Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, crew, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for the Sligo coast.

To be honest, the next week and a half is a bit of a rough patch. The wind’s just not cooperating at Strandhill, with a lot of onshore and cross-shore garbage. We’ve got a few days with some swell, but the conditions are messy. The real bright spot is a short window of clean, light-wind surf on the weekend of the 8th and 9th, but even that has its moments. Then, around the 13th, we get a big pulse of energy, but it arrives with a howling cross-onshore wind, so that’s one for the kite surfers, not the paddle surfers.

Let’s get into it.

The first real chance for a wave is on Saturday, August 8th. The morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW, and we’ve got a 4ft swell from the west at 9 seconds. The energy is moderate (199). The afternoon cleans up even more, with the wind dropping to a light breeze and the swell picking up to 4ft from the west, period still 9 seconds. The energy ticks up (251). This is looking like the best moment of the whole forecast. The water temp is 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest wetsuit.

Following that, Sunday, August 9th morning is the next best bet. Another clean morning, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. You’ll be looking at a 5ft swell from the WNW at 10 seconds, with a solid 386 energy reading. This is a good, long-period groundswell, which will wrap in nicely. The afternoon gets a bit iffy with a cross-onshore wind, so hit the early session.

After that, it’s a long, flat spell. The energy drops right off. You’ll be waiting a week for the next pulse. On Thursday, August 13th afternoon, a massive 10ft swell from the west rolls in, but the wind is a nasty moderate cross-onshore from the WNW. That’s a lot of power (1586 energy) but it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. For anyone with a kite, she’ll be a dream, but for a surfboard, it’s a no-go. The morning of the 13th has a smaller 5ft swell from the WSW, but it’s also cross-onshore.

The final week of the forecast, from the 15th onward, sees a return to smaller, cleaner conditions. We’re talking knee-to-waist high waves, 2ft to 3ft from the west, with periods of glassy conditions. The morning of Monday, August 17th looks alright with a 3ft WNW swell and a gentle offshore breeze from the SE. It’s surfable, but nothing to get too excited about. The energy is light (107). It’s the kind of weak surf where you’ll be scratching for anything with a bit of push.

So, the standout is clear: Saturday morning, August 8th at Strandhill. Clean, light winds, a solid 4ft swell from the west, and moderate energy. It’s not a massive day, but it’s the best of a tricky bunch. The Sunday morning is a close second if you want a bit more size and period.

Rusty.

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