Surf Forecasts:
Crab Island surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, WNW swell with 433 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Crab Island this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Crab Island in the next 16 days are 1.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crab Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let’s have a look at the forecast for Crab Island. This is a reef break, exposed to the west, and it’s for advanced surfers only. It’s fairly consistent, but watching the charts, we’ve got a long dry spell to start with.
The next couple of weeks look pretty grim for paddle surfing. From Monday the 20th of July right through to the end of the month, there’s barely a whisper of a decent wave. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2 feet, and the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is weak, often below 100, so there’s no power in the water. It’s a frustrating stretch of poor surf conditions.
We get a bit of a pulse of energy around the 25th and 26th of July, with swell heights pushing up to 5 feet, and the combined energy jumping into the moderate range (298 to 432). But the wind is blowing straight onshore at 18 to 22 miles per hour, making it a lumpy, blown-out mess. Honestly, for a beach-and-reef setup like this, that’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The real standout, and the only window worth considering, is Thursday the 30th of July. On the morning of the 30th, we’ve got glassy conditions with a light breeze from the ESE, which is offshore. The swell is 4 feet from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds, pushing a moderate wave energy of 363. The water temperature is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, around 63°, which is about 3° above average. That Thursday morning is the best on offer by a long way—clean, open faces, and the swell direction matches the optimum westerly direction nicely. It’s a solid window for the advanced crew.
After that, it fades again. Friday the 31st of July has a clean morning with a 3-foot swell, but the energy drops off quickly, and by the weekend it’s back to small, onshore slop.
So, to sum it up: if you’ve got a window, make it the morning of Thursday the 30th. That’s your pick. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off for surf.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Thu night, fresh winds from the WSW by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 55 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 48 | 90 | 81 | 170 | 391 | 375 | 259 | 432 | 318 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 10:40PM3.78m | 11:15AM3.56m | 11:32PM3.47m | 12:07PM3.38m | 00:31AM3.22m | 1:08PM3.26m | 1:41AM3.09m | 2:16PM3.25m | 2:55AM3.11m | 3:22PM3.36m | 3:59AM3.25m | 4:17PM3.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:17PM1.01m | 4:47AM0.92m | 5:12PM1.28m | 5:42AM1.24m | 6:20PM1.48m | 6:51AM1.48m | 7:43PM1.56m | 8:09AM1.56m | 8:58PM1.48m | 9:16AM1.50m | 9:55PM1.31m | 10:08AM1.34m | 10:40PM1.09m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — |
 | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:49 | — | — | 9:47 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:43 | — | — | 9:42 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 17 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — |
| kJ | 55 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 48 | — | 38 | 128 | — | — | 259 | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 5 | — | NW 5 | NW 4 | — | W 12 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 7 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | NE 3 | NNE 3 | — | ENE 3 | — | WNW 5 | — | — | NW 2 | NW 4 | WNW 3 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 90 | 81 | 170 | 391 | 375 | — | 432 | 318 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 588 | 63 | 114 | 428 | 63 | 63 | 271 | 63 | 293 | 416 | 138 | 127 | 291 | 101 | 300 | 732 | 588 | 411 | 615 | 617 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Clare | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Crab Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Crab Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Crab Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Crab Island surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Crab Island) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Crab Island may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Clare? If you are looking for accommodation near Crab Island, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Clare, consider staying in Galway which is 35 km (22 miles) away. Other places in and around Clare where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Inis which is 35 km (22 miles) away, Shannon, Foynes and Limerick.
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