Surf Report for the weekend of the 20th and 21st January
East Coast
It is looking like there are going to be some decent sized waves coming to the East Coast this weekend with both Saturday and Sunday showing good swell but there are warnings with that. For Saturday the conditions are looking like there could be 2-3ft conditions in Wicklow with the the winds moderate to strong from the south south west which means that the conditions will have clean waves in Wicklow but the winds may be strong cross offshore. Saturday is the day for those who want a safer was as conditions for Sunday brings Storm Isha which has conditions looking to jump. Sunday looks to have much stronger winds with the swell being pushed up the channel by those winds with the swell showing 3-5ft conditions but the wind strength is very strong so I would recommend getting out on Sunday before the winds really pick up but obviously care should be taken if and lean on your experience and if you haven’t been out in winds of this strength as the currents may be stronger than you can paddle with the strength of the winds so if you are venturing in the water, do not do so alone and ensure that someone knows where you are at all times. Also ensure that you keep a close eye on your position in the water and don’t be afraid to get out if you notice that you are drifting and cannot paddle against the drift. If in doubt, don’t go out. There will be plenty of waves another day for sure.
South Coast
With that swell being pushed up the east coast from the southerly winds, this means that the south coast is going to be howling onshore with big messy conditions for Tramore with 25-39mph winds Saturday and up to to 60mph Sunday so give it a miss. The angle of the winds will also leave very few spots for shelter.
South West
Garretstown is also going to be a spot that is maxed out and unsafe for surfing so give it a miss on both Saturday and Sunday with big swells and big winds.
Inch Beach in Kerry is showing conditions that are looking big on Saturday and bigger on Sunday but not in a good way with Saturday showing Inch to be verging on maxed out so I would avoid. Sunday is going to be massive and onshore so equally avoid. There may be a chance of a wave on the north of the peninsula on Saturday that may have a cross offshore but this will be blowing constantly so check it but be prepared for lots of winds. Sunday is a duvet day for all spots.
West Coast
Lahinch has a good swell coming in Saturday that is probably going to bring some overhead 6-8ft conditions but with the winds blowing directly from the south it means that the south of the beach may have a tiny bit of shelter but for the most, it will probably be cross onshore all day. Tides are high on Saturday at 1pm with 2 hours out of the water either side of high leaving a limited window for any waves. Sunday is a no go so avoid.
North West
Conditions in Strandhill are showing 4-5ft waves with the winds blowing moderate to strong cross shore all day so expect windy bumpy conditions. Some of the northerly facing spots like Enniscrone may have a clean wave but those winds will have nowhere to go but straight up the front of the 2-3ft waves and may even make it a struggle to get into the waves. Sunday is just too strong in the winds to consider surfing. In the Bundoran area it is looking like Tullan will have a wave but the winds are showing moderate cross shore gusting strong at times which will have a small bit of shelter in by the cliff but the waves will be coming in with quite a bit of bump to the wave so it could be surfable at 4ft waves but the winds will pose a problem to the cleanliness of the waves. Sunday will be maxed out at Tullan and onshore for everywhere. You might get Streedagh if the winds don’t blow as strong as forecast but the winds are due to pick up very early in the day.
North Coast
I am a little disappointed that the winds are blowing from the south for the weekend yet Portrush is not getting much swell on Saturday with 1-2ft max and there is a chance that the winds may blow this swell off. Sunday is showing what looks to be a nice size swell but the winds blowing up to 55mph means that it’s just too dodgy to risk going near the waves. Worth a look but please exercise caution.
As always with a Storm approaching, I am not advocating for anyone to do anything dangerous so please, know your limits, your abilities and do not venture out into conditions that you are either not comfortable with or have not experienced before. Never surf alone and always tell yourself, there will be waves next week or the week after, you need to be alive to surf them so exercise caution and there is no shame in walking away to surf another day.
Surf Safe and Enjoy,
Col,
Surf Improvers