Surf Forecasts:
Inchydoney surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, SW swell with 286 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Inchydoney this week:
The surf forecast for Inchydoney over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Inchydoney in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Inchydoney over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, the outlook for Inchydoney is pretty grim for the first ten days or so. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions and not much to get excited about. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and when it's not, the swell is tiny or the period is all over the place. It’s one of those quiet spells that can test your patience.
The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Friday the 11th of September. The morning at Inchydoney (river) sees a light offshore breeze from the north at just 3 mph, with a 4.3 ft swell from the SSW. The period is 8 seconds, so it’s a bit short, but the conditions are clean. It’s surfable, but it’s not a standout. The combined energy is moderate at 330. Later that afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5.6 ft from the SSE, but the wind swings cross-shore, and the period stays short. The energy picks up to 476. It’s marginal, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while.
The second week is a bit of a mixed bag, but nothing to write home about. The 7th of September Monday afternoon has a 4.9 ft swell from the WSW with a 12-second period, giving a strong energy reading of 716. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s not glassy, but there’s some power in the water. The 11th of September afternoon is the only other time the swell hits 5.6 ft, but the wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s messy.
The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual to report. For Inchydoney, it’s a sheltered spot, and the best swell direction is from the SW, which we see a few times, but the wind always seems to spoil it.
Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the morning of Friday the 11th of September is your best bet. It’s clean, but the swell is short-period and not huge. Don’t expect any magic. The rest of the period is a total write-off for quality surf. There’s a gap of days with no real recommendations, and the swell energy is often weak (56, 77, 79) or the wind is a fresh onshore breeze, making it lumpy and choppy. For a river break, when the wind is onshore and the swell is messy, you might be better off looking at something else. Stay patient, folks.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed night, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri morning, light winds from the W by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SSW 18 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 8 | SW 5 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | SSW 14 | WSW 7 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
225 | 57 | 43 | 31 | 45 | 252 | 248 | 274 | 260 | 161 | 126 | 95 | 127 | 81 | 68 | 37 | 44 | 34 | 57 | 88 | 132 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:44AM3.53m | 8:04PM3.53m | 8:22AM3.48m | 8:42PM3.42m | 9:02AM3.36m | 9:25PM3.25m | 9:48AM3.18m | 10:14PM3.03m | 10:42AM2.98m | 11:16PM2.81m | 11:52AM2.80m | 00:34AM2.67m | 1:18PM2.75m | 2:02AM2.71m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:01PM0.18m | 2:19AM0.25m | 2:37PM0.27m | 2:56AM0.37m | 3:17PM0.42m | 3:38AM0.54m | 4:06PM0.61m | 4:31AM0.74m | 5:08PM0.81m | 5:42AM0.92m | 6:33PM0.94m | 7:13AM0.97m | 8:05PM0.91m | ||||||||
6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WSW 8 |
225 | 54 | 15 | 31 | 30 | 25 | 50 | 79 | 42 | 94 | 95 | 95 | 84 | 81 | 37 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 16 | 20 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 19 | S 18 | S 10 | S 10 | — | SW 10 | — | S 18 | — | — | S 8 | S 8 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 10 | WSW 9 | SSW 13 | W 8 | SSW 12 |
— | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | — | 6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 68 | 37 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 22 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 8 | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | SW 13 | — | — | SSW 13 | WSW 15 |
— | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 17 | 8 | 44 | — | — | 32 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 8 | SW 5 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WNW 3 | — | SW 7 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 6 |
5 | 57 | 43 | 23 | 45 | 252 | 248 | 274 | 260 | 161 | 126 | 85 | 127 | 66 | 3 | — | 22 | 7 | 57 | 88 | 132 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 468 | 111 | 111 | 111 | 113 | 93 | 291 | 300 | 283 | 102 | 299 | 468 | 468 | 468 | 0 | 10 | 102 | 93 | 111 | 291 | 275 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cork | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Inchydoney Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Inchydoney provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Inchydoney can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Inchydoney surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Inchydoney) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Inchydoney may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Cork? If you are looking for accommodation near Inchydoney, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cork, consider staying in Kinsale which is 27 km (17 miles) away. Other places in and around Cork where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Bantry which is 42 km (26 miles) away, Cork, Cobh and Youghal.











