ballyheigue ireland southwest
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
41Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: too small (3 ft swell at 11 s), 3 hours of offshore wind
Mon 2 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tue 3 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 96kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Wed 4 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 154kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Thu 5 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 62kJ
- Wind
- ENE 11 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 48kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sat 7 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- NNE 1 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 65kJ
- Wind
- SSW 10 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 186, good
- Mon 248, fair
- Tue 331, too small
- Wed 464, good
- Thu 536, too small
- Fri 626, too small
- Sat 731, too small
- Sun 820, too small
- Mon 967, good
- Tue 1038, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–12 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 86, good | 4 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 287kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 48, fair | 2 ft8 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | offshorewind from the east, 9 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft13 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 96kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 64, good | 3 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 154kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 62kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 26, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 4 knots | 12°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 31, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 1 knot | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 20, too small | 2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 65kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 10 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 67, good | 4 ft9 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 272kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 9°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 38, poor | 5 ft9 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots | 10°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovLow 02:36 −1.2 mHigh 09:00 +1.4 mLow 15:23 −1.4 mHigh 21:57 +1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 03:50 −1.0 mHigh 10:19 +1.2 mLow 16:45 −1.3 mHigh 23:22 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:18 −0.9 mHigh 11:42 +1.2 mLow 18:08 −1.4 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
ballyheigue ireland southwest on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of ballyheigue ireland southwest
More surf near here
2 places
- Ballybunion 17.7 km away
- Beale 26.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About ballyheigue ireland southwest
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (248°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (68°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.7 km out (1 in 172). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Ballybunion.
Water about 12°C: 4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,230–US$2,260 each
about US$1,230–US$2,260 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to KIR, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$415–US$858 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$74–US$121 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$288–US$482 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$596 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$127–US$208 |
| Total | about US$1,230–US$2,260 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Ballybunion
31 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Ballybunion its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Ballybunion, 18 km (about 35 min by car)
About US$107 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 16h 20m
About 16h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → KIR, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → KIR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.