Staying Home Sucks, home
Beach runner, Portrush
East Strand. Photo: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

East Strand

Surf spot · UK

Is it worth the trip?

24Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Wed 4: too small (2 ft swell at 11 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 8 out of 100

Swell
1 ft14 shollow
Energy
27kJ
Wind
ESE 5 kn
Temp
11°C

Wed 4 · 34 out of 100

Swell
2 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
126kJ
Wind
SSE 4 kn
Temp
11°C

Thu 5 · 24 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
78kJ
Wind
ESE 8 kn
Temp
11°C

Fri 6 · 22 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
50kJ
Wind
ESE 6 kn
Temp
11°C

Sat 7 · 20 out of 100

Swell
2 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
47kJ
Wind
ESE 4 kn
Temp
11°C

Sun 8 · 13 out of 100

Swell
1 ft7 smushy
Energy
15kJ
Wind
S 3 kn
Temp
9°C

Mon 9 · 27 out of 100

Swell
2 ft8 smushy
Energy
65kJ
Wind
SE 7 kn
Temp
9°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 248, fair
  2. Tue 38, too small
  3. Wed 434, too small
  4. Thu 524, too small
  5. Fri 622, too small
  6. Sat 720, too small
  7. Sun 813, too small
  8. Mon 927, too small
  9. Tue 1025, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Ntakes swell from the N
  • Offshore: Swind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 4–16 ftof swell
  • Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at East Strand, each day
DayScore for intermediatesSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov48, fair3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.)124kJwind from the east-south-east, 2 knots11°C
Tue 3Nov8, too small1 ft14 shollow1 ft at break (est.)27kJwind from the east-south-east, 5 knots11°C
Wed 4Nov34, too small2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)126kJwind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore11°C
Thu 5Nov24, too small2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)78kJwind from the east-south-east, 8 knots11°C
Fri 6Nov22, too small2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)50kJwind from the east-south-east, 6 knots11°C
Sat 7Nov20, too small2 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)47kJwind from the east-south-east, 4 knots11°C
Sun 8Nov13, too small1 ft7 smushy2 ft at break (est.)15kJwind from the south, 3 knots, offshore9°C
Mon 9Nov27, too small2 ft8 smushy3 ft at break (est.)65kJwind from the south-east, 7 knots9°C
Tue 10Nov25, too small3 ft8 ssoft4 ft at break (est.)122kJwind from the east-north-east, 12 knots10°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 NovHigh 00:43 +0.1 mLow 05:48 −0.3 mHigh 13:08 +0.6 mLow 20:06 −0.4 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 02:16 +0.1 mLow 07:22 −0.3 mHigh 14:25 +0.6 mLow 21:18 −0.5 m
  • Wed 4 NovHigh 03:20 +0.2 mLow 08:40 −0.4 mHigh 15:26 +0.7 mLow 22:08 −0.6 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

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.

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 East Strand

East Strand, Portrush
Photo: john.purvis, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
East Strand, Portrush
Photo: Rossographer, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sand dunes, Curran Strand
Photo: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

More surf near here

5 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About East Strand

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces N (353°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (173°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 44). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 8°C in March, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 14°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Portrush, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

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$1,290–US$2,390 each

about US$1,290–US$2,390 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 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to DUB, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bagabout US$422–US$878
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$141–US$234
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$281–US$469
Food7 days eating outabout US$315–US$583
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$134–US$228
Totalabout US$1,290–US$2,390

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

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

Closest

Portrush

about 5 min by car · 87 places to stay

about US$107/nightcountry average

See 87 places to stay in Portrush · Booking.com

About Portrush its beds, food and every spot near it

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 15h 35m

About 15h 35m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 3h 45m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.