Surf Forecasts:
The Peak surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, W swell with 4,815 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Peak this week:
The surf forecast for The Peak over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Peak in the next 16 days are 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Peak over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Howdy, Rusty here. I’ll be upfront—this stretch is mostly a dud, with a lot of wind and slop to get through before we see anything half decent.
We start Sunday, 30th August, with tiny surf at The Peak. Only 1ft of west swell with a 10-second period and a light offshore ESE breeze. The water is 63°, which is about 5° warmer than average for this time of year—pretty weird, feels like bathwater. The combined energy is weak at 39, so it’s a clean but tiny start, really just for a log or a paddle. Sunday afternoon turns glassy with no wind and a slight bump to 2ft, but still nothing special.
Monday the 31st things go south. Wind cranks onshore from the WNW at 16 mph, blowing straight into a 6ft swell. Energy hits 361 (moderate), but it’s messy and choppy all day—poor surf. That junk continues through Tuesday and Wednesday, with winds 12-16 mph cross-shore. Swell hangs around 3ft to 5ft, but the onshore wind won’t let up. Not worth it.
Now Thursday, 3rd September, gets my attention. The swell jumps to 7ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, from the west with an 11-12 second period. That’s real groundswell—energy at 1131 and 1721 (strong). But the wind is blowing 16-22 mph cross-shore and cross-on, making it lumpy and messy. It’s too big for beginners at over 5ft, and with that chop, only hardcore crew might find a keeper. I’d call it marginal.
Friday the 4th is a total blowout. We’re looking at a massive 13ft west swell in the morning, 13-second period, and a strong breeze 25 mph cross-on. Energy hits 5056—very strong. But the wind is howling, making it a mess. This looks more like a kiter’s day than a paddle surfer’s.
Finally, some relief. Saturday, 5th September, the wind drops to 6 mph in the morning, still cross-on though. Swell drops to 5ft with a 10-second period and energy of 391. Not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve had. The afternoon cleans up with a 3ft swell and a light cross-off breeze from the SSW—clean, but small.
For the standout, I’m calling The Peak on Sunday morning, 6th September. Swell is 3ft from the west, 9-second period, with a cross-off wind from the south at 12 mph. It’s clean, energy is 125 (weak), but it’s the most pleasant surf of the week. Expect a few others in the water—crowds are sometimes a thing here—but the waves will be rideable and tidy.
After that, the week of the 7th to 14th September is mostly poor. The swell tries again on Monday the 7th with 6ft at 11 seconds, but cross-on wind ruins it. The rest is tiny, under 3ft, with light winds and glassy conditions on the 11th and 12th, but the swell is just too weak to care about. A long gap of several days with no real recommendations.
So bottom line: Sunday the 6th is your best shot for clean, small waves. The big stuff earlier has the power but suffers from wind. A bit of a frustrating outlook.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Wed morning, strong winds from the WSW by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
33 | 63 | 39 | 250 | 153 | 127 | 149 | 200 | 112 | 61 | 57 | 277 | 1469 | 1973 | 3705 | 2569 | 1487 | 883 | 461 | 208 | 86 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:00PM3.64m | 8:20AM3.23m | 8:33PM3.55m | 8:55AM3.18m | 9:09PM3.38m | 9:33AM3.08m | 9:51PM3.14m | 10:19AM2.92m | 10:42PM2.86m | 11:17AM2.74m | 11:52PM2.59m | 12:39PM2.63m | 1:30AM2.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:39PM0.15m | 2:09AM0.07m | 2:12PM0.19m | 2:41AM0.15m | 2:48PM0.31m | 3:16AM0.31m | 3:29PM0.49m | 3:57AM0.53m | 4:17PM0.72m | 4:47AM0.80m | 5:22PM0.96m | 5:58AM1.04m | 7:02PM1.10m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | |
mm | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | — | NW 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | NW 11 | NW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | W 8 |
33 | 63 | 39 | — | 52 | 127 | 149 | 200 | 112 | 61 | 57 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 208 | 86 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | NW 6 | W 11 | — | — | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 |
5 | 1 | 10 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 3 | WNW 8 | W 10 | — | SSW 4 | — | SSE 2 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | W 7 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | — |
— | — | 5 | 250 | 153 | — | 9 | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 277 | 1469 | 1973 | 3705 | 2569 | 1487 | 883 | 461 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 0 | 234 | 520 | 67 | 0 | 67 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 184 | 296 | 131 | 131 | 131 | 296 | 296 | 270 | 271 | 293 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Donegal | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Peak Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Peak provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Peak can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Peak 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 (The Peak) 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 The Peak 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.
The Peak is 20 km (12 miles) from Killybegs. If you plan a holiday in Donegal, look for hotels and other accommodation in Killybegs. Killybegs has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











