Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s shaping up for Lahinch over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this forecast is a bit of a slow burner for the first week, but there’s a silver lining if you’re willing to wait.

Right now, and for the first several days, the surf is tiny. We’re looking at mainly ankle to knee-high waves, around 0.7ft to 2ft, with a westerly swell direction. The wave energy is very weak, ranging from 15 to 59 (combined energy of all swells). The water temperature is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a full winter suit just yet. The wind is mostly cross-off or gentle, which keeps the water surface clean, but there’s just not enough swell to push it. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple. The best you’ll get in this first week is a peek of surfable but ordinary waves on Monday afternoon, 20 July, with a 2ft swell and a gentle breeze – it’s still very small, though.

Now, hold on to your boards because the pulse arrives later. On Saturday, 25 July, we start to see a bump in size, but it comes with poor conditions – strong onshore winds and rain. That’s not the good stuff. The real standout window is the morning of Sunday, 26 July. This is where the reward is. For the first time in the outlook, we get a real swell: 6ft from the west-northwest, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 389 (moderate strength). What makes this session special is the wind – it’s a light, near-calm offshore flow from the northwest at just 3 mph. That’s going to leave the face of the waves clean and lined up. The break is exposed to the west swell, so it’ll soak up that energy. Keep in mind, at 6ft, this is pushing into intermediate territory, so beginners might find it a bit much. Lahinch is a point break, so it should handle the short period fairly well, but don’t expect long, drawn-out walls.

Looking further out, Monday morning, 27 July, brings a solid 8ft swell from the west-northwest (combined energy 790). That is a powerful, chunky swell. However, the wind shifts to a moderate cross-shore, which will create some chop. Given the size, this is strictly for experts. The wave period is only 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. It’s a big wave day, but not the cleanest. After that, the swell tapers down through the end of the week into August, with heights dropping back to 3ft and below, and the wind remains mostly cross or cross-off, which is fine but not picture-perfect.

Overall, the standout for this forecast is unquestionably the Sunday morning session on 26 July. It’s the best combination of size and clean conditions. The second week is a bit of a mixed bag with some decent size but less favourable wind. If you’re a confident surfer, the Monday morning 27 July monster is worth a look, but it’s a battle.

So, get out there for that Sunday morning glass-off. The rest of the time, it’s either flat or messy. Stay keen.

Rusty.

Read more