
Surf Forecasts:
Magheraroarty Strand surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,667 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period with WNW 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Magheraroarty Strand in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 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 Magheraroarty Strand has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I’ll be honest with you – this is a tough stretch. We’ve got a massive swell on the way, but it’s going to be messy and overpowering for a spot like this. The water is sitting at 60°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus if you’re toughing it out.
We kick things off on Sunday the 26th, and it’s a no-go from the start. A solid 10ft swell from the WNW is rolling in, but with a 22 mph cross-shore wind, it’s just a lumpy, choppy mess. The combined energy is absolutely pumping at 1677, but it’s way too big for this break, and the conditions are poor. Monday the 27th settles down a bit with a 6ft swell in the morning and a 5ft in the afternoon, dropping to around 3ft by Wednesday morning. The winds go light offshore on Wednesday morning, making for a clean session, but the swell is small at 4ft with a short period of 8 seconds. That’s really the only window that looks remotely surfable in the first week, and even then it’s marginal.
The rest of that week into the start of August is a write-off. We’ve got a solid 4-5 day gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is either too small, too windy, or coming from the wrong direction. The combined energy drops to as low as 83 on Tuesday the 28th, which is basically flat.
Then, hold onto your boards, because Friday the 7th of August throws a massive spike at us. We’re looking at a 10ft swell from the NNW again, with a combined energy of 1939 on the afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving around. The wind is due west at 16 mph, creating a cross-shore chop. This is a big, powerful, messy swell, and for a beginner-friendly point, it’s going to be way too much. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The morning of the 7th sees a 5ft swell with a 25 mph offshore wind, which is clean but almost impossible to paddle into.
The standout – and I’m using the term loosely – is the Wednesday morning of the 29th. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the west with a gentle 9 mph offshore wind. The waves will be clean and sheltering a bit, but it’s a short-period swell at 8 seconds, so it won’t have much push. It’s the only real window for a beginner to get a few small, clean waves. After that, it’s a long wait until the 7th, and that’s only for the brave.
For the rest of the second week, from the 8th onwards, it’s back to small, messy, or onshore slop. No real highlights there. The swell drops to 1.0ft by the 10th, which is pretty much flat.
So, the pick of the litter is Wednesday morning, 29th July, for the cleanest, most manageable waves. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too small. It’s a frustrating run, but it won’t stay like this forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Mon night, light winds from the SSE by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Wed night, strong winds from the W by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 9 | WNW 6 | NNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1677 | 1667 | 1156 | 671 | 479 | 289 | 83 | 310 | 266 | 152 | 117 | 59 | 126 | 151 | 456 | 438 | 634 | 468 | 296 | 250 | 194 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:21PM2.76m | 5:41AM2.66m | 6:02PM2.94m | 6:18AM2.80m | 6:38PM3.11m | 6:52AM2.91m | 7:12PM3.26m | 7:25AM2.99m | 7:44PM3.35m | 7:57AM3.03m | 8:15PM3.40m | 8:28AM3.03m | 8:47PM3.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:56AM0.96m | 11:30PM0.90m | 11:39AM0.78m | 00:10AM0.73m | 12:16PM0.60m | 00:46AM0.58m | 12:50PM0.45m | 1:20AM0.46m | 1:22PM0.33m | 1:52AM0.37m | 1:53PM0.26m | 2:23AM0.32m | 2:24PM0.25m | 2:55AM0.32m | |||||||
5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:46 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 | — | — | 9:39 | — | — | 9:38 | — | — | 9:37 | |
mm | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 12 | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 8 | N 9 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 9 | N 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 10 | NNW 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 |
— | 28 | 136 | 671 | 479 | 289 | 83 | 60 | 266 | 152 | 117 | 59 | 33 | 151 | 28 | 96 | 634 | 468 | 296 | 250 | 194 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 10 | — | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | — | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 7 |
— | 16 | — | 161 | 161 | 154 | — | 60 | 60 | 57 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 61 | 73 | 88 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | WSW 5 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | — |
1677 | 1667 | 1156 | — | — | 39 | 471 | 310 | — | — | — | 146 | 126 | 125 | 456 | 438 | 168 | 109 | 86 | 56 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 341 | 1023 | 345 | 17 | 36 | 13 | 96 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 433 | 428 | 437 | 66 | 458 | 157 | 66 | 346 | 120 | 0 |
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.










