Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

To be honest, it’s a pretty grim outlook for the foreseeable future. We’re looking at a solid block of poor surf conditions right through the end of July and into the first week of August. The wind is all over the place, mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell is a messy, short-period wind swell that just won’t line up. The combined energy of all swells directed here is weak, barely cracking 100 (59) for the first session, and it stays messy for days. The water temperature is sitting at 62°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than average for this time of year, so it’s a little on the mild side but nothing too unusual.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday, 30 July. The morning shows a glassy 2ft of west swell with a light NE breeze, making it clean. The afternoon cleans up even more with a light cross-offshore wind from the NNW, working the same 2ft west swell. The energy is tiny (41-54), but for a quiet session on a longboard, it’s about as good as it gets here this week. The water is still that 62°.

Then we hit another dry spell. Friday, 31 July, through to Wednesday, 6 August, is a write-off. The swell drops to nothing, the wind is all over the shop, and there’s just no wave energy to speak of. It’s a long gap of almost a week with nothing worth paddling out for.

The next potential highlight creeps in on Thursday, 4 August in the morning. A clean 1.0ft swell from the west with a very long period of 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s tiny. The energy is only 49, so it’ll be a slow, glassy day for logs and maybe a single fin. A light cross-offshore wind from the NNW keeps it clean. The long period at a beach break like Lahinch means it might be a little straight, but on a day like that, you’ll take what you can get.

Friday, 8 August shows a bit more life. The morning sees a 3ft swell from the WSW with an 11-second period, and combined energy of 212 (moderate). The wind is onshore from the WSW, which is a bit of a letdown, but it’s light. The afternoon improves slightly with a 3ft swell from the same direction, combined energy of 249, and a light cross-onshore wind from the west. It’s still not great, but it’s the biggest swell we’ve seen in a while. The wind will keep it a little lumpy, though.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there’s no standout. The best on offer is the glassy morning of Thursday, 30 July, for a small, clean paddle. The Sunday, 8 August, has the most size, but the wind isn’t kind.

Rusty.

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