Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what the Atlantic’s got for us, focusing on Lahinch.

Straight up, we’re in for a frustrating couple of weeks. The energy’s there, big time, with moderate wave energy early on, but the wind just won’t play ball. The first proper surf on offer is Saturday the 12th, and it kicks off with a 6ft WSW swell, period around 10 seconds, so some decent lines. The trouble is the wind is howling onshore from the WSW at 15 mph, making a mess of things. The water’s 61°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won’t be enjoying it in that chop.

That sets the pattern. Sunday the 13th sees the swell drop to 4ft, still from the WSW, with a light cross-onshore wind. It’s marginal at best. Monday the 14th is smaller again with onshore winds. We get a bit of a spike Tuesday the 15th, with a 6ft west swell, but the cross-shore wind and lumpy conditions (moderate wave energy around 585) mean it’s messy. This is the story for days: the swell builds and drops, building to a big 8ft west swell by Thursday the 17th, but the onshore and cross-onshore winds from the west and northwest just tear it apart. It’s fresh and lumpy.

The biggest push comes on Saturday the 19th of September. We’re looking at a massive 10ft west swell with a 12-second period. The combined energy is very strong at 2946. But unfortunately, the wind is a strong breeze from the west at 25 mph, making for a strong cross-onshore mess. That drops to 8ft on Sunday the 20th with a long 15-second period (very long period groundswell), but again, the wind ruins it. For a beach setup like this, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The second week is a long, slow fade. From Monday the 21st, the swell drops steadily from 5ft down to nothing. The winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, with some brief glassy conditions on Sunday the 27th, but by then the swell is a tiny 1ft. For about six days from the 21st onward, there’s no real recommendation to be had. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not unusual when the pattern is stubborn.

If you have to pick a session that’s the least bad, it’s Monday morning the 21st of September. The swell is 5ft from the WNW with a long 13-second period, and the wind is only a light breeze from the SSW. The wave energy is moderate (655). You’ll get some clean-ish, lined-up waves on the point, but it’s still cross-onshore and marginal. It’s a far cry from classic Lahinch, but it’s the best of a poor lot.

Keep an eye on the charts, but honestly, it’s one to sit out or go for a long walk on the cliffs.

Rusty.

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