Surf Forecasts:
Red Strand (Dirk Bay) surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, W swell with 116 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 1.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Red Strand (Dirk Bay) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Well, I'll be honest with you, the next couple of weeks at Red Strand (Dirk Bay) look pretty grim. There's a real lack of decent swell energy coming in, and we're stuck with tiny waves for the most part. You'll see a big gap with no real surf to speak of right through until around the 18th of August. Things are really down.
The water temperature is sitting at 66°, which is a huge 5° warmer than normal for this time of year. That's a real standout – the water is much warmer than you'd expect.
The first faint glimmer of hope shows up on the morning of Tuesday, the 18th of August. We get a tiny bump in swell height to 3 ft from the WSW with a period of just 7 seconds. The combined swell energy is a weak 105, so it's not much to write home about. The wind is a gentle cross-shore breeze, which keeps things clean but with a slight chop. It's still flagged as poor surf conditions, so don't get your hopes up.
Honestly, nothing across the entire 16-day window comes close to being a standout. The swell is tiny, periods are often short, and the wind is messy. For a while around the 20th of August, the wind does swing to a cross-off from the NNW, which cleans things up, but the swell is still only 1.0 ft to 1 ft – not enough to do anything with.
If you're dying for a surf, the best option might be the morning of Monday, the 25th of August. We see 3 ft from the SSE with a very short period of 6 seconds, and a light cross-off breeze from the NNW making it clean. The combined energy is only 88, so it's weak. It's still classed as poor surf, but it's about as good as it gets.
Overall, this is a blank run. It's a quiet stretch for the area, and we'll have to wait for a change in the forecast to see any real surf.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the W by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | S 12 | S 12 | S 19 | S 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 59 | 26 | 50 | 47 | 42 | 41 | 39 | 25 | 50 | 50 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | off |
High Tide | 7:29AM3.58m | 7:51PM3.60m | 8:10AM3.49m | 8:32PM3.44m | 8:50AM3.33m | 9:12PM3.22m | 9:31AM3.12m | 9:53PM2.96m | 10:14AM2.88m | 10:38PM2.71m | 11:03AM2.64m | 11:32PM2.48m | 12:05PM2.46m | 00:44AM2.34m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:49PM0.04m | 2:11AM0.14m | 2:29PM0.15m | 2:49AM0.29m | 3:08PM0.34m | 3:27AM0.49m | 3:48PM0.56m | 4:07AM0.71m | 4:32PM0.80m | 4:53AM0.92m | 5:26PM1.01m | 5:52AM1.10m | 6:36PM1.16m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | |
 | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 7 | — | — | SW 7 | S 19 | SW 4 | WSW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 5 | — | — | 2 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 59 | 26 | 50 | 47 | 42 | 41 | 39 | 25 | 50 | 50 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | — | SW 7 | S 12 | S 13 | S 18 | SSW 18 | S 11 | S 11 | W 8 | S 10 | W 9 | W 10 | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 8 |
| kJ | 4 | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | — | — | W 7 | S 11 | W 10 | S 20 | S 11 | — | S 10 | S 11 | — | — | — | — | W 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 15 | 13 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | WSW 7 | — | — | WSW 3 | — | — | WSW 3 | SW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | WSW 4 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | — | — | W 8 | NNW 3 |
| kJ | 2 | 5 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 7 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 7 | — | — | 6 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 304 | 503 | 109 | 113 | 111 | 122 | 24 | 122 | 113 | 24 | 103 | 103 | 434 | 467 | 434 | 467 | 467 | 24 | 24 | 285 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Cork | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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