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?

12Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Wed 4: too small (3 ft swell at 11 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Wed 4 · 22 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 scrumbling
Energy
144kJ
Wind
SSE 3 kn
Temp
11°C

Thu 5 · 13 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
77kJ
Wind
E 8 kn
Temp
10°C

Fri 6 · 12 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 scrumbling
Energy
47kJ
Wind
ESE 4 kn
Temp
11°C

Sat 7 · 9 out of 100

Swell
2 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
30kJ
Wind
SE 2 kn
Temp
10°C

Sun 8 · 6 out of 100

Swell
1 ft7 smushy
Energy
9kJ
Wind
E 4 kn
Temp
10°C

Mon 9 · 3 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft4 s
Energy
1kJ
Wind
SE 12 kn
Temp
10°C

Tue 10 · 5 out of 100

Swell
1 ft8 scrumbling
Energy
12kJ
Wind
SE 10 kn
Temp
10°C

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

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Tue 39, too small
  2. Wed 422, too small
  3. Thu 513, too small
  4. Fri 612, too small
  5. Sat 79, too small
  6. Sun 86, too small
  7. Mon 93, too small
  8. Tue 105, too small
  9. Wed 1120, 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 expert surfers at East Strand, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Tue 3Nov9, too small1 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.)77kJwind from the east-north-east, 5 knots11°C
Wed 4Nov22, too small3 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)144kJwind from the south-south-east, 3 knots, offshore11°C
Thu 5Nov13, too small2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)77kJwind from the east, 8 knots10°C
Fri 6Nov12, too small2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)47kJwind from the east-south-east, 4 knots11°C
Sat 7Nov9, too small2 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.)30kJwind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore10°C
Sun 8Nov6, too small1 ft7 smushy1 ft at break (est.)9kJwind from the east, 4 knots10°C
Mon 9Nov3, too smallunder 1 ft4 s1 ft at break (est.)1kJwind from the south-east, 12 knots, offshore10°C
Tue 10Nov5, too small1 ft8 scrumbling1 ft at break (est.)12kJwind from the south-east, 10 knots, offshore10°C
Wed 11Nov20, too small2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.)76kJwind from the south-east, 8 knots, offshore10°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

  • 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
  • Thu 5 NovHigh 04:09 +0.3 mLow 09:40 −0.5 mHigh 16:17 +0.8 mLow 22:48 −0.7 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 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 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 (6 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$2,400 each

about US$1,290–US$2,400 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 2 November 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$423–US$879
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$141–US$235
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$282–US$470
Food7 days eating outabout US$315–US$584
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$134–US$228
Totalabout US$1,290–US$2,400

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

6 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 2 November 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.