Surf Forecasts:
Crab Island surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 12s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period, W swell with 196 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 12s period with WNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Crab Island this week:
The surf forecast for Crab Island over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Crab Island in the next 16 days are 1.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Crab Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, this is a rough stretch for surf around here. The entire 16-day window is a real struggle, with clean, rideable waves being a rare exception. We’ve got a few days with nothing surfable at all, especially from the start through to the 23rd of August, where the surf is tiny and messy. The only real bright spot comes in the second week, but it’s not a home run.
The one spot we’ve got to look at is Crab Island (Clare). This is an advanced, exposed reef break that needs a decent W swell to work. The water is sitting at 63°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
The best opportunity we see is on Monday the 24th. The morning session looks the pick of the entire forecast. We’ve got a 3ft NW groundswell, period of 11 seconds, and clean conditions with a light offshore ESE breeze. The combined energy is moderate at 164, and that offshore wind will keep the surface glassy. The swell direction is WNW, which isn’t perfect for the optimum W, but it’s close enough to get some solid, shaped waves off the reef. The afternoon on the 24th also offers 3ft swell and a clean cross-off wind, but the morning is the standout.
After that, things deteriorate again. We see a big spike on Friday the 28th of August with a 10ft WNW swell, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it a lumpy, blown-out, expert-only mess. The combined energy hits 1294, which is very strong, but the conditions are poor. The 8ft in the afternoon is only for the brave.
The rest of the days are really not worth paddling out for. From the 29th of August through to the 4th of September, the swell is small, the period is short, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-shore. There are a few moments of clean conditions, but with virtually no swell energy, you’ll be floating.
Honestly, if you’re a surfer, keep your eyes on the 24th morning – that’s your one true chance. Otherwise, it’s a blank run. For the rest, the conditions are so poor that this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Forecasts can change, but right now, patience is the name of the game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Thu afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Sun night, fresh winds from the E by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 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) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WSW 9 | NW 6 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 8 | WSW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 287 | 123 | 28 | 42 | 31 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 135 | 140 | 151 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 196 | 160 | 139 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross | on | on |
High Tide | 11:40PM3.09m | 12:14PM3.12m | 00:58AM2.91m | 1:37PM3.06m | 2:30AM2.94m | 2:59PM3.21m | 3:42AM3.14m | 3:58PM3.46m | 4:31AM3.39m | 4:41PM3.75m | 5:09AM3.65m | 5:17PM4.02m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:11PM1.54m | 5:38AM1.69m | 6:48PM1.74m | 7:28AM1.82m | 8:36PM1.66m | 8:59AM1.69m | 9:40PM1.42m | 9:53AM1.44m | 10:24PM1.12m | 10:33AM1.16m | 11:00PM0.82m | 11:07AM0.89m | 11:32PM0.53m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | |  | |  |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | — | 5 | 5 |
Temp °C | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WSW 9 | NW 6 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 8 | WSW 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 287 | 123 | 28 | 25 | 18 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 16 | 135 | 140 | 151 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 196 | 160 | 139 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 13 | WSW 10 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 3 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | SW 13 | NW 10 | NW 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 8 | 16 | 26 | 7 | 31 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 14 | W 14 | W 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | W 10 | NW 10 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | W 13 | W 13 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 8 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 8 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 6 | NE 3 | — | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | E 2 | ESE 3 | SE 3 | N 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 12 | 42 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 565 | 617 | 12 | 164 | 164 | 11 | 12 | 108 | 107 | 107 | 67 | 63 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 92 | 63 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Clare | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Crab Island surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest