Conditions at Brandon Bay in January
January: Peak Winter Muscle
January is the heart of the Irish winter. The average swell sits at 6ft (1.9m) with a 12.7 second period, putting most surf in the powerful long-period bracket. The waverose is built around W (28.3%), WNW (21.6%) and WSW (12.5%), so the majority of energy arrives within the ideal southwest-facing window of Brandon Bay. The problem is wind: WSW, W, SW and SSW combined make up over 40 percent of the readings, which means a lot of lumpy, onshore conditions. The 22 percent ideal-wind figure comes from those precious days when high pressure sits over Ireland or Britain and the breeze turns offshore from the NNE, NE, ENE or E. Those windows deliver some of the heaviest and cleanest winter surf of the year. Air temps hover around 8°C, water temperature is 8.1°C, and precipitation averages 4.34 mm/day - you will earn every wave, but the reward is serious power.
Average Spot conditions at Brandon Bay in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Brandon Bay during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Brandon Bay for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Brandon Bay for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Brandon Bay.