# Surfing in Northern Ireland: 10 breaks, surf forecasts and best months > The Causeway Coast around Portrush and Portstewart: Atlantic swell from the north and beaches close together. 10 surf spots with live forecasts, 1 in-depth guide, the best months to go, wetsuit advice and travel tips. - Page type: Regional surf guide - Canonical URL: https://swellotter.com/region/northern-ireland - Last updated: 2026-11-09 - Home - Regions - Northern Ireland Northern Ireland · Surf travel guide Surfing in Northern Ireland The Causeway Coast around Portrush and Portstewart: Atlantic swell from the north and beaches close together. 10 live forecasts ↓All UK regions → By Tom Otto · Updated 8 November 2026 Breaks10 Best monthsFeb, Mar, Dec Sea temperature9–16°C ConsistencyHigh Search AllBeginner friendlyAdvancedBeachbreaksReefs and pointsCauseway CoastCounty Down Nothing matches. Try another word or chip. ## Causeway Coast surf spots - Whiterocks, Portrush ### Whiterocks, Portrush surf forecast and guide Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast →Spot guide → - West Strand, Portrush ### West Strand, Portrush surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Portstewart Strand ### Portstewart Strand surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Castlerock ### Castlerock surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · All levels Live forecast → - Benone Strand ### Benone Strand surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Ballycastle ### Ballycastle surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Intermediate & Advanced Live forecast → - East Strand ### East Strand surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → - Portballintrae ### Portballintrae surf forecast Causeway Coast · Reef · Left & right · Intermediate & Advanced Live forecast → - Whitepark Bay ### Whitepark Bay surf forecast Causeway Coast · Beachbreak · Peaks · Intermediate & Advanced Live forecast → ## County Down surf spots - Tyrella ### Tyrella surf forecast County Down · Beachbreak · Peaks · Beginner & Intermediate Live forecast → ## The Swell Otter take on Northern Ireland A compact, friendly surf coast where you can check five beaches in twenty minutes. Small area, big variety. Northern Ireland's surf is concentrated on the Causeway Coast, and that's a strength. Whiterocks, the Portrush strands, Portstewart and Castlerock all sit within a short drive and face slightly different ways. On most swells, one of them will be clean. The coast faces north into the Atlantic, so it lights up when swell wraps around the top of Ireland, mostly from autumn to spring. Summer brings small, fun waves and busy beaches. Winter brings proper swell and cold, clear days. Add the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and a pint in Portrush and it's one of the best surf weekends in the UK, even when the waves are small. When we'd goOctober to March on a north-west swell with a south wind. When we'd skip itSummer bank holidays on the strands, which get very busy. Our take, by Tom Otto, checked against three years (2023–2025) of wave, wind and sea temperature history for these breaks. ## Northern Ireland spot guides - Whiterocks, Portrush guide ### Whiterocks surf guide: Portrush's Atlantic beach 8 Nov 2026 · Northern Ireland · Spot guide ## Surfing in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland's surf is centred on the Causeway Coast around Portrush and Portstewart. The beaches face north into the Atlantic and pick up swell that wraps around the top of Ireland. There are several beaches within a few minutes of each other, which makes it easy to find one that suits the wind. Autumn and winter bring the most swell. The coast is beautiful, with the Giant's Causeway just along the road. Positives - Catches Atlantic swell from the north - Stunning Causeway Coast - Friendly surf towns - Good for learners Negatives - Cold water - Exposed to wind - Busy in summer - Limited choice of spots ## When to surf in Northern Ireland J F M A M J J A S O N D BestGoodFairQuiet | | | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Surf | Typical size | 5ft | 7ft | 3ft | 3ft | 3ft | 3ft | 2ft | 3ft | 3ft | 3ft | 4ft | 6ft | Surfable days | 82% | 87% | 87% | 73% | 62% | 69% | 60% | 77% | 77% | 81% | 84% | 91% | Good days | 63% | 67% | 54% | 43% | 27% | 23% | 14% | 30% | 53% | 46% | 51% | 66% | Big days (8ft+) | 20% | 35% | 15% | 1% | 7% | 5% | 1% | 3% | 6% | 11% | 11% | 34% | Wind | Average | 12mph | 12mph | 11mph | 11mph | 9mph | 10mph | 10mph | 11mph | 11mph | 12mph | 11mph | 13mph | Offshore days | 43% | 40% | 44% | 44% | 28% | 31% | 30% | 37% | 41% | 42% | 42% | 45% | Water | Sea temp | 9° | 9° | 9° | 9° | 12° | 14° | 15° | 16° | 15° | 14° | 13° | 11° | Wetsuit | 5/4 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 5/4 | 4/3 | 3/2 | 3/2 | 4/3 | 4/3 | 4/3 | 5/4 | Weather | Max air | 8° | 9° | 10° | 13° | 15° | 17° | 18° | 18° | 16° | 14° | 10° | 9° | Min air | 3° | 4° | 4° | 6° | 9° | 11° | 12° | 12° | 10° | 9° | 6° | 5° | Rain | 96mm | 62mm | 96mm | 100mm | 76mm | 95mm | 133mm | 118mm | 120mm | 117mm | 101mm | 142mm | Wet days | 18 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 Worked out from up to ten years (2016–2025) of hourly Open-Meteo history (CC BY 4.0) using the same star ratings as our forecasts. Surfable means at least one 2-star hour in daylight, good means 3 stars. Temperatures in °C. ### Wetsuit by month Jan5/49° Feb5/49° Mar5/49° Apr5/49° May5/412° Jun4/314° Jul3/215° Aug3/216° Sep4/315° Oct4/314° Nov4/313° Dec5/411° Boots from November to May, plus gloves and a hood when the sea drops below 10°C. ## The break lowdown How the 10 breaks here compare. Ability Beginner7 Intermediate10 Advanced4Type Beachbreak9 Reef1 Point0 Rivermouth0 Pier / jetty0Bottom Sand8 Sand & rock1 Reef & sand1 Flat reef0 Boulders & sand0Consistency High9 Medium0 Low1Crowds Solo surfing4 Rarely2 Sometimes4 Often0 Always0Direction Peaks9 Left0 Right0 Left & right1 ## Travel information Getting aroundThe A2 coast road links Portrush, Portstewart and the Causeway Coast. Belfast is about 1 hour 15 minutes by car, and trains run to Portrush. Where to stayPortrush and Portstewart have hotels, B&Bs and caravan parks. Hazards and hasslesRips on bigger days, cold water and busy beaches in summer. Handy hintsIf it's onshore at one beach, check the others around Portrush. They face different ways. ## Northern Ireland surf questions, answered ### Can you surf in Portrush? Yes. Portrush is the centre of surfing in Northern Ireland, with Whiterocks, the West Strand and the East Strand all close by. They pick up north and north-west Atlantic swells, mostly from autumn to spring. ### When is the best time to surf in Northern Ireland? The best time to surf in Northern Ireland is February, March and December, the most reliable months across the breaks we forecast there. In three years (2023–2025) of history, about 87% of winter days and 69% of summer days had at least one surfable (2-star) session, so summer is the smallest and quietest season. ### Where can you surf in Northern Ireland? The Causeway Coast is Northern Ireland's surf coast: Whiterocks, the Portrush strands, Portstewart Strand, Castlerock, Benone Strand and Ballycastle. Tyrella in County Down is the main option on the east coast. ### Is Portrush good for beginners? Yes, on small days. The West Strand in Portrush and Portstewart Strand have gentle waves in summer and surf schools nearby. In winter the swell is bigger and colder, so beginners should stick to small days. ### What wetsuit do I need to surf in Northern Ireland? Surfing in Northern Ireland needs a 5/4 wetsuit with hood, boots and gloves in late winter, when the sea drops to about 9°C, and a 3/2 in late summer, when it reaches about 16°C. ## More UK surf regions - Cornwall ### Cornwall surf guide England · 40 breaks · Best in Jan, Feb, Mar - Devon ### Devon surf guide England · 14 breaks · Best in Jan, Feb, Mar - South Coast ### South Coast surf guide England · 16 breaks · Best in Jan, Mar, Nov - East Anglia ### East Anglia surf guide England · 8 breaks · Best in Jan, Oct, Nov - Yorkshire ### Yorkshire surf guide England · 11 breaks · Best in Mar, Oct, Nov - North East England ### North East England surf guide England · 17 breaks · Best in Jan, Mar, Nov - North West England ### North West England surf guide England · 4 breaks · Best in Jan, Nov, Dec - Wales ### Wales surf guide Wales · 36 breaks · Best in Jan, Mar, Nov - Scotland ### Scotland surf guide Scotland · 39 breaks · Best in Mar, Nov, Dec - Channel Islands ### Channel Islands surf guide Channel Islands · 8 breaks · Best in Jan, Feb, Mar Words by ## Tom Otto Tom Otto built Swell Otter, the free surf forecast for the UK, and writes its spot guides. Every guide is checked against years of wave, wind and sea temperature history for the break, so the advice matches the numbers and not just the postcards. ## Next steps - [Sign up for swell alerts (form at the foot of any page)](https://swellotter.com/region/northern-ireland) - [How the forecast and star rating work](https://swellotter.com/about) - [All UK surf forecasts](https://swellotter.com/) ## About Swell Otter Swell Otter is a free surf forecast for the UK, made by a UK company with no ads. Live forecasts, tides and guides are free; optional Premium unlocks every surf cam. https://swellotter.com/llms.txt ## Notes for agents - Cite as: "Surfing in Northern Ireland: 10 breaks, surf forecasts and best months, Swell Otter (https://swellotter.com/region/northern-ireland)". - Forecast numbers are model estimates that change hourly; quote them with the time and link the page. Don't present them as observations. - Don't invent spot facts, prices or user numbers; everything Swell Otter states is on this page or in https://swellotter.com/ai-fact-sheet.md.