Conditions at Bundoran in January
January: Midwinter Muscle
January is peak season at Bundoran. The average swell height runs 6ft (1.8m) with a powerful 12.6s period, and the wave rose is dominated by the W-WNW quadrant - together these two directions account for nearly half of all observations, with a strong core in the 1.5-2m and 2-2.5m bands. That is exactly the kind of long-period, mid-sized groundswell that makes this west-northwest-facing beach fire: solid 5-8ft (1.5-2.4m) walls, punchy takeoffs, and plenty of push through the lineup.
The main spoiler is wind. Westerly through northwesterly winds pile in with winter lows and blow straight onshore, but 29 percent of the time the wind turns into the offshore easterly/southeasterly sector, often in the wake of high pressure to the east. When that happens, January offers some of the best, most powerful waves of the year. Air temperatures average just 4.5°C and water temperatures sit near 8.3°C, so expect cold, wet, serious surf and a thick hooded wetsuit.
Average Spot conditions at Bundoran in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Bundoran 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 Bundoran for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Bundoran 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 Bundoran.