Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down Strandhill.

The first week is a real bummer. From Saturday, July 18th, through to Friday, July 24th, it’s all small, choppy, and messy. The swell is tiny, barely making it to 3ft, and the wind is mostly blowing sideways or onshore. The energy is in the weak range (30–46). Not worth your time.

We get a little bump on the afternoon of Friday, July 24th, with a 4ft west swell and an 8-second period, energy hitting 228. But the wind is still onshore, so it’s messy.

The real action starts on Saturday, July 25th. The swell is 6ft from the west, 9-second period, and the energy is a solid 484. The morning has a light rain and a cross-offshore wind from the SSW at 15 mph. That wind is clean, so the waves will have some shape. The water temp is 64°F, which is 5°F warmer than normal – very unusual, like a warm bathtub. This is the best window for a paddle, but it’s still not perfect. The swell is over 5ft, so it’s getting too big for beginners, and the period is average, so the sets will be lumpy. The afternoon gets a cross-shore wind, which adds chop.

Sunday, July 26th, and Monday, July 27th, are windswell days. The height stays around 5ft–6ft, but the wind is cross-onshore and strong, 15–22 mph. The energy is high (528–588), but the quality is poor. It’s lumpy, messy, and choppy. This is better for kites than paddle surfing.

We get a break Tuesday, July 28th, with onshore wind, still 5ft, but the wind is lighter at 15 mph. Still not great.

The standout is Wednesday, July 29th. The morning shows 7ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the wind is light from the southwest at 6 mph, which is a cross-shore breeze. The energy is strong at 627. That’s a powerful, clean swell. It’s over 5ft, so intermediates and above only, but the light wind keeps it looking good. The afternoon gets windier, but the morning is the pick.

Thursday, July 30th, is the biggest: 8ft from the WNW, 10-second period, and the energy is very strong at 1040. The wind is light from the NNE at 6 mph in the morning, cross-onshore, so it’s clean with small ripples. But that swell is over 8ft, so it’s expert-only territory.

After that, the swell fades. Friday, July 31st, has 6ft from the west, period 10 seconds, energy 618, but the wind is onshore. Saturday, August 1st, drops to 4ft, and Sunday, August 2nd, is back to 4ft. The energy fades to 165–206. Poor surf conditions return.

Crowds at Strandhill can be there on the good days, so expect company.

The call: the first week is a write-off. The best window is the morning of Wednesday, July 29th – 7ft west swell, light cross-shore wind, strong energy. Thursday the 30th is the biggest, but only for experts. The rest is windswell and chop.

Rusty, signing off.

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