Red Strand
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
30Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 3 ft swell at 6 s, onshore wind, 14 kn (25 km/h)
Tue 3 · 22 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 63kJ
- Wind
- NE 11 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 33 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 122kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 46 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 64kJ
- Wind
- NNE 14 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Fri 6 · 26 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 27kJ
- Wind
- E 7 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 13 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 18kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Sun 8 · 8 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- NNE 7 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Mon 9 · 30 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 156kJ
- Wind
- E 21 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 219, too small
- Tue 322, too small
- Wed 433, too small
- Thu 546, fair
- Fri 626, too small
- Sat 713, too small
- Sun 88, too small
- Mon 930, poor
- Tue 1077, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best Jan, Nov1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Red Strand does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 19, too small | 2 ft8 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 48kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 22, too small | 1 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 63kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 33, too small | 3 ft9 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 122kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 46, fair | 3 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 64kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 26, too small | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 27kJ | wind from the east, 7 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 13, too small | 1 ft9 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 18kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 30, poor | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 156kJ | wind from the east, 21 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 77, good | 4 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 174kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-west, 13 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 04:10 −1.0 mHigh 10:24 +1.1 mLow 17:01 −1.0 mHigh 23:00 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:37 −1.0 mHigh 11:40 +1.1 mLow 18:25 −1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:16 +1.0 mLow 06:56 −1.1 mHigh 12:53 +1.1 mLow 19:34 −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
best Jan, Nov
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
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 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
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct0of 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 and its town
Red Strand 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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More surf near here
5 places
- Longstrand 2.3 km away
- Long Strand 2.9 km away
- Langer ville 3.6 km away
- Owenahincha 5.7 km away
- Inchydoney 7.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Red Strand
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (190°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (10°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 300 m out (1 in 31). 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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and November, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Clonakilty, 8.8 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 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$1,300–US$2,390 each
about US$1,300–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 ORK, estimated from distance and season, changing at LHR, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$415–US$864 |
| 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$1,300–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: 3 towns
about 15 min by car · 8 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Rosscarbery its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Clonakilty on Booking.com
about 15 min by car · 17 places to stay
- Beds in Baltimore on Booking.com
about 1h by car · 9 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 35m
About 17h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ORK, changing at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), then 1h 10m by road
Flights ORD → ORK on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.