Surf Forecasts:
Strandhill surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 9s period, W swell with 720 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Strandhill this week:
The surf forecast for Strandhill over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Strandhill in the next 16 days are 2.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strandhill over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, I’m scratching my head a bit. For the first four days, Wednesday the 26th through Saturday the 29th, it’s barely a ripple out there. We’re looking at ankle-snappers at best, with swell heights barely hitting 2 ft and combined energy in the single digits (12) to barely 60. It’s not happening. You’d be better off polishing your board. The water is sitting at 62° which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only bit of good news.
Sunday the 30th morning sees a slight uptick, but we’re still talking about 1 ft of weak, disorganised energy (29). It’s surfable but very ordinary.
Then Monday the 31st, things start to get a bit more interesting. The swell picks up to 3 ft from the west with a 7-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 122. The wind is cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s looking clean. But the commentary says “poor surf conditions” – that’s a tough call. It’s probably just a bit messy with the short period.
Tuesday the 1st of September is where it gets punchy. The swell builds to 5 ft from the WNW, but the wind is howling cross-on at 22 mph, and the energy is strong at 295. That’s going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. The 5 ft height is getting into the territory where it’s too big for beginners, but the wind is so bad I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone on a paddle board. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The standout, if you can call it that, is actually Friday the 4th of September. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the west with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits a massive 692. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is cross-on at 19 mph, so it’s going to be lumpy and tough. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a battle.
After that, we drop back down. Saturday the 5th has 3 ft with a nice 10-second period and a gentle cross-shore breeze, giving moderate energy (183). It’s clean-ish, but the waves are just ordinary. The run from the 7th to the 10th is mostly tiny, with poor conditions and low energy.
The best of a bad bunch is actually Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th of September. The swell is only 3 ft and 2 ft from the WNW, but the wind is offshore from the SSE at 9-12 mph. That offshore wind is a major positive, keeping the surface clean. The period is short (6-7 seconds), so the waves won’t be powerful, but it’s the cleanest window we have. The energy is weak (62-66), but for a small, clean day, that’s your ticket.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The only real standouts are the cleaner, offshore days on the 9th and 10th of September, and the big, messy, expert-only swell on the 4th. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Strandhill, so on those clean days, you might have a few mates out, but nothing too hectic.
Stay patient, folks. This one’s a slow burn.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the SW by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 10 | 67 | 60 | 40 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 89 | 149 | 720 | 295 | 181 | 178 | |
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-on | glassy | on | glassy | cross | on | cross-on | off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:57PM3.28m | 6:13AM2.95m | 6:28PM3.47m | 6:45AM3.08m | 6:58PM3.60m | 7:16AM3.19m | 7:29PM3.67m | 7:48AM3.25m | 8:00PM3.66m | 8:21AM3.25m | 8:34PM3.56m | 8:56AM3.20m | 9:10PM3.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:35AM0.61m | 00:10AM0.50m | 12:07PM0.42m | 00:40AM0.31m | 12:38PM0.28m | 1:10AM0.17m | 1:08PM0.19m | 1:39AM0.09m | 1:40PM0.17m | 2:10AM0.09m | 2:13PM0.21m | 2:42AM0.17m | 2:49PM0.33m | 3:17AM0.33m | |||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | — | — | — | — |
10 | 10 | 67 | 60 | 40 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 89 | 149 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | W 7 | W 10 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | W 11 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | N 8 | W 12 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | — | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 720 | 295 | 181 | 178 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 100 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 254 | 253 | 247 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 50 | 5 | 38 | 273 | 41 | 148 | 470 | 464 | 708 | 247 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Strandhill Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Strandhill provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Strandhill can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Strandhill 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 (Strandhill) 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 Strandhill 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 Sligo? If you are looking for accommodation near Strandhill, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Sligo, consider staying in Sligo which is 9 km (6 miles) away. Other places in and around Sligo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Ballina which is 40 km (25 miles) away, Killybegs, Enniskillen and Claremorris.











