
Surf Forecasts:
Magheraroarty Strand surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, W swell with 1,057 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Magheraroarty Strand this week:
The surf forecast for Magheraroarty Strand over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Magheraroarty Strand in the next 16 days are 2.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Magheraroarty Strand over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
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.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SW by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sun morning, calm by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 7 | N 7 | W 10 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1312 | 579 | 117 | 43 | 16 | 388 | 1026 | 956 | 739 | 734 | 552 | 717 | 540 | 228 | 343 | 294 | 103 | 54 | 49 | 20 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:19PM2.87m | 11:53AM2.60m | 00:23AM2.68m | 1:09PM2.52m | 1:50AM2.57m | 2:42PM2.58m | 3:23AM2.62m | 4:04PM2.81m | 4:39AM2.81m | 5:07PM3.13m | 5:37AM3.02m | 5:59PM3.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:56PM0.73m | 5:36AM0.76m | 5:57PM0.91m | 6:44AM0.92m | 7:21PM1.02m | 8:10AM0.98m | 8:57PM0.96m | 9:34AM0.86m | 10:18PM0.73m | 10:41AM0.63m | 11:21PM0.44m | 11:35AM0.37m | 00:12AM0.17m | |||||||
— | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | |
— | 9:29 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:15 | |
mm | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 10 | N 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | — | — | W 9 | N 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | N 9 | WNW 8 | NNW 11 | NNW 10 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | W 10 |
— | 18 | 117 | 43 | 12 | 1 | — | — | 739 | 2 | 552 | 717 | 14 | 228 | 343 | 294 | 103 | 54 | 49 | 54 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 5 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | — | NNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 | N 8 |
— | — | 30 | 17 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 15 | — | 28 | 55 | 54 | 35 | 15 | 15 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | NW 6 | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 12 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | ENE 5 |
— | — | 17 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 66 | 37 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | — | W 5 | WSW 5 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | — | W 9 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | SE 2 | — | SE 2 |
1312 | 579 | — | 21 | 45 | 388 | 1026 | 956 | — | 734 | — | — | 540 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 438 | 120 | 17 | 360 | 110 | 120 | 96 | 73 | 58 | 96 | 58 | 66 | 157 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Donegal | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Magheraroarty Strand Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Magheraroarty Strand provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Magheraroarty Strand can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Magheraroarty Strand surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Magheraroarty Strand) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Magheraroarty Strand may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Magheroarty Strand is 35 km (22 miles) from the city of Letterkenny. If you plan a holiday in Donegal, look for hotels and other accommodation in Letterkenny. Letterkenny has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











