Strandhill Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for the Sligo coast. To be straight with you, we’ve got a pretty bleak run ahead for most of the next 16 days. The surf window doesn't really open up for a proper session until the very start of September, so don’t be holding your breath.

The first week is a write-off. From Tuesday the 25th right through to the end of August, it’s mostly small, weak, and disorganised. We do get a brief moment on Tuesday morning with a 3ft west swell, period around 10 seconds and clean offshore ESE winds, but the combined energy is a measly 118 – just a weak pulse. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But honestly, that Tuesday morning window is the only glimmer, and it’s barely worth paddling out for. After that, we hit a solid gap of days where the surf is poor or non-existent, with swell dropping to 1ft and periods under 8 seconds. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple.

Things start to look a little more interesting as we move into the second week. The first real standout comes on Thursday the 3rd of September. Strandhill (Ireland) is looking at a 8ft swell from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds, pumping out a combined energy of 1132 – that’s strong wave energy. The morning sees light rain and a cross-off wind from the SSW at 16 mph, which should keep the face reasonably clean. That size is getting into the intermediate-to-expert zone, so it’s not one for the groms. The caveat here is that with a longer period like 10 seconds, it can be a bit straight at a beach setup like Strandhill, but the energy is there.

The next real highlight is the following week. On Sunday the 6th of September, we’ve got another solid push. Morning brings a 6ft west swell, a very long period of 13 seconds, and a combined energy of 1191 – strong again. The wind is offshore from the SSE at 19 mph, which should groom it nicely. That period is a proper groundswell, meaning better shaped waves, more power, and longer lulls between sets, which can make the paddle out easier. It’s a promising one, but being over a week away, treat it as a hopeful date on the calendar rather than a guarantee. The afternoon sees a similar 6ft swell but with cross-off winds, so the morning is definitely the call.

Bottom line: don’t bother with this week. The surf is small and messy. Circle Thursday the 3rd and Sunday the 6th of September. The 3rd is the biggest, but the 6th morning has the better quality with that long-period groundswell and clean offshore wind. That’s the one to get excited about, but keep your expectations tempered until we get closer.

Rusty.

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