Lahinch Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here.

Well, I've had a good look at what's coming up for Lahinch, and I'm not gonna lie to you – it's a tough stretch. We're looking at a long, dry spell of pretty much nothing for the next couple of weeks. The good news? The water is a touch warmer than average at 63°, so at least it'll be a comfortable paddle if you just want to get wet.

Right now, the pattern is set in for days of tiny, weak surf. We’re talking a combined swell energy that's barely registering, usually below 40 (39 on Wednesday morning), and wave heights stuck at 1ft to 2ft. It's just not enough to get excited about. For the first week, through to about the 24th of July, it's all poor surf conditions with no scores worth mentioning. The wind is often clean or offshore from the NE, which is a tease – perfect conditions, but no wave.

After that, into the last week of July, the swell does try to pick up a little. Around the 25th and 26th, you’ll see the wave heights creep up to 2ft-2ft, with combined energy hitting the 70s and 90s. But unfortunately, the wind swings onshore from the west, bringing in cross-on conditions that chop it all up. It's still rated as poor surf. The best you’ll find in that period is a brief moment on the morning of the 28th of July, where we get a bit of a break. The wind goes light and offshore from the NNW, and there's a clean 2ft swell with a moderate combined energy of 52. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

Then things get a bit interesting, but not for the faint-hearted. On the 30th of July, Thursday morning, we see a short-period, wind-driven bump of 6ft from the W, with a combined energy of 311. That’s a solid jump in power. But the period is a weak 7 seconds, and the wind is howling cross-shore at 19 mph. This is going to be a lumpy, messy beast. At over 5ft, this is too big for beginners, and with the short period and strong cross-wind, it's going to be a battle. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer at a beach like Lahinch. The afternoon cleans up a bit to 4ft with a longer 8-second period, but the fresh cross-off wind will still make it lumpy.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of the 30th of July for experts only. That 6ft of raw, short-period energy (combined energy 311) is the most power we see, but you'll need the skill and the willingness to deal with terrible conditions. For everyone else, keep your stick on the roof and wait for a better forecast. This looks like a classic summer flat spell for the area.

Rusty.

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