Ireland surf forecast

Surfing in Ireland

Ireland is surrounded by sea, but most of its surf comes from the Atlantic, so the west and north-west coasts are the most consistent. PeakWave treats the island as one surf region, as Irish surfers and forecasters do, and groups its spots into Sligo and Donegal, South and West Ireland, Dublin and the Causeway Coast.

Sligo and Donegal hold the heaviest waves: reefs at Bundoran, Mullaghmore Head and Easkey that suit experienced surfers, alongside the beach break at Strandhill. In the west, Lahinch in County Clare is a long sandy beach with surf schools and waves well suited to beginners and improvers, and Inch Beach on the Dingle Peninsula is a long beach with gentle waves for learners and stronger peaks for experienced surfers. Tramore in Waterford faces south and needs a swell from the south-west to south-east, so it works far less often, which makes it a different proposition from the west coast, though it is a popular place for lessons. On the north coast, Portrush in County Antrim has beaches either side of the town, with surf schools on both. Sandycove, near Dublin, faces east into the Irish Sea, the least consistent part of the coast, and rarely gets surf.

These areas are hours apart, so compare them as separate trips rather than options for the same session. Autumn and winter bring the most powerful swells and suit intermediate and advanced surfers; late spring and summer are smaller and better for learning. Water stays cool all year, from roughly 8 to 11C in winter to 14 to 16C in summer, so expect a 3/2 wetsuit in summer and a 5/4 or thicker with boots, gloves and a hood in winter.