West Strand
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
9Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: too small (2 ft swell at 8 s), 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft10 s
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Wed 4 · 11 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 35kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 10 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 23kJ
- Wind
- E 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- ESE 9 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 14kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 9°C
Sun 8 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 shollow
- Energy
- 6kJ
- Wind
- SW 3 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Mon 9 · 12 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft8 shollow
- Energy
- 30kJ
- Wind
- SE 7 kn
- Temp
- 8°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 212, too small
- Tue 34, too small
- Wed 411, too small
- Thu 510, too small
- Fri 69, too small
- Sat 77, too small
- Sun 85, too small
- Mon 912, too small
- Tue 1016, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–15 ftof swell
- Water 12 °C4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves
- Best Apr–May1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 4, too small | 1 ft10 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 35kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 10, too small | 1 ft9 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 23kJ | offshorewind from the east, 9 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft8 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 14kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 9°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft7 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 8°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 30kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 8°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 16, too small | 2 ft8 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 57kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 10°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 NovHigh 00:43 +0.1 mLow 05:48 −0.3 mHigh 13:08 +0.6 mLow 20:06 −0.4 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 02:16 +0.1 mLow 07:22 −0.3 mHigh 14:25 +0.6 mLow 21:18 −0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 03:20 +0.2 mLow 08:40 −0.4 mHigh 15:26 +0.7 mLow 22:08 −0.6 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 Apr–May
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 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
- Nov0of 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
West Strand on Google Maps · Directions
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
5 places
- Portrush 0.9 km away
- East Strand 1.8 km away
- White Rocks 1.8 km away
- Portstewart 5.7 km away
- Portballintrae 7.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About West Strand
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (310°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (130°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–15 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 9°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Portrush, 0.4 km away (about 5 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$1,290–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 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$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| 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: 3 towns
1 min by car · 87 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Portrush its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Portstewart on Booking.com
8 min by car · 36 places to stay
- Beds in Portballintrae on Booking.com
13 min by car · 18 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 35m
About 15h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DUB, direct, then 3h 45m by road
Flights ORD → DUB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.