Doolin Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next 16 days. We're focusing on one spot, a real heavyweight for the experts, so I'll keep it honest.

Right off the bat, I gotta tell you it's a bit of a slow start. The forecast kicks off on Tuesday, 28 July, but the surf is a write-off for the first few days. We're looking at a solid 5ft to 5ft of swell from the west, but the wind is a mess – a fresh cross-onshore breeze from the SSW and SW is just tearing it up, making for lumpy, poor conditions. This pattern of messy, cross-onshore wind and poor surf holds through the rest of July and into the first day of August. The swell hangs around waist to chest high, but it's just not clean. The wind is on it or cross-on, and the energy is moderate at best, with readings around 100 to 265. It's a frustrating start, for sure.

We hit a real lull from Sunday, 2 August, through to Sunday, 9 August. The swell drops right off, with heights hovering around 0.7ft to 3ft. The energy is weak, barely registering above 50, dropping as low as 11. The wind does go light and clean for a few patches, especially those mornings with a cross-off breeze, but there's simply no wave to ride. It's a flat spell, plain and simple.

The first hint of life comes late on Sunday, 9 August, and into Monday, 10 August. We see a pulse of 3ft swell from the WSW with a period of 9-10 seconds, kicking the energy up to 123. The wind is light cross-on or cross-off, so it's not perfect, but it's a start. It's still a long way from a good session.

Now, the one to keep an eye on is the very end of the forecast window. On Wednesday, 12 August, the models are showing a bump. We get a 5ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 6 seconds, which is a bit of a bummer. The energy is moderate at 230. The wind is a light cross-on from the WNW, so it could be cleanish. For a spot that needs a lot of juice and the right angle, this is a long-range glimmer. It's too far out to get excited, but it's the only thing that looks like it might offer a wave.

Overall, the pickings are slim. The only consistent feature here is Doolin Point, a reef slab that demands respect. It's an expert-only wave, and it's often crowded when it's on. For the entire 16 days, there isn't a single standout session. The only real window of hope is that breezy, short-period swell on the 12th of August. For the rest of it, we're looking at either blown-out conditions or a flat ocean. Not a great outlook for the paddle surfer, but for the next couple of weeks, it is what it is.

Rusty.

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