Magheraroarty Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Magheraroarty Strand has in store for us. It's a bit of a frustrating picture, to be honest. The water temp is sitting at a mild 60°, which is a touch warmer than we'd normally expect for July, not a bad thing at all. But the pattern for the next week or so is a real tale of "so close, yet so far". High hopes build for the end of the month but the wait is a long one.

Looking now, into Wednesday the 15th, we've got a very long period 16-second groundswell but it's only a tiny 0.3 ft from the west. Combine that with a cross-onshore breeze, and you're looking at flat, messy conditions. That's a zero score from me. Thursday the 16th through to the morning of Wednesday the 22nd is a real slog. We get some swell pulses – a moderate 60 mph wind on Friday the 17th pushing a 4 ft north swell in the afternoon (combined energy of 174) – but the winds are always onshore or cross-onshore, chopping everything to bits. The swell period is short too, around 5–7 seconds, which just doesn't give you any push. It’s a solid week of poor surf conditions.

Then, from Thursday the 23rd through Saturday the 25th, things get interesting but still not quite a winner. The wind swings to a cross-offshore direction, which cleans things up beautifully. On Thursday the 23rd we get clean micro-swell. Friday the 24th is better with a 3 ft west-northwest swell and a moderate 199-235 combined energy, but it's still only reading as poor surf. Saturday the 25th is the first flicker of a real session. The morning is marginal, but by the afternoon we see a clean 4 ft west-northwest swell (combined energy 223) with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. That's the best on offer in the first two weeks, but it's still only a 2/10 in terms of quality.

Now for the real tease. The 29th and 30th of July – that's a week and a half away, so it's a long-range call and less certain. The guidance says this is a "point" break that's ideal for a north-northwest swell. The data is showing a huge pulse of energy hitting. On the morning of Tuesday the 29th, we see an insane 13 ft northwest swell with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 2708 – that is very strong indeed. The wind is clean and cross-offshore. But here's the catch: that swell is too big for this break, the file says it's for experts only. The same goes for the 30th, with a 10 ft northwest swell and a very long 11-second period combined with 1862 energy. It's completely over-the-top for a beginner-friendly spot. For the experienced charger with the right board, the 29th or 30th could be a phenomenal, albeit risky, day.

So, if you're a beginner or want something fun and easy, the afternoon of Saturday the 25th is your only real call – it’s clean but small at 4 ft. For the hardcore crew, keep an eye on the 29th and 30th of July, but only if you've got the skills to handle well overhead, powerful swell with a long period. It’s a long wait for the potential payoff.

Rusty.

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