Doolin Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Doolin Point on the west coast. The outlook for the next 16 days is a bit of a waiting game, with no real swell to speak of and a lot of onshore wind. It’s a bleak stretch, but let’s ride through it.

The pattern starts with a flat spell. From Saturday the 18th through to the end of July, the swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and the wind is often cross-on or onshore. The wave energy is weak, well under 100 (13-58), which is just grim. The only real highlight is a few mornings of cross-off wind from the north-northeast keeping things clean, but with so little swell, it’s not worth paddling out for. Even the best of these, like Sunday the 19th morning with a 0.7 ft W swell and 13-second period, is just a flat, clean sea. The water temperature sits at 63°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s small comfort.

The first standout moment comes on Saturday the 25th of July. The swell picks up to 5 ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 336-337, a moderate hit. The wind, however, is a real problem. Saturday morning is cross-onshore from the NW, and the afternoon is full onshore from the WNW at 19 mph. This is a classic setup where the waves have size but the surface is blown out. For a reef break like Doolin Point, this is one for experts only if they’re desperate, but honestly, the conditions look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s too messy for a good session.

The energy continues through the next week, with Sunday the 26th morning seeing 4 ft and 181 energy, and Monday the 27th afternoon hitting 5 ft with 298 energy, but the wind persists onshore or cross-onshore. The period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s short-period windswell, breaking straight and choppy. Not the quality Doolin Point needs.

The best chance in the whole window lands on Saturday the 1st of August. A glassy morning, with hardly any wind (3 mph), a clean 3 ft WNW swell at 9 seconds, and 115 energy. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The water temp anomaly wasn’t recorded for this date, but given the earlier readings, it’s probably still a touch warmer than average. For a break that’s fairly consistent, this is a rare day where the wind gives you a shot. The swell is small, but it’s clean. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a mixed bag of ground and windswell, not the long lines that make this reef sing. But for a beginner-friendly wave? It’s under 5 ft, so it’s fine for learning. The crowds? Often, so expect company.

After that, the final days of the 2nd of August drop back to 2 ft and weak energy, with cross-on wind again. The forecast into the second week is less certain, but the pattern shows no major improvement. If you’re a surfer, keep your eyes on the glassy morning of the 1st of August—it’s the only real window. For now, it’s a waiting game. The breaks tend to stay poor here for a while, so a blank run is more normal for the area.

Rusty, signing off.

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