Magheraroarty Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Magheraroarty Strand.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions with hardly any energy in the water. The combined energy readings are mostly weak, often under 100, and even the swell that does show up is badly wind-affected. For the first week, from July 14th right through to July 22nd, there’s just nothing to recommend. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is all wrong – cross-on or onshore, chopping it up. It’s a write-off, plain and simple. You’d be better off checking the tide pools.

Now, things start to look a little more interesting heading into the 23rd. On Thursday morning the 23rd, we get a glassy spell with clean conditions. The swell is a tiny 2ft from the west, with a moderate period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a moderate 109. It’s small, sure, but that glassy wind makes it surfable for a beginner. The water temp is about 59°, which is a bit warmer than what’s normal for this time of year – nothing crazy, but enough to notice.

The real standout, though, is looking like it’ll be the 24th and 25th of July. This is the first proper swell pulse we see. Friday morning the 24th brings a 6ft swell from the west-northwest, with a period of 12 seconds – that’s a solid groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 741 (moderate to strong), so there’s genuine power. The wind is cross-shore from the east at 12 mph, which keeps it clean enough. That’s the best of the bunch, but it’s still a marginal call. The 25th (Saturday) keeps the swell going at 5ft to 6ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 9-10 seconds, and the energy stays strong (510-614). Same cross-shore wind from the east.

A couple of other days in the back half of the forecast are worth a look. The 27th (Monday) has cross-offshore winds from the southeast, keeping things clean. The swell is 5ft to 6ft from the west, period 9 seconds, energy in the 400-550 range. Not as good as the 24th, but more rideable. The 28th (Tuesday morning) sees a 7ft west swell, period 10 seconds, energy 739, with light east winds. That’s decent size – fine for experienced surfers, but getting a bit much for beginners. The afternoon of the 28th goes glassy with a 6ft west swell (period 9 seconds, energy 497) – that’s a promising window for clean waves, but it’s a week and a half out, so keep your fingers crossed.

Remember, this is a point break that’s inconsistent and rarely breaks, so these windows are precious. It’s exposed to the north-northwest, and the optimum direction is from the northwest. The bigger swells from the west are a bit off that mark, but they’ll still wrap in. The longer period swells (like the 12-second one on the 24th) will be best for the point, as they’ll line up better than at a beach break. Crowds are never an issue here, so that’s a plus.

In summary, the first week is a dead loss. The 24th is the pick of the forecast for a proper wave, with the 27th and 28th offering cleaner conditions if the wind holds. Keep an eye on that glassy afternoon on the 28th – could be a sneaky good session.

Rusty.

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