Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Strandhill.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week or so is a bit of a bust. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak, and messy waves. Thursday the 20th of August is a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds (N at 19 mph) and lumpy, poor surf. The swell energy is weak, sitting at just 120 down to 46. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are dead flat with glassy conditions but swell heights barely hitting 1 ft. The combined energy is nothing – 19 to 26.

There’s a notable gap of poor to ordinary surf until we finally see something half-decent on Monday the 24th of August. That morning, a 4 ft WNW groundswell (11-second period) rolls in with a gentle offshore from the SE at 9 mph. The energy climbs to 280, and the conditions are clean. It’s only a small window though – the swell backs off to 3 ft by afternoon.

After that, we’re back into ordinary territory through the 25th to the 29th – tiny, weak swells (2 ft to 3 ft), with a few pockets of offshore or glassy wind but not enough push to get excited about. The combined energy stays low to moderate, mostly under 156.

Now, if you’ve got patience, the real standout is Monday the 31st of August. The morning session is something else – a 10 ft W swell with a 10-second period, and it’s glassy with an ENE breeze at just 3 mph. The combined energy is a massive 2191 – that’s serious power. But here’s the catch: the guidance says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. Strandhill is a beach/sandbar setup, and with that much juice, it’s going to be a washing machine. This one is strictly for experienced surfers who know the beach well. The direction is optimum from the WNW, so it’s lining up, but the size will close it out for most.

After that, Tuesday the 1st of September of the new month brings a more manageable 5 ft WNW swell, period 8 seconds, with a glassy start. The energy is 347 – solid moderate – and the morning looks clean. It’s a decent option for intermediates, but the afternoon gets messy with onshore wind.

Beyond that, it drops off again. By Thursday the 3rd of September, we get a 6 ft W swell but with a fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph, energy at 570, and it’s lumpy. Friday the 4th of September is similar – 5 ft, cross-on, and lumpy. These days are more for kite surfers than paddle surfers, if you ask me.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Bottom line: if you’re waiting for gold, circle Monday the 31st of August for the big, glassy morning, but only if you’re solid. Otherwise, the Monday the 24th of August dawn patrol is your best bet for clean, manageable waves. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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