Conditions at Carrownisky in January
January: Peak Winter Punch
January is the heart of the Irish winter surf season and Carrownisky is at its most powerful. The average swell height is a solid 7ft (2.1m), with an average period of 12.8s, putting most of the energy squarely in the powerful long-period class. The swell rose is dominated by W (22.6%) and WSW (15.6%), with another 12.2% from WNW, meaning the exposed west-facing beach is constantly under fire from directional Atlantic groundswell. A large share of the waves arrive in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range, and the biggest W/WNW swells can push well overhead. The catch is wind: only 14% of the time is the wind ideal/offshore. SW and WSW winds together account for more than 20% of all observations, turning the surf stormy and cross-onshore. The best sessions come when a high-pressure ridge to the east sets up a cold NE/ENE offshore flow, grooming the long-period W swell into clean, lined-up winter waves. Air temperatures average 7.0°C (from -1.6 to 12.6°C), precipitation is a wet 4.64 mm/day, and the water temperature is 8.3°C (47°F) - thick rubber is non-negotiable.
Average Spot conditions at Carrownisky in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Carrownisky 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 Carrownisky for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Carrownisky 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 Carrownisky.