Long Strand-Castlefreke Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at the charts for Long Strand-Castlefreke. Gotta be straight with you—it’s a tough outlook. We’re staring down a long, dry spell where there’s just no surf worth paddling out for. The whole first week and a half is a write-off, with tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. We’re looking at a gap of almost ten days before anything changes, and even then, it’s not a classic.

Let’s start with the water. When we finally get something going, the water temp is sitting at 65°F on the 22nd, which is a couple of degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice surprise, but it’s wasted on the conditions.

From the 22nd of July right through to the 31st, it’s a story of flatness and onshore muck. Swell heights are below 1.0 ft for days, with periods all over the shop and combined wave energy scraping the bottom of the barrel—single digits and low doubles. Winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the SW and W, gusty and strong, making a mess of an already tiny ocean. There are a couple of morning windows with clean conditions, like the 23rd and 24th, but with only 0.7 ft of swell and weak energy, it’s barely a ripple.

The first hint of something real shows up on the 29th of July. We get a 3 ft swell from the West, with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy hitting 133. That’s moderate energy, the first sign we’ve had. But the wind is a cross-onshore 12 mph from the W, making it choppy. It’s still a no-go for a decent surf, just less terrible than the days before.

Moving into the first week of August there’s another tease. On Sunday the 2nd, we see a 3 ft SSW swell with a period of 6 seconds and energy of 65. The wind finally goes light offshore from the ENE at 3 mph in the morning, giving us a clean window. But the swell is short period and small, and combined with the inconsistency of this spot, it’s a marginal one. Not a standout, just the only thing on the board.

After that, the wind swings back onshore and we’re back to nothing.

If you’re desperate, the only real option to even think about is Long Strand-Castlefreke itself on the morning of the 2nd of August. You’ll need a log and low expectations. The water will feel normal for the time of year. The break cleans up with that light offshore, but with the swell size at 3 ft and direction coming from the SSW, it won't have much push. The crowds are "sometimes" an issue here, so you might have company, but honestly, I doubt many will show for this.

The rest of the window is a hard pass. There's no big swell coming, no groundswell of note. For the more experienced surfers, there's nothing to get excited about—even the tiny bump on the 2nd is only waist high. The long, bleak run is more normal for this area, I’m afraid. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, leave the boards in the van.

Rusty.

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