Brandon Bay seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The North Atlantic roars to life in October as the Icelandic Low deepens and the polar-front jet stream shoves storm after storm toward Ireland. Brandon Bay, facing southwest, lines up perfectly with the dominant W, WSW and SSW swell corridors. Average heights climb from 5ft (1.6m) in November to 6ft (1.8m) by December and January, with periods in the long and powerful 11-13 second range. The recurring problem is onshore west-southwest wind, which can destroy the shape in a matter of hours. But when high pressure builds across Britain and the flow turns offshore from the NNE, NE, ENE or E, the bay cleans up into grinding, hollow peaks. A negative NAO winter often shifts the Atlantic storm track south of Iceland, putting Ireland in the crosshairs for both the swell and the occasional offshore gap; that is when Brandon Bay truly fires.
Fair Surf Season (April - May & September)
As the Azores High starts to build in spring, the average swell drops to 4ft (1.2m) in April and 3ft (1.0m) in May, and the period shortens to 10-11 seconds. Yet the wind machine turns in your favor: April sees ideal offshore wind 35 percent of the time, the cleanest of the year, so these months are full of rideable, rippable surf. September is the mirror image, with swell rebuilding to 4ft (1.2m) and periods stretching back toward 10s as the first autumn lows appear. You will still get plenty of ankle-to-knee days, but the consistent W and WNW swell directions mean there is almost always something to ride.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
Summer is the slow season at Brandon Bay. Average heights bottom out at 3ft (0.9-1.0m), periods hover around 9 seconds, and the waverose becomes dominated by short-period WNW and W windswell. The North Atlantic storm track shifts far north, the Azores High parks itself to the south, and onshore SW/WSW winds frequently add chop. Water temperatures peak around 17°C, which is a welcome change, but the lack of power means most days are longboard grovelers rather than proper waves. Still, every so often a decaying low or an unusually strong cold front sends a 4ft (1.2m)+ W/SW swell down the Atlantic, and the bay will suddenly light up even in the middle of summer.