Keel strand , Achill island
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
45Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: 4 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 58 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 163kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tue 3 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 225kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 345kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 42 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 122kJ
- Wind
- ENE 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 16 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 98kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sat 7 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 82kJ
- Wind
- NNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 18 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 86kJ
- Wind
- WSW 13 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 140, poor
- Mon 258, fair
- Tue 342, too small
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 542, poor
- Fri 616, too small
- Sat 730, too small
- Sun 818, poor
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–13 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 | 40, poor | 5 ft8 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 377kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 58, fair | 4 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 163kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 42, too small | 3 ft13 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 225kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 7 knots | 10°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 4 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 345kJ | wind from the east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 42, poor | 3 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 122kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 16, too small | 3 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 98kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 10°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 30, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft2 ft at break (est.) | 82kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 1 knot | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 18, poor | 3 ft7 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 86kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 13 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft9 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 586kJ | wind from the south-west, 21 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushyunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 576kJ | wind from the west, 15 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 03:15 −1.0 mHigh 09:38 +1.3 mLow 16:13 −1.3 mHigh 22:42 +0.9 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:31 −0.8 mHigh 10:55 +1.2 mLow 17:37 −1.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 00:10 +0.8 mLow 06:01 −0.7 mHigh 12:20 +1.1 mLow 18:59 −1.3 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
Keel strand , Achill island 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Keel strand , Achill island
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (201°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (21°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 65). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in February, 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 Keel, 0.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 2 wind sports 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$1,290–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
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NOC, estimated from distance and season, changing at LHR, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$409–US$858 |
| 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$1,290–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: Keel
1 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Keel 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 18h 15m
About 18h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NOC, changing at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), then 1h 45m by road
Flights ORD → NOC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.