Is it worth the trip?
46Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 4 ft swell at 7 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 116kJ
- Wind
- E 6 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tue 3 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Wed 4 · 39 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 108kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 24 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- E 12 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 28 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 36kJ
- Wind
- SE 6 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 42kJ
- Wind
- WNW 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 141kJ
- Wind
- SSW 13 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 138, poor
- Mon 262, good
- Tue 313, too small
- Wed 439, too small
- Thu 524, too small
- Fri 628, too small
- Sat 727, too small
- Sun 881, good
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–10 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 38, poor | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 187kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 11 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 62, good | 3 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 116kJ | wind from the east, 6 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 9°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 39, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 108kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 24, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | wind from the east, 12 knots | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 28, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 36kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 27, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 42kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 81, good | 4 ft7 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 141kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 13 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft9 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 674kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 17 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 619kJ | wind from the west, 12 knots | 10°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 03:16 −1.1 mHigh 09:50 +1.3 mLow 16:23 −1.1 mHigh 22:39 +0.7 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:27 −0.9 mHigh 11:08 +1.2 mLow 17:50 −1.1 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:10 +0.6 mLow 05:53 −0.8 mHigh 12:31 +1.2 mLow 19:14 −1.2 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
No month stands out
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug1of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep1of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 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
Gaa 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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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More surf near here
3 places
- Strandhill 24.1 km away
- Bay Break 24.2 km away
- Lislary 25.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Gaa
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (355°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (175°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). 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 16°C in August, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Sligo. 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: 2 towns
2 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Easkey its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Sligo on Booking.com
58 min by car · 30 places to stay
Nearest beds: Sligo, 33 km (about 1h 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 15h 35m
About 15h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 3h 50m by road
Flights ORD → DUB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.