 6ft from the W with a period around 10 seconds and energy jumping up, but that W/NW wind is hammering it cross-onshore. The water temp is about average for the time of year, but you won't feel it through that wind. It’s messy, lumpy, and not for paddling.

Things get genuinely heavy from Thursday the 17th. That afternoon, a big WNW swell hits 12ft at 13 seconds, with massive energy. But the wind is howling cross-onshore at 25 mph. That is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s more of a tow-in or kite-surfing scenario. The whole setup is just too blown out for a clean paddle session.

We finally get a window of hope on Friday the 18th. The morning brings an 8ft WNW swell, 13-second period, and the wind swings to a gentle SSW cross-off. That’s the first clean surf of the week. It’s big—over 8ft—so it’s strictly for experienced surfers, but the reef at Bundoran (Ireland) will be handling that long-period groundswell very well. It’s a standout for the first week, though the afternoon drops back to 7ft.

Saturday the 19th is a write-off again with cross-onshore winds, and then Sunday the 20th shows some promise. That morning the sea is lumpy with a 10ft WNW swell at 14 seconds. But by the afternoon, the wind dies to a light SE offshore, and the swell stays a solid 8ft from the WNW. That’s clean, lined-up, and powerful—another top pick for competent surfers.

Now, the second week. That’s where the real gem is. Monday the 22nd of September. Mark it. Tuesday morning is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. We’ve got a serious 16ft W swell (yes, sixteen feet!) rolling in at a long 13 seconds, and the combined energy is enormous. But the kicker? The wind is glassy—utterly dead calm. For an exposed reef like Bundoran, that is as good as it gets for the big-wave crew. This is exceptional for experts only, but what a morning it looks like. The afternoon stays glassy with a still-sizeable 12ft WNW swell.

Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th mellow out for the rest of us. Wednesday sees 4ft from the WNW with light offshore and glassy conditions—clean, smaller, and much more manageable. Thursday picks up again with a 6ft WNW in the morning, building to an 8ft W in the afternoon, but with that 16-second period, it’ll have plenty of push. The wind stays light offshore and glassy, so it’s clean and inviting for intermediate surfers up at that size.

Friday the 25th is still okay with a 6ft W swell in the morning dropping off through the day. The wind is clean offshore. From Saturday the 26th onward, the swell fades quickly into small, weak 2ft to 3ft waves. It becomes a very ordinary, small-wave period. The last day of the forecast, Tuesday the 29th, only offers 3ft surf.

So overall, the real standout has to be Tuesday morning the 22nd with that glassy 16ft swell. That is the one to circle. For the less crazy, Friday the 18th and Sunday the 20th afternoon are your clean, big-wave windows, and Thursday the 24th serves up a solid, long-period swell with clean conditions for intermediates.

Keep it on the radar, boys. The long-range stuff is promising but it’s still a week away, so stay flexible.

Rusty.

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