Surf Forecasts:
Red Strand (Dirk Bay) surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, WSW swell with 456 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 1.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Red Strand (Dirk Bay) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks around Red Strand (Dirk Bay).
To be straight with you, we’ve got a bit of a dry spell on our hands. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim for a decent paddle. The water's sitting at 64°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only silver lining. We start off on Wednesday the 2nd with a weak southerly swell around 4 ft, but that nasty 30 km/h cross-onshore wind from the WSW is just chopping everything to bits. The wave energy is a weak 199, and the report calls it "poor surf conditions". That kind of sets the tone.
Thursday the 3rd drops right off to tiny 1 ft, and while there’s a long period of 16 seconds on that swell, the cross-onshore wind is still making it a mess. By Friday the 4th, the wind turns a bit cleaner with a cross-offshore flow, but the swell is down to 1 ft and dropping. The wave energy is bottoming out (131), and honestly, it’s just too small to bother with.
We get a little blip on Sunday the 6th with a short-period southerly swell bumping to 4 ft, but the wind is up again, and the energy is only moderate at 127. It’s just not clean. Then Monday the 7th rolls around with a near gale from the SW at 50 km/h. The swell hits 4 ft with a decent 12-second period, giving us 455 wave energy, but it’s blown out before you can even paddle out. That setup is more for the kite crew than a surfer.
After that, it’s a slow decline into nothing. From Tuesday the 8th through to the end of the period on Thursday the 17th, we’re looking at tiny, inconsistent waves with hardly any energy. A couple of mornings on the 10th and 11th have clean wind, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft. Not a single day breaks a score of 0 in the forecast, so there’s no standout, no hidden gem, just a long, flat run. For this area, a blank stretch like this isn’t unusual, but it’s a bummer when you’re keen.
Keep an eye out, though – forecasts change, and it tends not to stay this poor forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat morning, strong winds from the SW by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 7 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | S 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 149 | 142 | 62 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 71 | 41 | 41 | 37 | 44 | 45 | 97 | 126 | 237 | 433 | 358 | 196 | 23 | 31 | 16 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:23PM3.15m | 9:46AM3.09m | 10:13PM2.94m | 10:41AM2.89m | 11:15PM2.73m | 11:51AM2.73m | 00:34AM2.61m | 1:17PM2.69m | 2:02AM2.65m | 2:40PM2.83m | 3:16AM2.85m | 3:46PM3.07m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:12PM0.44m | 3:32AM0.55m | 4:00PM0.62m | 4:26AM0.74m | 5:04PM0.81m | 5:38AM0.91m | 6:30PM0.93m | 7:11AM0.96m | 8:03PM0.89m | 8:38AM0.84m | 9:19PM0.71m | 9:46AM0.62m | 10:18PM0.48m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 6 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
| kJ | 50 | 47 | 25 | 82 | 82 | 64 | 27 | 32 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 41 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | SW 9 | — | WSW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WSW 7 | SSW 13 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | SE 6 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 6 | 43 | 3 | — | 41 | 28 | 41 | 41 | 37 | 5 | 34 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 18 | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | — | W 10 | W 10 | SW 13 | — | — | W 10 | SSW 12 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 6 | — | — | 82 | 71 | — | 2 | 2 | 44 | — | — | 2 | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 7 | SSW 6 | SW 5 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 | — | — | S 4 | S 5 | SSE 6 | S 6 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 |
| kJ | 149 | 142 | 62 | 59 | 53 | 1 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 10 | 45 | 97 | 126 | 237 | 433 | 358 | 196 | 23 | 31 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 297 | 304 | 71 | 285 | 427 | 71 | 467 | 71 | 7 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 111 | 276 | 111 | 639 | 294 | 585 | 825 | 779 | 71 |
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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