Surf Forecasts:
Red Strand (Dirk Bay) surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, E swell with 129 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 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 7s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Red Strand (Dirk Bay) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty.
Look, I'm gonna level with you. The outlook for the next fortnight is a tough one. We've got a solid 16-day window in front of us, but the first 15 days are basically a write-off for any decent surf. You're looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak south swells and mostly annoying wind. The only real pulse of swell shows up right at the very end, and it’s a bit of a wildcard.
The first surfable recommendation doesn't come until July 28th. There’s just nothing worth paddling out for before that. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is spot on for the time of year, so at least you won't need a winter suit, but you will need a lot of patience.
Let’s talk about the only real standout. On Tuesday, July 28th, Red Strand (Dirk Bay) could actually offer a session. The morning of the 28th sees a small push from the SSW with a 4 ft swell and a period of 5 seconds, which is short and windswelly. The wind is a cross-offshore from the WNW at 19 mph, which will keep the surface clean. The combined energy is only 90, so it’s weak, but it’s something. The afternoon of the 28th gets a bigger bump: 6 ft from the SSW with a 6-second period. That’s enough to get your attention, and the combined energy jumps to 223, which is a noticeable step up. However, the wind swings to a cross-shore from the West at 19 mph, which will make it lumpy. The wave comment calls it "poor surf conditions," but for this region, this is the only window with any grunt. It’s a bit chest-high with a bit of push, but the short period means it’ll be a bit fat and sectiony. This is one for experienced surfers only, as 6 ft with that short period can be a bit of a wallop.
Honestly, for the first two weeks, you’d be better off finding a different hobby. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the constant wind and small, weak waves. The glassy conditions on the 18th afternoon are a tease, but the swell is only 0.7 ft.
The long-range hope on the 28th is promising, but don't hold your breath. It’s a long way out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Mon afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mon 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | E 6 | E 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 21 | S 20 | SSW 19 | S 19 | S 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 74 | 32 | 104 | 116 | 46 | 50 | 51 | 49 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 34 | 33 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 37 | 7 | 6 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | on | off | off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:59PM3.37m | 5:26AM3.36m | 5:52PM3.53m | 6:17AM3.47m | 6:42PM3.63m | 7:05AM3.52m | 7:29PM3.64m | 7:52AM3.50m | 8:16PM3.57m | 8:37AM3.41m | 9:02PM3.42m | 9:23AM3.25m | 9:48PM3.21m | 10:10AM3.06m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:25PM0.26m | 11:48AM0.20m | 00:18AM0.14m | 12:39PM0.10m | 1:08AM0.08m | 1:27PM0.06m | 1:56AM0.10m | 2:14PM0.09m | 2:42AM0.19m | 3:00PM0.20m | 3:27AM0.34m | 3:47PM0.37m | 4:12AM0.52m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 |
 | — | 9:49 | — | — | 9:47 | — | — | 9:46 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:43 | 9:40 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | ESE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | ESE 5 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | E 5 | ENE 5 | SSW 7 | E 4 | E 6 | E 6 | E 4 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | E 4 | S 12 | SSW 19 | S 19 | S 18 |
| kJ | 74 | 161 | 104 | 61 | 39 | 50 | 51 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 15 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SE 10 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | S 6 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | — | E 5 | SW 12 | S 20 | S 12 | — | S 12 |
| kJ | 21 | 27 | 8 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 49 | 41 | 41 | 9 | 34 | 33 | 17 | — | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | — | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | SSW 18 | W 11 | S 7 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 5 | SE 4 | S 21 | S 21 | S 15 | W 8 | S 11 | W 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | — | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | — | — | E 4 | — | ENE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | E 3 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 426 | — | 125 | 116 | 46 | 53 | 30 | — | — | 6 | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 88 | 59 | 88 | 93 | 24 | 93 | 95 | 5 | 5 | 102 | 5 | 24 | 765 | 118 | 113 | 631 | 118 | 439 | 650 | 118 | 88 |
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)
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