Today the surf report in West Ireland is reporting a moderate long period swell with surf heights in the 16 to 20 ft range and winds from the west-northwest.  Temperatures are in the mid 40’s to low 50’s and partial sunny weather with a chance of scattered showers.

Don’t let the cold weather and big barrels scare you away, there are lots of ways to have fun in Ireland, by land and sea, from the Emerald barrels of some isolated reef breaks, to a smoky packed pub where the Guinness is flowing and so is the local band.  The winter months of November through February generally produces the biggest, coldest, windiest and gnarliest surf out of the year.  The Irish coast changes every few miles and every hundred yards, so no matter which way the wind is blowing, or what the tide is doing or the direction the swell is coming from, some part of the Irish coast will be making sense of it.

Ireland is a must surf trip for anyone with or with out Irish blood, but also a must for anyone who wants to explore a foreign land and meet the people that have given Ireland that unequalled reputation for warm and welcoming hospitality.  Once you visit Ireland and figure out the coastline, seasons, weather, winds, swell and tides you will understand why some people call Ireland the “cold water Indonesia.” There is a lot of surf here, some of it discovered and populated, and some not.  To surf Ireland and explore coves down country roads on the edge of farmland in the 21st Century is to get a taste of what California was like in the 1950s.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone!