Portsalon

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The North Atlantic storm machine switches on in October, and Portsalon's raw swell numbers respond quickly. By December, January and February, average swell heights push into the 3.0-3.2m (10-10.5ft) range with periods of 12-12.4s. This is the only time of year when long-period, powerful groundswell sits off the Donegal coast. Although the deep-water wave rose is dominated by W and WNW swells, this NE-facing sand is best served by the NNE through E swell windows. Those windows are most likely to open when the NAO goes negative and Atlantic lows track further south, sending cleaner E-NE pulses across the eastern Atlantic. Be prepared for cold water (7.9-9.6°C), brisk air and ideal offshore SSW-W winds just 25-27% of the time. When the pieces align, Portsalon is heavy, powerful and very much alive.