Long Strand-Castlefreke Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Alright, for the next couple of weeks, it's a tough stretch for paddling. The wave energy is going to be pretty weak for most of it, with conditions mostly onshore and lumpy. There's a real glimmer at the very end of the window, but you'll have to earn it.

We're kicking off with *Long Strand-Castlefreke* (County Cork) on Friday the 11th. It's barely a ripple out there. We're looking at a tiny 1 ft from the SW with a short period of 8 seconds and the combined swell energy is sitting at a low 31. It's clean enough with a light cross-shore wind, but there's just no power to work with. The water temp is about average for now.

Saturday the 12th is a write-off – onshore winds up to 22 mph and messy bumpy swell at 4 ft but with a shocking 6-second period. It's not surfable.

We drift into a long, flat spell. Sunday the 13th has a tiny 1.0 ft, then Monday the 14th through to Thursday the 17th of September is a real low point. The swell drops to almost nothing, with energy readings as low as 10. Winds are mostly fresh onshore or cross-shore, creating lumpy, choppy junk. There is just nothing to get excited about for a full week.

Things stay poor into the third weekend. Saturday the 19th sees a small pulse of 4 ft from the WSW, but it's wind-affected and onshore. The energy (118) is a bit better, but the quality isn't there for a paddle session – maybe more of a kitesurfer's window.

Monday the 22nd through to Thursday the 24th of September is more of the same: ankle to knee-high slop with light winds keeping it clean but tiny. Thursday morning the 24th is glassy but the swell is a pathetic 3 ft with a period of only 4 seconds.

Now, for the true standout, you have to wait. Friday the 25th of September is a call for experts only. We see a solid groundswell arriving from the SSW with a 7 ft swell, a period of 8 seconds, and a very strong combined energy of 618. The wind is light offshore (NE at 6 mph), so it will be clean. But this spot is exposed and a SW swell of 7 ft is predicted to be too big for this break. It's big, powerful, and will be unruly. The session on Saturday the 26th of September is similar: a 5 ft swell from the SW with 283 points of energy and offshore winds making it clean, but again, it's looking too big for a good time here.

For two weeks you've got mostly flat, choppy junk. But if you're a hardcore charger, the last few days of the month offer some powerful, clean, but potentially overwhelming swell. Keep your eyes peeled for a change in the charts. The rest of the time, save your energy.

Rusty.

Read more