Is it worth the trip?
35Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: too small (3 ft swell at 7 s), 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 87kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tue 3 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- SSE 5 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Wed 4 · 35 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 103kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 53kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 37kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 33kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Sun 8 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 111kJ
- Wind
- SSE 4 kn
- Temp
- 7°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 140, poor
- Mon 243, too small
- Tue 310, too small
- Wed 435, too small
- Thu 522, too small
- Fri 619, too small
- Sat 719, too small
- Sun 859, fair
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–14 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best Apr–May1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 40, poor | 4 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 126kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 7 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 43, too small | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 87kJ | offshorewind from the south, 3 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 35, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 103kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 53kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 37kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 33kJ | wind from the east, 5 knots | 9°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 111kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 7°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft9 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 587kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 9 knots | 7°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 551kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 5 knots | 9°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 03:45 −1.1 mHigh 10:18 +1.3 mLow 16:45 −1.1 mHigh 23:02 +0.8 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:59 −0.9 mHigh 11:41 +1.2 mLow 18:13 −1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:33 +0.7 mLow 06:25 −0.9 mHigh 13:06 +1.2 mLow 19:37 −1.1 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.
Best time to go
best Apr–May
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot and its town
Ballyheirnan Bay 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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More surf near here
2 places
- Drumnacraig 5.9 km away
- Ballymastocker 8.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ballyheirnan Bay
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (336°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (156°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 45). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in July, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Rathmullan.
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$1,310–US$2,410 each
about US$1,310–US$2,410 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 DUB, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$422–US$878 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$147–US$241 |
| 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$1,310–US$2,410 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Rathmullan
35 min by car · 6 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Rathmullan its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest beds: Rathmullan, 20 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
About 16h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 4h 10m by road
Flights ORD → DUB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.