Inchydoney Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest with ourselves about the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, flat stretch ahead before things get interesting.

The next week and a half is a total write-off for decent waves. We’re looking at a lot of days with barely a bump, most of it under 2ft, with the swell energy weak, sitting mostly in the 40-90 range. We’ve got a mix of onshores and lumpy cross-shore breezes making things messy, and a few days where the wind swings around to the north, giving us some clean, offshore conditions. But it’s clean and flat, which is no good to anyone. A surfer would call that a cruel tease.

We do see a little bump of short-period energy on Wednesday, the 19th afternoon, but the wind is a strong cross-shore mess, so it won’t hold up. Thursday the 20th has some clean morning conditions with a northwest offshore, but the swell is only 2ft. The first real, rideable wave shows up Friday morning, the 21st, when we get a tiny 1ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period and a gentle north offshore. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The energy is weak (91), and you’d be scratching for anything. This pattern of tiny, clean, and weak continues through the following week. We’ll get some clean mornings with that offshore north wind, but the swell stays stubbornly small, maxing out around 2ft. Honestly, it’s a good time to check your wax and fix your dings, but not much else.

Now, the big news is for late in the window. Around Wednesday, August 26th, the energy starts to climb. The morning shows a bump to 6ft, but it’s a short-period wind swell, so it’ll be lumpy. But hold on to your board shorts, because that afternoon the models are showing a big pulse.

Thursday, August 27th is the standout. We’ve got an 8ft SSW groundswell with a 10-second period, and the energy is very strong at 1149. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore from the WNW, and the wave comment says clean. This is the real deal. For Inchydoney (West Cork), this is when it gets proper. That’s a big, powerful swell for the river mouth. This one is for experienced surfers only, as it’s well over the 8ft mark. Swell direction is SSW, which is right in the zone for this setup. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Friday, August 28th, the swell will have dropped off a cliff back to 2ft. The energy is gone, and it’s back to poor conditions.

Then, after that pulse, we go quiet again. The following week has a small, clean-blown swell on Sunday, August 30th, but with a short 6-second period and wind that’s a bit too strong for it to be any fun. And that’s about it. The long-range stuff for September 1st shows another pulse, but it’s a long way out, so treat it as promising but not something to book your week around.

So, to sum it up: we’re in for a long flat spell. The only true standout is Thursday, August 27th, when a proper-sized SW groundswell hits Inchydoney. Get on it if you’ve got the experience.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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