Doolin Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here, looking at the charts for Doolin Point. Let me tell you, this is a classic case of "look, don't touch" for most of the run. We've got a lot of energy in the water, but the wind gods are not smiling. Buckle up.

The main story for the next week and a half is a whole lot of strong, messy swell getting hammered by onshore and cross-onshore winds. This is a heavy-water, expert-only reef set-up we're talking about, and when it's blown out, it's just a washing machine. The water's sitting at 61°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won't be feeling that with the spray in your face.

We kick off with a pulse on Saturday the 12th. There's a solid 8ft of west swell rocking in with 1293 units of energy (moderate wave energy), but a howling 22 mph cross-onshore wind is going to chop it to bits. Forget it. The wind backs off a touch Sunday and Monday, but the swell drops and the direction stays poor. There are some bigger pulses of west swell hitting 8ft again on Thursday the 17th and into the weekend of the 19th, with a period climbing up to 13 seconds (groundswell). But each time, the wind is a problem – strong onshores and cross-onshores. By Sunday the 20th, we're looking at near-gale force winds and an 12ft swell. That's just a survival mission, not a surf. If you're a kite surfer though, that Saturday and Sunday look a lot more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer.

Now, hang in there, because there is a glimmer of hope. After that stormy mess, Monday the 21st morning brings a shift. A light 6 mph cross-offshore breeze from the southeast combines with a 4ft west-northwest swell (523 energy units). The wave comment says clean. That's your first proper look. It’s not huge, but it will be the best quality all week.

Then, the standout window. Tuesday the 22nd morning is shaping up to be the pick of the entire 16-day run. The wind goes super light from the north-northeast, almost glassy, and the swell is a clean 4ft from the west-northwest with a lovely 12-second period. A groundswell at a point break like Doolin with those conditions is a thing of beauty. The energy is moderate (412), the wave comment says clean. This will be one for the connoisseurs.

We get a couple more decent clean mornings on Friday the 25th of September – a week and a half away – with a light offshore easterly breeze and a 3ft west swell (268 energy), and later a cleaner 2ft west groundswell (12-second period) with 283 energy. Both are clean, but it’s smaller.

The long-range outlook into the final week gets a bit fuzzy with another stormy pulse and a lot of cross-shore wind, so don't bank on it. The main takeaway? The whole place is a write-off until the 21st, and then Tuesday the 22nd morning is your golden ticket. Get on it if you can.

Rusty

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