East Coast
Things are looking very small to flat for the weekend on the east coast with no incoming swell.
South Coast
Tramore is also looking like it is going to struggle to break anywhere near 1ft for the weekend with light onshore breezes for both days.
South West
Conditions out in Garretstown are looking a little better with an 18 second period swell which may arrive late as most big swell periods are delayed by the slowing effect of the larger period. But the waves should be in the 2-4ft range and this will depend on the normal waves appearing every 12 seconds but then the set waves are on the 18 second period which could bring the bigger sets through so worth while hanging around to check. The sets could see some punchy waves come through that exceed the 4ft mark. Sunday sees a 14 second period roll though which again will bring 2-4ft conditions. Winds for Saturday are light onshore breezes and similar for Sunday with very little wind to upset the waves. Inch Beach in Kerry is showing that it should be maxed out Saturday with the waves forecast to exceed 10ft with 15mph plus winds from the south west. As there is a large period, I would be looking for the maximum amount of shelter and checking somewhere like Fermoyle strand which could have nice offshore conditions but be careful of the sets. Sunday sees the swell come from the north west but with a secondary south west swell also which could bring some chunky conditions to Inch which will probably max things out again but could have some onshore sets on the inside on the reforms.
West Coast
Lahinch is showing a pretty sizeable swell that has a touch of north in it but with the increase in the period, I reckon that this will still bend into the bay. It may appear that the bay could be small but when the 17 or 18 second period sets come through, this could well light up the bay and max it out. While it may look surfable in between, it could be once dangerous quickly. I would be looking for spots that have a lot of shelter in order to avoid these waves. Sunday looks to drop to a more reasonable 6ft wave while still carrying a 14 second period with light onshore winds from the south west. This should bring some nice conditions to the beach but beware of the set waves and for those who can duck dive, the waves will have a greater distance from front to back with a greater volume of water in the wave meaning that it will take much more effort to get under and out the other side. Tides are high at 7am and pm so leave at least two hours after and before to enter and exit the water as it is a larger high tide.
North West
Strandhill is also looking like it will be maxed out for the weekend with lots of the other spots showing large swells coming through with Enniscrone showing 6-8ft plus and with that bigger swell, I’d be avoiding going out too far. The reform would probably still be 4-6ft on the inside. Spots like Streedagh could even be pretty dumpy when it comes to the waves as it is coming in from the north west with up to 17 seconds of period meaning that more of the wave will bend in. A spot possibly worth checking would be Mullaghmore Beach which is very sheltered and with the lack of winds could have some nice waves on Saturday, possibly a little small on Sunday but worth checking as most other spots will be maxed out with another possibility being Aughris but with the swell direction, this could have a punchier wave than normal. Around Bundoran, all of the usual spots will be unsurfable so you may have to travel to check for more shelter.
North Coast
Portrush is also showing some chunky conditions for Saturday with an already large swell for East Strand of 6ft only made bigger by the 17 second period making it too chunky for most and only the very experienced should even think about donning the wetsuit. Sunday sees the period drop a little with more offshore conditions meaning it will still be a chunky 6-8ft but with the possibility of greater gaps to paddle out. If in doubt, don’t go out.
Surf Safe and Enjoy,
Col,
Surf Improvers