Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s on offer over the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it’s a pretty bleak stretch for Strandhill. The outlook is a long grind of poor quality surf, with only a few fleeting moments that might get your heart rate up.

The biggest issue is the wind. For most of this period, we’re dealing with onshore, cross-onshore, or strong cross-shore winds that are just chopping everything up. The swell is small, and the water temp is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The first real chance of anything worthwhile comes on Wednesday afternoon, July 29th. The wind drops right out to glassy conditions, and we’ve got a small 3ft swell rolling in from the WNW. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s not going to have much push, and the combined energy is weak (86). It’s described as “surfable but very ordinary.” Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle and a few small crumbly lines, that’s your window. It’s not a standout, just a slight lull in the bad weather.

After that, we go right back into the wind and chop. The next morning, Thursday July 30th, the swell picks up to 5ft from the WNW, but with a strong 15 mph onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. That combined energy jumps to 259, but it’s all for nothing in those conditions.

Then we hit a real dead zone. From Friday August 1st right through to the middle of the following week, it’s tiny surf under 3ft, mostly with bad winds. The morning of Sunday August 2nd offers a brief moment of hope with a clean 2ft WNW swell and a light offshore ESE breeze at 9 mph, but the wave energy is a paltry 40. It’s just too small to get excited about.

The next notable event is a solid pulse of swell that shows up on Tuesday August 5th. The morning sees a 7ft groundswell from the NW, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a big number for Strandhill, and the combined energy is a strong 544. But here’s the kicker – the wind is a strong cross-shore, and the conditions are described as having a “lumpy cross-chop.” This is expert-only territory. That size with that wind is going to be a washing machine. For most of us, it’s a skip.

The best look of the entire forecast, if you can call it that, is on Saturday afternoon, August 8th. A long-period groundswell arrives from the west at 5ft with a period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is a very strong 524. The wind is a light cross-on at 6 mph, which could keep it reasonably clean. This is the only day that gets a “marginal” rating. It’s a long way out, so don’t bank on it, but it’s the one to watch. The long period will make it more suited to the points and reefs, but at Strandhill, expect it to be a bit shifty and straight. Crowds are possible here.

Overall, it’s a tough run. The stretch from the end of July through to the second week of August is mostly a write-off unless you’re a kiter. The wind and the swell just aren’t aligning for a good paddle session. The only potential standout is that August 8th afternoon window, so keep your fingers crossed for that one.

Rusty.

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