
Surf Forecasts:
Lahinch Strand surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period, W swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, WNW swell with 4,373 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 19 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 11s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lahinch Strand this week:
The surf forecast for Lahinch Strand over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 19) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lahinch Strand in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lahinch Strand over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for Lahinch.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next few days are a write-off. We’ve got a big, strong westerly swell on the way, but the wind is absolutely howling from the wrong direction, smashing it up. It's gonna be a messy, blown-out mess. We're looking at combined swell energy values in the thousands (2481) to over four thousand (4243) through Thursday and Friday, which tells you there's a heap of power out there, but it’s all cross-on and onshore. Nothing for a paddle board here, honestly that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
That poor spell lasts right through the weekend. The wind finally starts to ease on Sunday the 20th, and we get a small window with a 6-foot west swell and a light cross-on breeze, but it's still just marginal.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Mark your calendars for Monday the 21st of September. The morning is still a bit iffy, but by Monday afternoon it's looking like a completely different story. The wind drops right out – glassy conditions, the sea will be like a mirror. The swell drops to a clean 4.3ft from the west. On a point break like Lahinch Strand, that kind of clean, glassy setup with a moderate wave energy (367) is a real treat. The crowd factor is noted as “often,” so expect some friendly company in the water for this one.
The standout, the absolute gem of this whole 16-day run, is Tuesday the 22nd of September. We get a proper long-period groundswell, a 16-second pulse from the west. The size is a solid 6.6ft in the morning, pushing to 8.2ft in the afternoon. This is expert territory – the afternoon size will be too big for beginners and will demand your full respect. It's a powerful wave with energy values over 2500 (2596 in the morning, 2903 in the afternoon). But the key here is the wind: glassy offshore from the ESE and NNW. That’s clean, perfect, lined-up waves on the point. The water temperature is sitting at 60.8°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. If you've got the skills, that Tuesday is the day.
Wednesday the 23rd keeps it fun with a much more manageable 5.2ft to 4.6ft west swell, still with clean offshore winds. The wave energy drops back to a moderate 771 to 555. Good, solid fun for the intermediate crew.
After that, the swell fades. The end of September and start of October sees the energy drop right off into the low hundreds and double digits. We get small, surfable but very ordinary conditions from the 30th onwards – 1.6ft and 2.0ft waves with glassy winds for a nice longboard glide, but nothing to get too fired up about.
So to sum it up: don't even think about paddling out until Monday the 21st. That Monday afternoon is your first good window, but Tuesday the 22nd is the absolute standout for experienced surfers. Get on it.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 11 | W 13 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 12 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
789 | 625 | 908 | 2481 | 4243 | 3576 | 2469 | 2385 | 1836 | 1146 | 1152 | 1087 | 807 | 826 | 702 | 410 | 367 | 690 | 2063 | 2903 | 1603 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:14PM3.67m | 9:31AM3.58m | 9:57PM3.32m | 10:18AM3.28m | 10:56PM3.01m | 11:25AM3.05m | 00:20AM2.82m | 12:57PM2.98m | 1:58AM2.86m | 2:23PM3.13m | 3:10AM3.09m | 3:23PM3.40m | 3:57AM3.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:51PM0.83m | 3:05AM1.06m | 3:29PM1.17m | 3:43AM1.42m | 4:17PM1.51m | 4:36AM1.75m | 5:45PM1.78m | 6:34AM1.93m | 8:04PM1.72m | 8:30AM1.78m | 9:12PM1.44m | 9:25AM1.48m | 9:54PM1.10m | ||||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
— | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | W 11 | — | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 12 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1087 | 807 | — | 702 | 410 | 367 | 690 | 2063 | 2903 | 1603 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 20 | W 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 123 | 533 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 11 | W 13 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
789 | 625 | 908 | 2481 | 4243 | 3576 | 2469 | 2385 | 1836 | 1146 | 1152 | — | — | 826 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 346 | 308 | 568 | 568 | 606 | 87 | 87 | 300 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 85 | 2 | 87 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Clare | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Lahinch Strand Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lahinch Strand provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lahinch Strand can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lahinch Strand surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Lahinch Strand) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Lahinch Strand may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Clare? If you are looking for accommodation near Lahinch Strand, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Clare, consider staying in Inis which is 26 km (16 miles) away. Other places in and around Clare where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Foynes which is 39 km (24 miles) away, Shannon, Galway and Limerick.










