Tullan Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the first week and a half is a tough one to love. We’re looking at a long, quiet stretch with hardly any juice in the water. From 15th July right through to the morning of 25th July, the swell is tiny – we’re talking 0.7 ft to 2 ft for the most part, and almost entirely rated as poor surf conditions. The combined energy reading is weak, often below 100 – a measly 6 to 50 – just not worth paddling out for. There are a few glassy mornings, like the 15th and 16th with a light ESE and E breeze, which would give you a pretty looking surface, but on a 0.7 ft wave with 9-second period? You’re barely rocking in the shallows. The wind turns onshore from the 17th onwards, with moderate breezes from the NNW and NW making it choppy and lumpy. There’s a couple of glassy windows on the 21st and 22nd mornings, but still no real swell to work with. It’s a real desert out there.

The standout window finally shows up on 29th July. Wednesday morning we see a proper pulse of swell rolling in at Tullan Strand. The swell hits 8 ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps right up to 907 – that’s moderate to strong energy, and it has some grunt. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a fairly long-period groundswell, so expect better shaped waves with more push, but also longer lulls between sets. For a beach break like Tullan Strand, that long period can make it pitch a bit too straight, so watch your positioning. The morning is clean with a light cross-shore breeze from the SW at 6 mph, keeping the surface tidy. By the afternoon, the swell nudges up to 8 ft, energy at 1021, but the wind swings to a cross-onshore from the W at 9 mph, bringing in a bit of chop. 8 ft is expert territory – this is not for beginners. The water temperature on the first day (15th July) was a notable 64°F, which is much warmer than normal for the time of year, by over 5°F, so that’s a real treat if you’re used to a chilly Irish summer. Crowds at Tullan Strand can be an issue – it’s a consistent spot with a reputation, so expect company if you go for that big Wednesday swell. That’s the only real standout in the whole run.

After the 29th, it drops back down quickly. The 30th still has some energy (239) but the swell drops to 4 ft with a cross-onshore wind making it choppy, and then it fades out again.

So really, the whole first week and a half is a write-off. From 15th July to 25th July morning, it’s flat to tiny. Then we get a promising spike on the 29th July. That’s your one chance. Keep an eye on it – it’s a week and a half away, so treat it as promising but not locked in. If you’re an experienced surfer and you can line up that Wednesday morning, Tullan Strand (County Donegal) could fire.

Rusty.

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