Culdaff
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
7Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: too small (2 ft swell at 11 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Wed 4 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 84kJ
- Wind
- SSE 3 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 smushy
- Energy
- 49kJ
- Wind
- ESE 11 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 10kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft3 smushy
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SE 3 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 2 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft4 s
- Energy
- 1kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Mon 9 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 46kJ
- Wind
- SE 9 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 217, too small
- Tue 34, too small
- Wed 412, too small
- Thu 52, too small
- Fri 66, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 82, too small
- Mon 99, too small
- Tue 106, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NEtakes swell from the NE
- Offshore: SWwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 76kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft14 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 10°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft11 scrumblingunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 84kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 2, too small | 2 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 49kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 11 knots | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 10kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 2, too small | under 1 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 2 knots, offshore | 8°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft8 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 46kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 8°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 6, too small | 3 ft8 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 79kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 11°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
- Mon 2 NovLow 05:28 −0.6 mHigh 12:11 +0.8 mLow 18:59 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 01:10 +0.4 mLow 06:59 −0.6 mHigh 13:39 +0.9 mLow 20:21 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 02:31 +0.5 mLow 08:18 −0.7 mHigh 14:49 +1.0 mLow 21:22 −1.0 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
Culdaff on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Culdaff
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Culdaff
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NE (41°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (221°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 43). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 9°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Culdaff, 2.6 km away (about 5 min by car).
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: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Culdaff its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Castlerock on Booking.com
about 50 min by car · 12 places to stay · about US$107 a night, country average
- Beds in Portstewart on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 36 places to stay · about US$107 a night, country average
Room prices are our estimate of a 2-star double room's average in each country that month, 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 05m
About 16h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 4h 15m by road
Flights ORD → DUB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.