Surf Forecasts:
Red Strand (Dirk Bay) surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, SSW swell with 173 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Red Strand (Dirk Bay) this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Red Strand (Dirk Bay) in the next 16 days are 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Red Strand (Dirk Bay) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down this stretch.
Honestly, buddy, this 16-day outlook is a total bust. No surf is worth a mention. The first recommendation comes on the 3rd of August, but it’s a lemon. There’s a long gap of nothing good before that, and it just doesn’t let up.
Let’s start with Red Strand (Dirk Bay). It’s a sheltered reef, good for beginners, and it’s fairly consistent. The water’s running at 65°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s a small comfort.
On Monday afternoon, the 3rd of August, we’ve got moderate rain, a 19 mph wind from the south, and a 5ft swell from the south. But the period is a weak 6 seconds, and the combined energy is a paltry 131. The conditions are just poor – choppy and messy.
The rest of the week is a write-off. Tuesday, the 4th, has a 3ft swell with cross-onshore winds and choppy water. From Wednesday onward, the swell drops to a pathetic 0.7ft, even if the wind goes clean and cross-offshore for a few mornings. The energy is flat, barely registering.
The second week is worse. From the 10th of August, it’s tiny swell, constantly under 2ft, with poor period and onshore or cross-shore wind. The only tiny blip is on the 18th of August, Tuesday morning, with a 4ft swell from the west, a 9-second period, and moderate energy of 201. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s clean. But even then, the forecast says “poor surf conditions,” so it’s a no-go.
There’s no standout session here. No clean, rideable waves with good wind. For a beginner-friendly reef, it’s a real bummer. Keep the board in the shed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NW by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 6 | SSW 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 4 | SSW 7 | SW 6 | S 15 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 123 | 173 | 38 | 49 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 36 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 3 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:06PM3.19m | 9:26AM3.12m | 9:49PM3.08m | 10:11AM3.00m | 10:37PM2.94m | 11:05AM2.87m | 11:37PM2.79m | 12:10PM2.77m | 00:49AM2.71m | 1:28PM2.75m | 2:09AM2.74m | 2:46PM2.87m | 3:22AM2.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:20AM0.50m | 3:40PM0.53m | 4:02AM0.61m | 4:26PM0.66m | 4:53AM0.74m | 5:25PM0.78m | 5:58AM0.85m | 6:39PM0.86m | 7:17AM0.88m | 8:03PM0.83m | 8:39AM0.80m | 9:20PM0.69m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:12 | — | — | 9:09 |
mm | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SSE 6 | SW 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | WSW 5 | SW 5 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 7 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 6 |
| kJ | 5 | 52 | 11 | 49 | 23 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 7 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 16 | SW 5 | SSW 14 | S 14 | W 9 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 12 |
| kJ | — | 34 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 15 | — | — | W 10 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 6 | S 16 | W 10 | — | S 5 | W 9 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | S 15 | S 15 | S 10 |
| kJ | 3 | 4 | — | — | 8 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 17 | 12 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | SSW 7 | S 6 | W 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | W 3 | WNW 3 | — | WSW 2 | WSW 3 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | — | — | — | NNE 3 |
| kJ | 123 | 173 | 38 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 36 | — | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 88 | 226 | 122 | 420 | 420 | 467 | 467 | 293 | 113 | 477 | 111 | 122 | 111 | 103 | 111 | 111 | 5 | 24 | 98 | 102 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cork | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Red Strand (Dirk Bay) surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Red Strand (Dirk Bay) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Red Strand (Dirk Bay) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Red Strand (Dirk Bay) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Red Strand (Dirk Bay) 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 (Red Strand (Dirk Bay)) 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 Red Strand (Dirk Bay) 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Cork? If you are looking for accommodation near Red Strand (Dirk Bay), camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Cork, consider staying in Kinsale which is 34 km (21 miles) away. Other places in and around Cork where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Bantry which is 39 km (24 miles) away, Cork, Cobh and Youghal.
Nearest