Staying Home Sucks, home
DonegalTown
Donegal, the nearest town, 6 km away. Photo: Kanchelskis, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Murvagh

Surf spot · Ireland

Is it worth the trip?

18Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Wed 4: too small (3 ft swell at 10 s), 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 12 out of 100

Swell
2 ft14 s
Energy
83kJ
Wind
ESE 6 kn
Temp
9°C

Wed 4 · 31 out of 100

Swell
3 ft10 s
Energy
176kJ
Wind
E 8 kn
Temp
10°C

Thu 5 · 20 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 s
Energy
79kJ
Wind
ENE 8 kn
Temp
11°C

Fri 6 · 18 out of 100

Swell
2 ft9 s
Energy
59kJ
Wind
E 4 kn
Temp
10°C

Sat 7 · 13 out of 100

Swell
2 ft8 s
Energy
39kJ
Wind
ESE 2 kn
Temp
9°C

Sun 8 · 8 out of 100

Swell
1 ft7 s
Energy
11kJ
Wind
ESE 2 kn
Temp
6°C

Mon 9 · 7 out of 100

Swell
1 ft7 s
Energy
19kJ
Wind
ESE 9 kn
Temp
7°C

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

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 229, too small
  2. Tue 312, too small
  3. Wed 431, too small
  4. Thu 520, too small
  5. Fri 618, too small
  6. Sat 713, too small
  7. Sun 88, too small
  8. Mon 97, too small
  9. Tue 1013, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Wtakes swell from the W
  • Offshore: Ewind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 5–20 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 Murvagh, each day
DayScore for expertsSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov29, too small3 ft8 s4 ft at break (est.)123kJwind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore11°C
Tue 3Nov12, too small2 ft14 s3 ft at break (est.)83kJwind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore9°C
Wed 4Nov31, too small3 ft10 s5 ft at break (est.)176kJwind from the east, 8 knots, offshore10°C
Thu 5Nov20, too small2 ft9 s4 ft at break (est.)79kJwind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore11°C
Fri 6Nov18, too small2 ft9 s3 ft at break (est.)59kJwind from the east, 4 knots, offshore10°C
Sat 7Nov13, too small2 ft8 s3 ft at break (est.)39kJwind from the east-south-east, 2 knots, offshore9°C
Sun 8Nov8, too small1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)11kJwind from the east-south-east, 2 knots, offshore6°C
Mon 9Nov7, too small1 ft7 s2 ft at break (est.)19kJwind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore7°C
Tue 10Nov13, too small2 ft7 s3 ft at break (est.)50kJwind from the north-north-west, 7 knots8°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 04:31 −0.9 mHigh 11:13 +1.3 mLow 17:54 −1.1 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 00:14 +0.6 mLow 05:57 −0.8 mHigh 12:36 +1.3 mLow 19:18 −1.2 m
  • Wed 4 NovHigh 01:35 +0.8 mLow 07:20 −0.9 mHigh 13:49 +1.4 mLow 20:25 −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

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.

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More surf near here

2 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Murvagh

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces W (252°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (72°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. 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 Donegal, 6.4 km away (about 15 min by car).

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 
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$422–US$878
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$147–US$241
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$288–US$482
Food7 days eating outabout US$322–US$596
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$127–US$208
Totalabout 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

Closest

Donegal

11 min by car · 25 places to stay

about US$107/nightcountry average

See 25 places to stay in Donegal · Booking.com

About Donegal 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 15h 10m

About 15h 10m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 3h 20m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.