Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks – Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks along this stretch of coast. I’ve got to be straight with you: the overall picture is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions, with a couple of small windows that might just be worth a paddle.

The first good opportunity doesn’t show up until Saturday, August 1st, and even then, it’s not exactly a classic. For the morning, we’ve got some tiny, knee-high leftovers from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is very weak, registering only 66 (combined energy). It’s light cross-shore wind, so the surface will be a bit messy. But the real story is the afternoon: the wind drops to glassy – dead calm. The swell fades further to 1 ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 45. It’s small, but glassy conditions on a point break like Lahinch Strand are a rare treat. The water is sitting at 62°, which is about 2° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s not too shabby. This is the only true standout in the whole forecast, simply because of that perfect, clean surface. But don’t expect much push; it’s a session for a longboard or a funboard.

Before that, from now through to the end of July, it’s a write-off. The wind is either cross-onshore, onshore, or strong cross-shore, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” for every single session. The swell is there, with some moderate energy (like 517 on Saturday afternoon, July 25th with 6 ft from the west-northwest), but the wind is just ruining it.

After that brief glassy moment on August 1st, the outlook goes back into a poor pattern. The waves get a bit of a boost towards the end of the second week. On Saturday, August 8th, the morning shows a 6 ft swell from the west with a period of 10 seconds and combined energy of 673 – that’s moderate-to-strong energy. The wind is cross-shore from the northwest at 12 mph, and it’s rated as marginal. At 6 ft, it’s getting into the territory where it’s a bit much for beginners, and the cross-shore wind will make it lumpy. It’s not a standout, but it’s the best of a bad bunch in the second week. The crowd profile at Lahinch is “often” busy, so expect company.

For the rest of the second week, it’s a mix of poor conditions and small, weak swells. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Friday, August 7th, with a 3 ft groundswell from the west-southwest, a period of 7 seconds, and a light cross-offshore wind from the north. That’s clean, but the energy is only 134, so it’s small and weak.

Overall, it’s a lean fortnight. The one true standout is that glassy afternoon on August 1st at Lahinch Strand. Don’t get your hopes up for anything else. If you’re a kite surfer, the stronger, windier days with all that onshore chop might be more your thing than a paddle session.

Rusty.

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