Surf Forecasts:
Strandhill surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, WNW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, W swell with 6,514 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 1PM (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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Strandhill in the next 16 days are 4.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Strandhill over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let’s have a look at what’s shaking for Strandhill over the coming days.
Alright, first thing to say: it’s a bit of a slow burner. The water temp is sitting at 17°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small comfort when you’re sitting out there waiting.
Right now, the immediate picture is pretty grim. We’ve got a tiny 0.7ft swell with only 7 seconds of period and light rain, making for some poor conditions. That stretches into the weekend – Sunday morning offers a little lift with a 1ft, 10-second swell from the W with a light offshore SE wind, which will at least look clean, but it’s still tiny. The real story is that the surf doesn’t really get going until well into the following week.
We do have a proper pulse arriving on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning sees a 5ft swell from the W with an 8-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the SSW, giving us clean lines at the take-off. The combined energy is moderate at 335 – a solid step up. It’s not world-class, but it’s surfable and the wind is your friend. Keep an eye on the afternoon as the wind swings cross-shore and messes things up a bit.
Now, the standout window is clearly the first week of September, but you need to be picky. The real heavyweight arrives from Thursday the 3rd of September, with a massive 12ft to 13ft swell from the W, with a period stretching to 12-13 seconds. Combined energy is through the roof – 3,181 and then 4,340 – this is powerful water. However, the wind is a solid cross-onshore from the W and WSW, so the quality is going to be lumpy and messy. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, at that size with that wind, the setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than for a paddle session. The waves will be closing out and it will be a beast of a paddle.
If you want the best of the swell without the chaos, look to the later part of the first week. The morning of Saturday the 5th of September sees the swell dropping back to 5ft from the WNW with a 10-second period and a clean cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is a solid 450 – moderate to strong. That’s your window for some proper, rideable waves. The wind is clean and the swell has enough period to stand up.
As we push into the second week, the pattern settles. Tuesday the 8th of September morning looks very tidy. A 4ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period and a light offshore SSE breeze. The waves will be clean, the combined energy is moderate at 261, and conditions should be good for a session that doesn’t require a fight. That’s another standout.
Things get a bit iffy again mid-week, but then we see another interesting window arrive on Friday the 11th of September. This is a long-range call, so less certain, but the forecast shows a 8ft to 8ft swell from the W and WNW with a 12-second period, and a cross-offshore wind from the SSE and S. The combined energy is very strong at 1,735. That’s a serious groundswell with a long period, which at a beach break like Strandhill can be a bit straight, but the clean offshore flow makes it a promising prospect for the more experienced surfer. Saturday the 12th of September morning then looks like a great follow-up with a 5ft, 11-second swell from the WNW, light cross-offshore wind, and exceptional combined energy of 531. That’s likely the pick of the second week.
Overall, don’t bother with the first few days. The best on offer is the early morning of Saturday the 5th of September for a clean, solid session, and then the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September. Keep the second week window of Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of September in mind, but treat it as a promising possibility rather than a sure thing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, strong winds from the WSW by Thu afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 4 | 33 | 63 | 82 | 283 | 228 | 157 | 280 | 270 | 112 | 125 | 264 | 298 | 1495 | 6514 | 4482 | 2643 | 1570 | 394 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:29PM3.67m | 7:48AM3.25m | 8:00PM3.66m | 8:21AM3.25m | 8:34PM3.56m | 8:56AM3.20m | 9:10PM3.40m | 9:34AM3.10m | 9:51PM3.16m | 10:19AM2.94m | 10:43PM2.88m | 11:18AM2.76m | 11:53PM2.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:39AM0.09m | 1:40PM0.17m | 2:10AM0.09m | 2:13PM0.21m | 2:42AM0.17m | 2:49PM0.33m | 3:17AM0.33m | 3:29PM0.51m | 3:57AM0.55m | 4:18PM0.74m | 4:48AM0.82m | 5:23PM0.98m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
8:34 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:19 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 11 | — | NW 7 | W 9 | N 6 | — | WNW 8 | W 8 | — | NW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 |
5 | 4 | 33 | 63 | 10 | — | 33 | 157 | 1 | — | 112 | 125 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 394 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | NW 6 | — | — | — | NNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 |
1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 6 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 10 | SW 4 | W 8 | W 8 | S 3 | SW 4 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | — |
— | — | — | — | 82 | 283 | 228 | 6 | 280 | 270 | 2 | 24 | 264 | 298 | 1495 | 6514 | 4482 | 2643 | 1570 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 148 | 162 | 5 | 0 | 148 | 534 | 41 | 41 | 244 | 41 | 50 | 813 | 164 | 470 | 1003 | 712 | 588 | 782 | 387 | 8 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











