Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start at Strandhill, with the first session worth paddling out for not showing up until Sunday the 13th. The week ahead is a mixed bag, with a lot of onshore or cross-off winds messing up what could be decent swell. The standout window looks to be the start of the following week, then again at the very end of the outlook.

Let’s start with Sunday the 13th. Morning brings a clean 4ft swell from the WNW with an 11-second period, and a slight offshore SSE breeze at just 3 mph. The wave energy is moderate (280). It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun. The afternoon sees the swell drop off and the wind turns cross-off, so not much there.

We then hit a real quiet spell with a lot of junk wind and poor conditions from Monday the 14th right through to Saturday the 19th. There’s a big lump of energy pushing through mid-week – Thursday the 17th sees a 8ft to 10ft swell with a combined energy of 1603 to 2511, but it’s hammered by a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 22 mph. That’s a choppy mess, and with that size, it’s only for the experienced crew, but the wind’s going to make it a battle. Saturday the 19th is the same story with 10ft and strong cross-onshore winds.

The first true standout of the period arrives on the morning of Monday the 21st. A solid 6ft WNW groundswell with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 684. The wind goes light offshore from the SE at just 3 mph. That’s clean, offshore conditions at Strandhill, and the “expect very good surf conditions” flag is up. The afternoon is almost as good with the same size and a gentle offshore breeze. This is the session to circle on the calendar.

Tuesday the 22nd starts small with a light cross-onshore, but the afternoon turns glassy. A 4ft swell from WNW with an 11-second period and zero wind – glassy conditions. A nice mellow session before the next big pulse.

After another quiet spell in the middle of the week, the real heavy hitter shows up on the morning of Saturday the 26th. A 6ft WNW groundswell with a *very long* 15-second period and a combined energy of 1358. That’s a proper groundswell, and with a light offshore SSE breeze at 9 mph, the conditions are clean. The swell has that long period, which means better shape and energy, but at a beach break like Strandhill it might run a bit straight. Still, for experienced surfers, this is the call of the fortnight. The afternoon gets a bit messy with cross-shore winds, so get on it early.

Sunday the 27th sees the swell jump to 10ft with the same long 14-second period and massive energy (2918). But the models are already saying it’s too big for this break, and the winds are howling again. That’s a pass for the paddle crew, but the sheer energy (2918) and clean offshore wind in the morning make it look more interesting for kite surfers than for us with our hand planes.

So to sum it up: the best on offer is the morning of Monday the 21st for clean, fun waves, and the morning of Saturday the 26th for a powerful, long-period groundswell for those in the know. Don’t sleep on the glassy afternoon of Tuesday the 22nd for a small-board session.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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