Garretstown
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
26Poor out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 20kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 21 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 77kJ
- Wind
- NE 16 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 38kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft4 smushy
- Energy
- 21kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 s
- Energy
- 7kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Mon 9 · 32 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 139kJ
- Wind
- ESE 25 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 212, too small
- Tue 325, too small
- Wed 421, too small
- Thu 532, too small
- Fri 627, too small
- Sat 79, too small
- Sun 89, too small
- Mon 932, poor
- Tue 1075, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–11 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 12, too small | 1 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 25, too small | 2 ft4 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 20kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 21, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 77kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 16 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, too small | 2 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 38kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 27, too small | 3 ft4 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 21kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft10 s1 ft at break (est.) | 7kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 32, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 139kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 25 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 75, good | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 15 knots, offshore | 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 04:16 −1.1 mHigh 10:27 +1.2 mLow 17:08 −1.0 mHigh 23:02 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:42 −1.0 mHigh 11:44 +1.1 mLow 18:30 −1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:19 +1.0 mLow 07:00 −1.1 mHigh 12:58 +1.1 mLow 19:40 −1.1 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
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 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 Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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, its town, photos
Garretstown 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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Photos of Garretstown
More surf near here
2 places
- Fennels Bay 25.5 km away
- Fennels Bay Reef 25.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Garretstown
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (191°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (11°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 350 m out (1 in 37). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 10°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 Kinsale, 8 km away (about 15 min by car).
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. 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$1,210–US$2,240 each
about US$1,210–US$2,240 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 ORK, estimated from distance and season, changing at LHR, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$415–US$864 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$54–US$87 |
| 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$1,210–US$2,240 |
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 15 min by car · 29 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Kinsale its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Clonakilty on Booking.com
about 40 min by car · 17 places to stay
- Beds in Cobh on Booking.com
about 55 min by car · 17 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 17h 05m
About 17h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ORK, changing at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), then 45 min by road
Flights ORD → ORK on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.