Surf Forecasts:
Magheraroarty Strand surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, WNW swell with 4,080 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 6s. 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 4.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.5m 11s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Magheraroarty Strand over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at Magheraroarty Strand for the next sixteen days. I’m going to level with you: it’s a tough one for us paddle surfers. There are some serious waves on the menu, but the timing and conditions never seem to click for a good ol’ fashioned session. This is a point break that really wants that swell from the NNW, and while we get plenty of size, the wind is almost always wrong or just too honking strong.
The water’s sitting around 61°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you might be able to get away with a lighter suit.
Kicking off on Tuesday, September 1st, it’s flat. We’ve got 0.3m from the north with a short 6-second period and a 25 mph southwesterly making a mess. The energy is puny at 7. Not worth paddling out.
Wednesday the 2nd is a little more interesting. The morning sees a 1.0m west swell with an 8-second period and a light 9 mph cross-offshore from the southeast. The combined energy is moderate at 143, and it’s clean, but the wave quality is described as very ordinary. You might pick up a couple, but keep expectations low. The afternoon is your best bet this week: a 0.9m swell from the NNW – right direction! – with a 12 mph offshore from the south. The wind is a moderate offshore, and it’s clean, giving it some shape, with energy sitting at 146. This is the one quiet window for a beginner-friendly surf.
Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are blown out. Friday morning has a big 15ft west swell with a massive energy of 4881, but it’s trashed by a 31 mph near gale. Not for us.
Saturday the 5th has a conversation. The morning is a 8ft WNW swell with a 10-second period and moderate energy (1044), but it’s called too big for this break with a fresh cross-shore wind. The afternoon drops to 6ft with a 16 mph cross-offshore from the WSW, making it clean, but it’s still a marginal call. If you’re experienced and the banks are good, the afternoon could work, but it’s risky.
Sunday the 6th is a no-go with tiny waves and strong offshore winds that don’t do any favors. Monday the 7th sees another 7ft swell from the west at 11 seconds, but it’s too big again with a messy cross-shore. The Monday afternoon is flat.
From Tuesday the 8th through Monday the 14th, it’s a long, frustrating stretch. Either the waves are too small, too blown out, or the quality is poor. The energy readings are high, but the wind is never our friend on this exposed point.
Looking into the second week, September 14th and 15th brings the same story. Monday the 14th morning has a 8ft WNW swell with a long 12-second period and a moderate 16 mph offshore from the SSW. The energy is strong at 1559, and it’s clean, but it’s again marked as too big for this break. The Tuesday the 15th morning is similar with a 10ft swell and 2249 energy – strong and clean, but expert-only territory.
The very last day, Wednesday the 16th of September, is a monster. The morning shows a 13ft swell from the NW with a 13-second period and an insane 5498 energy. The wind is light at 6 mph from the west, leaving a light cross-shore ripple. It’s a beautiful, powerful swell, but the note screams “too big for this break.” Unless you’ve got a jet ski, this is a show, not a surf.
So, the real standout? That Wednesday afternoon on the 2nd of September for a mellow, clean paddle. Or, for the big-wave crew, the clean but oversized swells on the 8th and 14th. But honestly, for most of this run, the setup here looks a lot more fun for kite surfing than for putting on a leg rope. It’s a quiet period, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the WSW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri morning, light winds from the SSE by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | N 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 8 | N 10 | N 11 | N 10 | W 10 | W 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | NNW 10 | W 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 418 | 212 | 93 | 120 | 210 | 143 | 98 | 1389 | 3077 | 3906 | 3323 | 1308 | 732 | 324 | 90 | 52 | 621 | 208 | 9 | 0 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | on | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:23PM3.30m | 9:44AM3.03m | 10:04PM3.08m | 10:29AM2.85m | 10:54PM2.80m | 11:28AM2.65m | 00:06AM2.53m | 12:55PM2.52m | 1:51AM2.40m | 2:41PM2.60m | 3:30AM2.51m | 4:03PM2.88m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:05PM0.26m | 3:32AM0.34m | 3:45PM0.45m | 4:13AM0.56m | 4:34PM0.70m | 5:05AM0.82m | 5:40PM0.95m | 6:20AM1.05m | 7:19PM1.09m | 8:02AM1.10m | 9:07PM0.97m | 9:33AM0.91m | 10:23PM0.68m | ||||||||
6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 8 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 8 | N 10 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WSW 8 | WNW 9 | N 10 | WNW 8 | NNW 10 | — |
7 | 418 | 212 | 93 | 120 | 210 | 143 | 98 | 29 | 14 | 6 | — | 1308 | 732 | 324 | 149 | 52 | 2 | 208 | 9 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | W 7 | W 16 | W 18 | W 17 | — | — | — | — | — | W 14 | — | WNW 9 | — | W 16 | — | — | — |
— | 3 | 3 | 17 | 70 | 5 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 90 | — | 5 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 18 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 12 | — | W 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 6 | 5 | 20 | 28 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | — | — | SSW 2 | WSW 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | — | — | SE 2 | SSE 3 | SW 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 11 |
581 | — | — | — | 2 | 247 | 245 | 813 | 1389 | 3077 | 3906 | 3323 | — | — | 1 | 6 | 421 | 621 | 566 | 1497 | 4027 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 120 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 17 | 96 | 96 | 369 | 352 | 340 | 120 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 58 | 66 | 4 | 30 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Donegal | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











