Magheraroarty Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' up at Magheraroarty Strand.

We're starting off on Wednesday, August 5th, and honestly, it's a rough one. That first day is a write-off. There's a solid 10ft swell muscling in from the NNW but the wind is howling from the NW at 22 mph, blowing straight across and making a complete mess of things. The wave energy is stupid high (1312), but that’s all for the kites, not us paddle surfers. Combined with a period of 9 seconds and poor conditions, the only thing that'll be out there is the wind.

Thursday and Friday are a mixed bag, with some cleaner conditions as the wind swings offshore, but the swell is all over the place. Thursday morning we've got a messy 4ft from the north, and it's not until Friday afternoon that something gets interesting. That's when we see a proper 8ft swell from the west with a 9-second period, clean cross-off winds, and strong wave energy (1026). The only problem? It's predicted to be too big for this spot. For beginners, anything over 5ft is a challenge, and this is well into expert territory. Still, if you're a local charger and the tide lines up, Friday afternoon and Saturday could offer some hefty, clean lines.

The wind holds clean from the southwest through the weekend, with swells hanging around the 7ft mark on Saturday, dropping to 6ft on Sunday. But the forecasts for Sunday morning and afternoon are calling the surf marginal, so the magic might be in that Friday afternoon to Saturday session.

We then hit a dry spell. From Sunday, August 9th right through to the middle of the next week, it’s mostly small, weak, and ordinary. We get a little pulse of 4ft on Monday, August 10th afternoon which has a nice 10-second period and gentle offshore winds, making it "good". That’s your quiet window, break out the log.

The real standout appears to be Monday, August 17th. After a long, flat week, we get a solid 5ft swell from the north with an 8-second period. The wind is light and offshore from the southeast, keeping things clean and tidy. Wave energy is moderate (288), and the conditions are set up for a good session. The Tuesday before that (Aug 18th) gets messy with strong winds again. So mark your calendar for August 17th—it's not a massive swell, but with clean winds and a point break setup, it’ll offer the best waves in this whole 16-day window.

Water temp is about 60°F and running a touch warmer than normal for the area, so the wettie won't be as much of a shock.

So, to sum it up: The first week is a mix of too messy or too big. The middle is flat. The gold at the end of the tunnel is the 17th of August where we get a clean, rideable swell and good winds. That's your session.

Rusty.

Read more