Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim start. We’re looking at a long dry spell right through the middle of July. From Tuesday the 14th all the way to Thursday the 23rd, there’s just nothing to get excited about. Tiny, weak swells and poor conditions dominate, with the odd glassy morning that’s flat as a pancake. You’d be better off checking the tide pools. The combined swell energy barely ticks over, sitting between 6 and 40, which is basically a lake. It’s a tough run.

Then, on Friday the 24th of July, things finally start to rumble. We get a pulse from the WNW pushing through Strandhill, with a solid 6ft to 6ft swell. The period is a meaty 13 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps to over 1000, so there’s plenty of push. But – and it’s a big but – it’s onshore, so expect it to be chunky and messy. It’s a marginal call at best, and really only for the experienced crew who don’t mind a bit of a battle.

The real standout window, and the one I’d circle on your calendar, is the morning of Saturday the 25th of July. We’ve got a nice 5ft of WNW swell with an 11-second period, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a beautiful combo. The combined swell energy is a solid 521, so there's proper moderate energy in the water. This is your best chance for clean, well-shaped waves at Strandhill. It’ll be a classic Sligo summer morning. The break itself is a beach and sandbar setup facing WNW, so it needs that west in the swell, and we’ve got it. Keep in mind it’s a fairly consistent spot but can get crowds, so get in early for a piece of the action. Water temp is about average for this time of year, so a spring suit should do you fine.

Sunday the 26th sees that swell drop off a bit and the wind swings onshore, turning things choppy, so the window closes quick.

Into the final week, there’s a couple of interesting pulses. Monday the 27th brings a 7ft W swell with a cross-shore wind in the morning, which then swings offshore by the afternoon. That afternoon session could be a sneaky good one if you don’t mind the lumpy start – but that 6ft mark is getting up there for beginners, I’d call it intermediate and up. After that, it fades back to small and poor through Tuesday and Wednesday.

So to wrap it up: suffer through the flat spell, then set your alarm for Saturday the 25th. That morning glass is your best bet.

Rusty.

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