Inchydoney Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. It’s been a tough stretch for the West Cork coast, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. We’ve got a long, flat spell ahead for Inchydoney, so let’s break it down.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is pretty much spot on for the middle of July, so nothing weird there.

The forecast for the next week and a half is grim. From Sunday the 12th right through to Saturday the 25th of July, we’re looking at tiny, weak surf. The swell height barely scrapes past 1ft most days, and the combined energy is in the low to mid double digits or just over 100 at best, which is really weak. Winds are mostly cross-off or cross, but with such pathetic waves, it doesn’t matter. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions” for nearly every single session. There’s a glimmer on Thursday the 16th morning with a clean 1ft swell and a light offshore from the NNE, but with a 14-second period, it’s a long-period groundswell hitting a river break – it’s likely to be too straight and gutless. The morning of Friday the 17th is clean and offshore, but again, a tiny 1.0ft with a 13-second period just isn’t enough.

The real kicker comes on Sunday the 26th of July. The swell finally arrives, but it’s a messy, short-period windswell. Morning sees a 7ft swell from the SSW with a 7-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 387 (moderate). That’s a lot of bumpy, lumpy water. By the afternoon, it’s 8ft at 8 seconds, with energy climbing to 664 (strong). That’s too big for beginners and the short period makes it a washing machine. Winds are cross-off in the morning but turn cross in the afternoon, which will chop it up. This is a full-on beach and river setup, so with that much wind and poor quality, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday the 27th of July holds some size, 7ft from the SW at 8 seconds, but an onshore breeze from the SSE and SSW seals the deal. The energy is still strong (650 and 535), but the conditions are described as marginal or poor. Only for the most dedicated, and even then, it’s a gamble.

The standout? Honestly, there isn’t one. If you absolutely must get wet, the best you’re looking at is Thursday the 16th morning for a clean, glassy paddle on a knee-high wave, or Friday the 17th morning for the same. The big swell on the 26th and 27th is too raw and messy to recommend.

Stay patient, folks. These runs don’t last forever.

Rusty.

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