Red Strand
Surf spot · Ireland
Is it worth the trip?
13Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: 6 ft swell at 7 s, onshore wind, 19 kn (36 km/h)
Tue 3 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 107kJ
- Wind
- NE 10 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 17 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 168kJ
- Wind
- NE 13 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Thu 5 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 52kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 7 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 25kJ
- Wind
- NE 10 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 12kJ
- Wind
- NE 7 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 1 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- ESE 17 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Mon 9 · 20 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft7 smushy
- Energy
- 319kJ
- Wind
- ESE 19 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 28, too small
- Tue 314, too small
- Wed 417, too small
- Thu 59, too small
- Fri 67, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 81, too small
- Mon 920, too small
- Tue 1029, poor
- Wed 1144, poor
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
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 8, too small | 2 ft8 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 43kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 12 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 14, too small | 2 ft14 shollow2 ft at break (est.) | 107kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 10 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 17, too small | 3 ft10 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 168kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 9, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling2 ft at break (est.) | 52kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 14 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 7, too small | 1 ft9 shollow1 ft at break (est.) | 25kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 10 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | 1 ft7 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 7 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 1, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 17 knots | 12°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 20, too small | 6 ft7 smushy7 ft at break (est.) | 319kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 19 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 29, poor | 6 ft9 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 511kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 11 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 44, poor | 6 ft9 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 591kJ | wind from the east, 14 knots | 13°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 experts: 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 (16 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$2,400 each
about US$1,300–US$2,400 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 2 November 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$416–US$866 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$148–US$242 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$289–US$483 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$322–US$597 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$127–US$208 |
| Total | about US$1,300–US$2,400 |
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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
14 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
16 min by car · 17 places to stay
- Beds in Ballydehob on Booking.com
46 min by car · 3 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 2 November 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 · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.