Doonbeg castle
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
13Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: too small (3 ft swell at 11 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 15 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 105kJ
- Wind
- ENE 10 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tue 3 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 114kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Wed 4 · 19 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 187kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Thu 5 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- E 11 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 60kJ
- Wind
- N 7 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 32kJ
- Wind
- SSW 12 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 119, too small
- Mon 215, too small
- Tue 39, too small
- Wed 419, too small
- Thu 511, too small
- Fri 611, too small
- Sat 710, too small
- Sun 810, too small
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 1031, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 19, too small | 4 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | wind from the north-east, 9 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 15, too small | 3 ft9 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 10 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft14 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 114kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 19, too small | 3 ft11 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 187kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 12°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the east, 11 knots | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 11, too small | 2 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 6 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 10, too small | 2 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 60kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft10 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 32kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 5 ft9 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 373kJ | offshorewind from the south, 5 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 31, too small | 5 ft9 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 343kJ | wind from the west, 12 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
- Sun 1 NovLow 02:45 −1.2 mHigh 09:10 +1.4 mLow 15:33 −1.4 mHigh 22:08 +1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:00 −1.0 mHigh 10:29 +1.2 mLow 16:56 −1.3 mHigh 23:33 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:28 −0.9 mHigh 11:53 +1.2 mLow 18:20 −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 and its town
Doonbeg castle 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.
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More surf near here
5 places
- Killard 1.2 km away
- Doughmore 3 km away
- Kilkee 10.3 km away
- Spanish Point Reefs 13.1 km away
- Spanish Point 13.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Doonbeg castle
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (352°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (172°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 17). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 9°C in January, 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 Doonbeg, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
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
2 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Doonbeg its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Kilkee on Booking.com
18 min by car · 13 places to stay
- Beds in Spanish Point on Booking.com
23 min by car · 10 places to stay
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 05m
About 16h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 4h 20m by road
Flights ORD → DUB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.