Surf spot

Longstrand

Forecast conditions and map view for Longstrand in Ireland, South West. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Ireland, South West
Coordinates: 51.5540, -8.9590

Metric
Metric	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00
Wave height (m)	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.7	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.1	0.8	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.6	1.1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	1.3	0.8	1.2	0.7	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.1	1.1	1	0.8	0.8	0.6	0.8
Wave direction	WSW	WSW	W	SW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SSE	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW	SW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW	SW	SW	SW
Wave period (s)	6.3	7.5	7.4	6	7.2	5.3	5	5	5.2	4.8	4.8	5	5	5	5	5.2	5.3	5.8	7.1	7.5	7	4.3	7	5.7	5.2	5.2	5.8	5.8	6.2	5	6.6	5.7	6.5	6.6	7.3	5.4	8	8.4	8.8	8.9	7.2	6	5	6.5	7	7	6.8	6.5	6.5	6.4	6	6.2	6.3	6	5.6	4.7
Wave energy (kJ)	7	9	13	17	48	72	70	64	74	53	31	51	43	36	30	25	35	31	16	12	7	3	36	82	58	51	70	72	61	40	64	47	68	61	52	24	35	25	16	12	8	120	36	128	42	132	149	119	108	106	81	71	51	45	23	28
Wind speed (km/h)	27.7	32.2	33.4	31.6	25.9	24.3	15.9	18.3	19.4	10.1	7.2	7.8	17.8	21.3	14.8	12.4	11.8	13.3	14	26.5	26.7	30.3	33.6	26.3	17.3	15.5	14.5	20.8	23.9	23.7	22.5	21.4	19.3	19.3	18.6	12.5	18	24.5	25.7	27	30.3	22.3	15.8	23	24.9	24.5	18.9	14.8	14.8	11.7	10.3	14.3	21.4	22.9	16.5	13.7
Wind direction	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WSWOnshore	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	WNWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WSWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WNWCross-on	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore	WSWOnshore

Long Strand (County Cork, South West Ireland) is a broad Atlantic beach break exposed to open-ocean swell, giving it a reputation for powerful, often hollow waves when the conditions line up. It sits on a long sandy beach, so it can handle a range of swell directions, but it’s at its best with solid west to southwest swell and offshore winds from the east/northeast.

What it’s like

Wave type: Beach break
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers, especially when the surf is bigger and punchier
Wave character: Fast, barrelling sections can form; it can be heavy and less forgiving than many other Irish beach breaks
Bottom: Sand, which means the peaks can shift with tides and sandbanks

Conditions

Swell exposure: Very good exposure to Atlantic swell
Wind: Cleanest with light easterly or northeasterly offshore winds
Tide: Can work on a range of tides, but shape and size change a lot depending on sandbanks and tide stage
Crowds: Usually not too crowded compared with major surf hubs, but it can attract local surfers when it’s good

Hazards / things to watch

Strong currents and rips, especially on larger swells
Heavy surf on bigger days
Changing sandbanks, which can make conditions inconsistent
Cold water year-round — a proper wetsuit is needed

Overall vibe

Long Strand is a raw, scenic, Atlantic-facing Irish surf beach with a reputation for delivering serious waves rather than easy, mellow sessions. When it’s on, it can be one of the more exciting beach breaks in the region.