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Rossnowlagh break guidePhoto by: patrick scully

Rossnowlagh Surf Guide

Rossnowlagh in Donegal is a fairly exposed beach break that has pretty consitent surf and can work at any time of the year. Offshore winds are from the east. Waves just as likely from local windswells as from distant groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the west. The beach break provides left and right handers. Good surf at all stages of the tide. Rarely crowded here.

Rossnowlagh Spot Info

Type:Rating:
Icon beach  redBeachIcon  s43.7
Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
fairly consistent
8.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Rossnowlagh:

The best conditions reported for surf at Rossnowlagh occur when a West swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East.

Surf Forecasts:

What's the best time of year to surf Rossnowlagh (for consistent clean waves)?

aprilBest Season: spring
The best time of year for surfing Rossnowlagh with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Spring and most often the month of April. Clean surfable waves are typically found 18% of the time in April while 47% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 35% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
18%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
47%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
35%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Rossnowlagh Location Map

Interactive Rossnowlagh surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Rossnowlagh is Sligo Airport (SXL) in Ireland, 40 km (25 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Rossnowlagh is St Angelo (Enniskillen) Airport (ENK) in England, 42 km (26 miles) away.

Icon breakBreak
Icon legend buoysLive Wave Height (m)
Icon legend windLive Wind Speed (km/h)
Placeholder
Map placeholder
Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Rossnowlagh Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 28 March 2023, 10:03 Local Time
Tuesday 28
10AM1PM4PM7PM
Wave (m)
0.8
W
0.7
W
1.2
W
1.1
W
Period (s) 14 16 15 15
Wind (km/h)
15
10
15
10
Wind State cross-
off
cross cross-
on
cross

Swell History at Rossnowlagh

Surf stats for Rossnowlagh, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Rossnowlagh

Wind stats for Rossnowlagh, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

Discover surf breaks near Rossnowlagh. Click below to view there surf guides.

    • Icon beachBeach
    • Icon  s44.4
    Reliability: consistent
    8km away
    • Icon reef  redReef
    • Icon  s43.6
    Reliability: fairly consistent
    9km away
    • Icon reef  redReef
    • Icon  s43.6
    Reliability: fairly consistent
    10km away
    • Icon beach  redBeach
    • Icon  s43.6
    Reliability: fairly consistent
    12km away
    • Icon pointPoint
    • Icon  s44.5
    Reliability: fairly consistent
    13km away

Wave Buoys Nearest To Rossnowlagh: