Magheraroarty Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, gather 'round, folks. Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, this is a bit of a frustrating outlook for Magheroarty Strand. We’ve got a long, quiet gap to start. There’s nothing worth paddling out for from now until Saturday the 24th of July. The winds are onshore, the swell is small and weak, and the wave comment is pretty much telling us it’s a write-off. A long stretch of nothing.

Alright, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday the 24th of July. We’ve got a fresh pulse of WNW swell rolling in, pushing about 5 ft to 6 ft. The combined energy is moderate (470-520), and the wind is swinging cross-offshore, which is a big plus. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home. The period is a touch short (9-10 seconds), so it won't be a classic groundswell, but it'll be clean and rideable. This is a good one for the intermediate crew wanting to get back into the swing of things.

Now, the standout window is Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th of July. This is where the ocean gets serious. We’re looking at a solid 8 ft to 8 ft NW swell with a longer period (11 seconds). The combined energy is strong to very strong (1221-1388). The wind is cross, keeping things lumpy but not trashed. However, and this is a big caveat, the forecast specifically says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a beast. The wave energy is intense, and for a beach break or a point, this much power can make it a washing machine. Honestly, given the strength of the wind and the size of the swell, this setup is looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The volume on the 26th is also massive, with clean cross-offshore wind on the Sunday afternoon, but again, the size is a major factor.

After that, the swell backs off into the end of July and beginning of August, but the wind stays clean. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st of July see another round of 7 ft to 10 ft WNW swell, again with very clean cross-offshore winds. The energy is strong (730-1555), but the forecast keeps flagging the swell as too big for this break. For the experienced surfer who knows this bank, these could be pumping, but it's not a day for the faint-hearted.

The last few days of the forecast into August drop off significantly, with the swell fading to 3 ft by Sunday the 2nd. The conditions are clean, but the energy is weak (99-122). It’s a fizzle, not a bang.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet for the average surfer is Friday the 24th of July. For the big-wave chargers, the 25th and 26th and the 30th and 31st are the ones to watch, but be prepared for a serious session.

Rusty.

Read more