Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lahinch Strand over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the water is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away without a wetsuit on the sunny days.

First real chance to get wet comes Friday morning, 10th July. The wind is blowing offshore from the NNE at 6 mph, giving us clean conditions. The swell is a small 3 ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a nice long-period groundswell, which will wrap into the point nicely. The combined swell energy is moderate (241). It’s a beginner-plus spot, but with the clean lines and light wind, it’s a solid session for intermediates and up. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Through the rest of that weekend, the swell drops right off. Saturday and Sunday have tiny waves, mostly under 2 ft, with strong offshore winds. The energy numbers are weak (79 and below). It’s not really worth paddling out unless you’re desperate for a float.

The next week is a bit of a write-off for quality surf. From Monday 13th through to Thursday 16th, the swell is tiny (0.7 ft to 2 ft) and the energy is very weak. There’s a glassy moment Wednesday afternoon with zero wind, but the waves are just too small to do anything with.

Then we hit a windswell spike from Friday 17th July. The swell picks up to 4 ft, but the period is a short 5-6 seconds. The wind is cross-shore and strong, creating chop. The energy is moderate (143) but the quality is poor. This pattern continues into the weekend of 18th and 19th July, with a big jump in swell energy (467 on Saturday afternoon) as the swell reaches 5 ft from the WNW with an 11-second period, but the wind is howling cross-shore at 19-25 mph. That’s going to be a lumpy, messy mess. For a point break setup with that much cross-breeze, this is honestly more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

The standout window is Monday morning, 20th July. The wind swings light and cross-offshore from the NNW at just 3 mph, giving us clean conditions. The swell is a solid 5 ft from the WNW at 8 seconds, with strong combined energy (385). That’s proper size for Lahinch, but it’s not for beginners. Over 5 ft, it’s for the experienced crew. The wind is calm enough that the waves should hold shape, though the shorter period means it might be a bit sectiony. It’s the best call of the whole forecast.

After that, the week of 21st to 24th July sees onshore winds from the SW and W, blowing at 12-19 mph. The swell sticks around 4 ft to 5 ft, with moderate to strong energy, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and lumpy. Not worth rushing out for.

Overall, if you can pick a window, Friday morning 10th for the clean long-period groundswell, or Monday morning 20th for the bigger, cleaner swells. The rest is small or wind-affected. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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