Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Sligo coast over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you – the next week or so is looking pretty grim. The swell is tiny, the wind is slapping it sideways, and it’s mostly cross-onshore junk. You’ll be looking at mushy, choppy waves around 1 foot to 2 feet for the first few days, and the energy is weak. Not worth paddling out for. That runs from Monday the 20th right through until Thursday the 24th of July. There’s a proper gap here with no surf to speak of.

Now, things finally get a bit more interesting around Friday the 24th of July. The swell starts to fill in proper, jumping up to 5 feet from the WNW with a moderate 9-second period. The combined energy is solid, so there’s some push behind it. But, and it’s a big but, the wind is a cross-onshore hack from the W at 12 to 15 mph, so the conditions are going to be choppy and messy. The surf is still marked as poor. Not the day to get excited.

The real tease comes on Saturday the 25th of July. The swell peaks at 7 feet on the morning from the WNW, with 9 seconds, and the energy is massive. That’s a serious amount of water moving. By the afternoon, it drops to 6 feet with a better 10-second period, energy still huge. The wind switches to a light onshore breeze from the WNW. Still, the surf quality is listed as marginal. For a surfer, if you’re experienced and can handle a big, powerful beach break, Saturday afternoon might be the best of a bad bunch. It’s going to be big and heavy, so this is expert-only territory. Beginners, stay well clear.

Sunday the 26th keeps the size at 7 feet from the WNW, but the wind is howling onshore from the NW at 12 to 15 mph. The surf is poor again. There’s a ton of energy but it’ll be a washing machine out there.

After that, the swell slowly backs off through the end of July and into August, dropping from 5 feet down to 3 feet. The winds are all over the place – some cross-on, some onshore. Never really clean. There’s a few days around the 2nd and 3rd of August with a lighter cross-off wind from the south, but the swell is tiny (3 feet) and the period is short (7 seconds). The energy is weak. The conditions look clean, but there’s nothing to ride.

So, the honest truth is there’s no standout session here. The only one that might be worth a look for the experienced crew is the afternoon of Saturday the 25th of July. Otherwise, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Stay patient, lads. The ocean will turn around eventually.

Rusty.

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