Bundoran Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, ol’ Rusty here again. I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, and let me tell you, it’s a bit of a mixed bag of nuts out there for the next couple of weeks. There’s some serious muscle in the water early on, but it comes with a whole lot of wind. We’re in for a wild ride before things clean up.

The opening salvos are a write-off for most of us. We’re looking at a strong, stormy start with the swell jacking up to a solid 11.5ft to 13ft on Thursday the 17th, but that’s all wrapped up in a strong onshore blow, making it a messy, ugly mess of lines. The energy is full-on, with combined swell energy hitting a massive 5369, but it’s not going to be surfable. You’d be a fool to go out there unless you’ve got a death wish and a forgiving board.

There is a slight reprieve rolling in for the Friday morning session on the 18th. It’s still lumpy and cross-off, and the tide might be a bit sketchy, but the swell is dropping and there’s some push in the water. We get a little taste of the clean stuff with that 8.2ft WNW groundswell, but the wind will be a factor. The poor conditions continue through the weekend until things start to turn for the better.

Now, I’m not saying it’s all doom and gloom. We’ve got a window of real quality from Sunday afternoon through the middle of next week, as the winds ease off and head offshore. The standout of the whole forecast has to be Tuesday the 22nd. We get a clean, glassy afternoon with a crisp 5.9ft W swells at 16 seconds. That’s long-period energy, pure groundswell, and with the sea going glassy, Bundoran is going to be a gem. The energy is solid at 1757, so there’s push, but the conditions will make it a world-class wave for those who know what they’re doing. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so the 3/2 is still on, but it’s not freezing.

There’s also a good run on the 23rd with an offshore breeze blowing all day, keeping those 5.2ft waves clean and peeling. But keep in mind, it’s still a fickle peak.

The energy backs right off at the end of the month. The start of the final week sees the swell pulse down, and by the 28th we’re back to tiny, weak bumps of marginal energy. It’s still ridable, and the winds are offshore, but we’re looking at smaller days.

There is a little pulse of swell energy for the very last couple of days of September, but it’s not big. The waves stay well under 3ft and the period is short, so don’t get too excited. The best of the quality is definitely that mid-week window, particularly that beautiful Tuesday afternoon. It’s the one to circle on the calendar.

For a look further ahead, the last day of the month and into October the ocean seems to take a breath. The swell drops right out, and while conditions are clean, there’s just nothing to ride. It looks like we’ll have a bit of a flat spell to end the run.

One more thing - keep an eye on the winds for the first few days. That onshore blow is going to make it messy. Right now, it looks like a time for the more experienced crew to get their heavy water gear on and handle the business.

Anyway, that’s the long read on it. See you in the water.

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