Magheraroarty Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cast an eye over the next couple of weeks for Magheraroarty Strand. It’s a bit of a mixed bag on the whole, but there’s a real standout session if you’re patient.

We’re kicking off with a slow start. Sunday the 23rd is pretty weak, with a tiny 2ft swell from the NW and a period of just 6 seconds. The combined energy is a meagre 36, so it’s barely rippling. The water is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year at 60°F. But Sunday afternoon does go glassy, with a light WNW breeze of 6 mph, making it look clean, even if the waves are ordinary.

Monday morning the 24th is where things get interesting. We’ve got a solid 5ft groundswell rolling in from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 540, which is a proper moderate push. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE at 6 mph, keeping it clean. This is the best on offer early on – good shape, decent size, and clean conditions. It’s a point break that’s inconsistent, so you’ll need to be patient for the sets, but the quality is there.

After that, the surf drops off through the week. Tuesday the 25th gets messy with stronger winds, and by Wednesday the 26th, a fresh breeze from the East at 19 mph has the place chopped up with energy dropping to just 9. The trend stays poor all the way through the end of the month, with a lot of onshore or cross-shore wind and small, weak swell. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are write-offs.

Then we get a massive pulse of energy heading into the first week of September. Sunday the 30th of August sees a huge 10ft swell from the NW, but the combined energy is a whopping 1225. The problem is it’s predicted to be too big for this break, and the wind is cross-onshore. That’s a miss. The following Saturday, September 5th, is where the real magic lives. The forecast shows a 13ft swell from the West with a very long period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a staggering 3575. It’s blowing a moderate offshore wind from the South at 12 mph. The catch is, again, it’s flagged as too big for this break. For a point break like Magheraroarty, a long-period groundswell of that size is only for the experts. It’ll be a sight to see, but you’ll need serious skills and nerves to handle it.

The following days stay big and windy, with a 31 mph near gale from the WNW on Monday the 7th of September making it a total wipeout.

So, the standout window is without a doubt Monday morning the 24th of August. The 5ft, 11-second WNW groundswell with light offshore wind is the pick of the crop for the average surfer. For the big-dog crew, Saturday the 5th of September offers a heavy, powerful, and dangerous session, but it’s strictly for the experienced.

Rusty.

Read more