Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for Lahinch over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week is a bit of a write-off. We're looking at a pretty grim run of small, weak swell with messy cross and cross-onshore winds. The first few days, from Tuesday the 21st right through the end of the week, are gonna be tiny. We're talking knee-high dribbles of 1.0ft to 2ft from the west and west-northwest. The swell energy is just pathetic, barely cracking 30 or 40 (32 to 58). The waves that do show up will be poor quality, so honestly, don't bother paddling out.

Then we hit the weekend, and things get a bit of a pulse, but not in a good way for a surfer. From Saturday the 25th, the swell jumps up, but it's blowing a gale from the west-southwest and west, smashing the place with a fresh cross-onshore wind. We'll see 5ft to 6ft on Saturday, and the energy climbs to 193 and then 486, but it's gonna be a lumpy, choppy mess. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session. By Sunday the 26th, the swell peaks at 7ft from the west-northwest, with a moderate cross-shore wind, but it's still got that cross-chop on it. The energy is high (826 and 862), but it's not gonna be clean, and that size is pushing into expert-only territory.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see the swell drop a bit to 5ft and 5ft, but we're back to cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. The energy is still moderate (363 to 533), but the quality is poor.

There's a bit of a breather on Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th, with the swell dropping right back down to 2ft and 2ft. The wind goes light and even gets a cross-offshore from the east-southeast on Thursday morning, which would clean it right up. But with such tiny waves (44 to 45 energy), it's still a flat spell.

The real bright spot, and the only one I'd circle on your calendar, is the end of the first week of August. Look at Friday the 31st of July. We get a solid 3ft to 3ft swell from the west, with a period bumping up to 11 seconds – that's a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (250 and 214), and the wind is a mix of cross and gentle cross-onshore. It's not perfect, but compared to the rest of the run, it's the best on offer. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The surf stays pretty poor for the first week of August, with the swell dropping off again to 1ft on the 2nd, then a small bump to 4ft on the 3rd, but with onshore winds. It's a long, quiet stretch. If you're desperate, the 31st of July is your best bet, but it's a long way out, so keep an eye on the forecast. The rest of it? Leave the board in the van.

Rusty.

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