Tullan Strand seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The North Atlantic is in full voice from October through March, and Tullan Strand, exposed to the open Atlantic with a west-northwest orientation, receives the brunt of it. Average swell heights climb from 4ft (1.3m) in October to a winter peak of 6ft (1.8m) in January, while average periods sit firmly in the 11-13s range. This is when extratropical cyclones spinning eastward across the North Atlantic generate powerful west to northwesterly groundswell, and the offshore wind window from the east through southeast delivers roughly 28-31% clean surf days. When the NAO is in a positive phase, the storm track aims straight at Ireland and Tullan really turns on.
Fair Surf Season (April, May & September)
Between the deep winter pulses and the summer lull, April, May and September offer a tempting compromise. April shows the highest clean-wind score of the year at 32%, but average swell drops to 3-4ft (1.1m) and the period shortens to 10.7s. May is smaller still, around 3ft (0.9m), with punchy average-period waves. September is the standout autumn transition, with 3-4ft (1.1m) average swell, a 10.2s period, and the first real Atlantic low-pressure systems beginning to stir. These months will not deliver the oversized days of winter, but they reward the opportunistic surfer with cleaner conditions, longer sessions, and slowly warming water.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
June through August is the quietest stretch of the year at Tullan Strand. Average swell heights bottom out around 2-3ft (0.8m), wave periods fall to 8.5-8.9s, and the ideal offshore wind score dips to just 16-19%. The swell rose is still dominated by WNW and W directions, but most waves are small, short-period and wind-affected. Summer sea breezes and prevailing onshore westerlies usually add surface chop, so surf quality relies on early-morning windows and the occasional tropical-origin or southerly-generated swell. It is not completely flat, but it is definitely low season; bring the groveler and the summer wetsuit.