Kilkee
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
54Fair 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 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 179kJ
- Wind
- ENE 8 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tue 3 · 34 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 196kJ
- Wind
- ENE 7 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Wed 4 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 334kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Thu 5 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 143kJ
- Wind
- E 8 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 103kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 105kJ
- Wind
- N 5 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 37 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 106kJ
- Wind
- SW 10 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 113, poor
- Mon 266, good
- Tue 334, too small
- Wed 473, good
- Thu 550, fair
- Fri 647, fair
- Sat 740, too small
- Sun 837, too small
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–14 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.
Kilkee does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 13, poor | 6 ft9 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 419kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 9 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 66, good | 4 ft8 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 179kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 8 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 34, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 196kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 7 knots | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 73, good | 4 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 334kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 12°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 50, fair | 3 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 143kJ | wind from the east, 8 knots | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 103kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 40, too small | 3 ft9 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 105kJ | wind from the north, 5 knots | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 37, too small | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 106kJ | wind from the south-west, 10 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft8 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 458kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots | 10°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy9 ft at break (est.) | 626kJ | wind from the west, 9 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 02:45 −1.2 mHigh 09:10 +1.4 mLow 15:33 −1.4 mHigh 22:08 +1.1 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:00 −1.0 mHigh 10:29 +1.2 mLow 16:56 −1.3 mHigh 23:33 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:28 −0.9 mHigh 11:53 +1.2 mLow 18:20 −1.4 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
Kilkee on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Kilkee
More surf near here
3 places
- Doonbeg castle 10.3 km away
- Killard 10.3 km away
- Doughmore 13.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Kilkee
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (321°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (141°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 550 m out (1 in 54). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°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 Kilkee, 0.9 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 dive site.
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: 3 towns
2 min by car · 13 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Kilkee its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Doonbeg on Booking.com
18 min by car · 1 place to stay
- Beds in Spanish Point on Booking.com
41 min by car · 10 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 15h 50m
About 15h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 4h by road
By bus: Citylink, Bus Éireann. Time from the published timetables, on a weekday.
Flights ORD → DUB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.