Kilcummin Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, your local surf reporter, and I’ve got the full 16-day run down for the next stretch here.

You want the honest truth? This is a tough stretch. There’s a long gap right at the start where there’s practically nothing worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a couple of weeks where the surf is just flat or messy, and it’s not until the very end that we finally get a pulse.

The first real swell on the cards isn’t until the final week. Honestly, you’re looking at about ten days of poor surf conditions where the energy is weak—those combined swell energy values barely hit triple digits until we get later in the run. The early mornings on Wednesday the 15th through to Friday the 24th are mostly small, weak, and messy.

Let’s be straight: the only break we have on the menu is Kilcummin Harbour, and it’s a reef setup, fairly consistent, exposed to the swell. But the news isn’t great. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there. For the first several days, the wave heights are only around 1 ft to 1 ft. That’s basically a lake. Even when it jumps a little on Friday the 17th afternoon, the period drops to 5 seconds—short, weak, and onshore. No bueno.

The week starting Monday the 21st is much the same. We get a slight bump in energy, but winds are on it and the swell is tiny. You’ll see some cross-offshore or glassy windows, but there’s simply no size to work with. The combined energy is in the low double digits to maybe 150 range—weak to moderate, but the wave height is never enough to ride.

Now, let’s talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. Saturday the 25th of July is the standout. The morning brings a clean window with offshore wind from the SW at 19 mph. That’s a major positive. Swell height jumps to 6 ft from the NNW with a 8-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 492 (moderate to strong). Afternoon cleans up again with a cross-off wind from the WSW at 22 mph, 5 ft from the NW and 351 energy. This is the best on offer, but it’s still a short-period swell (8 seconds), so at a reef like Kilcummin Harbour that can be a bit peaky and fast. The 6 ft is pushing into the size that’s better for intermediates and above; beginners should sit this one out. Expect crowds to be sometimes around.

Sunday the 26th fades quickly, with strong cross-winds and energy dropping.

Monday the 27th still has some moderate swell (3 ft, NNW) but the wind is on it and choppy. After that, it’s back to small, weak dribble for the rest of the run.

So, to sum it up: you’ve got a long dry spell until the very end. The only real day to get excited about is Saturday the 25th of July, with cleaner conditions and proper wave height. Everything else is a rest day or a session for the hardy. Keep an eye on the forecast for that late window, but for now, pull the wax off and give the board a rest.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Read more