Magheraroarty Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it: the first few days are a write-off. The water is a balmy 61°F, which is a good 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is nice, but the surf is just poor. We’re looking at small, onshore, weak 2ft swell from the NW on Sunday the 19th, and it doesn't get any better through Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. The wind is just blowing straight onshore, and the combined energy is low, barely getting into triple digits (70-147). It’s a frustrating start. We’ve got a solid blank run of about 4 days with nothing to recommend.

Things get a little more interesting on Friday the 24th. Magheroarty Strand – a point break that’s exposed to the NW – starts to see a pulse of new swell. The morning shows a 4ft from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is cross-offshore. The combined energy jumps to 299, which is a moderate amount of energy. The waves are clean, but it’s a marginal call. The swell is still a bit small and the period is short, so it won't be anything special. Look for a better chance on Saturday the 25th. The swell builds to 6ft in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon from the NW, with a period stretching to 10 seconds. The combined energy hits a strong 901 on the afternoon. The wind is cross-shore, but the forecast is saying the swell might be too big for this break. It’s a tricky one.

The standout potential is actually Sunday the 27th of July. The morning shows a 7ft swell from the WNW, with a 10-second period and a clean cross-offshore wind from the SW. The combined energy is a very strong 1013. That’s a proper swell with good energy. Now, this is a point break, so that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely. The catch is, at 7ft, it’s getting into expert territory. The setup looks more interesting for paddle surfing than kite surfing, but only if you’ve got the skills. The wave comment says the wind and tide are favorable, but it might be too big for the break. This is the one to keep an eye on, but it's a week out, so a bit of uncertainty is baked in.

After that, Tuesday the 28th gets smashed by a massive 15ft swell from the WNW with a very long 12-second period. The combined energy is a colossal 5008. That’s a huge, powerful, dangerous swell. With a near gale cross-shore wind, this is a full-on "stay on the beach" day unless you're one of the few chargers out there. This break is too exposed for that kind of juice.

The run from the 29th through to the 31st of July is a mess of onshore wind and lumpy, cross-choppy conditions. The swell stays around 4ft to 7ft, but it’s all mixed up and poor. Then into the first of August, we get another 7ft pulse from the W on Saturday the 1st, but it’s cross-on with a short 9-second period. The comments say the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is too big for the break. The combined energy is 703, which is strong, but it’s just not the right setup.

Honestly, for the whole 16-day window, the only real glimmer of hope is that Sunday the 27th morning session. Big, clean, and powerful, but it’s big and powerful. If you’re an expert, that’s your window. Everyone else, pack a book. The area is a bit inconsistent, so a blank run like this isn't totally out of the ordinary, but it still stings.

Rusty out.

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