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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Sandycove. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical early July.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at Sandycove is the week of 30 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Barely any swell. Not much to work with today. Short-period wind swell: expect weak, crumbly faces. Heavy offshore making for difficult paddle-outs but textbook faces. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: jellyfish: high.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
The air here is 82% cleaner than the average comparison city right now.
Significantly cleaner air than a typical city. Ideal for outdoor exercise with minimal respiratory strain.
Not a pollutant. Ozone is naturally higher at altitude and near the coast, and lower in cities where traffic exhaust breaks it down. High readings here typically indicate clean air. Can cause short-term airway irritation during intense exercise but is not linked to the long-term health risks of particulate pollution.
Additive health score: each pollutant contributes points relative to its WHO 2021 guideline and long-term health impact (PM2.5 9, NO₂ 5, O₃ 3, PM10 2, SO₂ 1 at WHO limits). Data via Open-Meteo. City markers show live readings. Red line marks the WHO guideline. Updated 21:00
Moderate water clarity: ~4m visibility
This guide was generated from conditions data. Know this spot? Submit your own tips below.
Sandycove is a small coastal spot on Dublin's south shore, famous for its Martello tower (Joyce's Tower from Ulysses) and the Forty Foot swimming spot. It faces east into the Irish Sea and very rarely produces surfable waves. It is primarily a sea swimming location rather than a surf destination. The cultural and literary associations are the main draw.
Needs a strong easterly storm in the Irish Sea generating wind swell. These events are rare, perhaps a handful of times per year. The fetches are short and the swell is small, short-period chop. Do not travel here expecting surf.
If anything is breaking, it will be on the small beaches between the rocky outcrops. There is no defined surf spot as such.
Rocky coastline. Cold water. Not a proper surf venue so no lifeguard cover or surf-specific awareness. Swimmers use the Forty Foot year-round and are not expecting surfers.
Street parking. Easy access to the coast. Full suburban Dublin facilities nearby. The DART train stops at Sandycove station.
Non-existent for surfing. Busy with swimmers (including winter dippers at the Forty Foot). The literary tourism crowd visits Joyce's Tower.
Sandycove is a cultural experience, not a surf trip. The Forty Foot swim (year-round) is invigorating. Joyce's Tower is worth visiting. For actual surfing near Dublin, drive 30 minutes north to Portmarnock or south to Brittas Bay, where easterly swells produce rideable waves on sandy beaches.
Surf at Sandycove
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Daily scores over the last 12 months at Sandycove
Based on historical weekly averages
Conditions at Sandycove tend to be best between 19:00 to 22:00 in July.
Average score during this window: 5/100
See timing scores, school holiday busyness, and lift pass pricing to find the best time to book.
View Best Time to Go →Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 31 days of logged conditions.
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