Kilcummin seasonal overview
Best Surf Season (October - March)
The North Atlantic roars to life during October, and by the time winter arrives the coastline around Kilcummin is in full battle mode. The average swell height climbs from 1.4m (4-5ft) in October to 1.8-1.9m (6ft) in January and February, while average wave periods sit firmly in the 11-13s band - powerful, long-period groundswell generated by a parade of extratropical cyclones crossing the Atlantic. When the jet stream is active and the NAO runs positive, deep lows track toward the British Isles and send a constant supply of W-WNW and NW swell into this north-facing shore. The critical ingredient is offshore wind from the south. S, SSW and SW winds blow directly offshore, and the data shows ideal-wind statistics of 34-38 per cent through this window. On those days, long-period lines wrap and refract into the bay and produce clean, hollow, winter peaks. It is cold and raw - water temps hover around 8-9°C, air around 7°C - but this is the beating heart of the Kilcummin surf year.
Fair Surf Season (April - May and September)
April and May are classic shoulder months. April actually delivers the highest directional compatibility of the year, with about 30 per cent of the swell arriving from the preferred N-NNW-NW quadrant, but the average size drops to 1.2m (4ft) and the period to 10.9s. May offers clean, fishable 1m (3ft) waves with the period down near 9.9s and an increasing amount of northerly wind. September is the more promising of the fair months: the first real autumn groundswells lift the average back to 1.2m (4ft) and 10.3s, ideal wind reaches 37 per cent, and the Atlantic is still a comfortable 15.8°C. These three months give plenty of rideable days, but you have to pick the right tide and swell direction - there are no guaranteed size days.
Low Surf Season (June - August)
June, July and August are the slow season at Kilcummin. Average swell heights fall to 0.9-1.0m (3ft), average periods sit in the 8.8-9.2s range, and the wave spectrum becomes dominated by short-period W-WNW windswell. The Azores High tends to nudge the Atlantic storm track north, taking away the long, powerful groundswells that power the winter months. The preferred N-NNW-NW quadrant is less consistent, and northerly winds become more frequent, especially in June and July. It is not usually flat, but the waves are smaller and the surface more prone to chop. A log or fish, a watchful eye on the charts, and a willingness to surf summer waist-high conditions are all essential. When the first September lows appear, the season starts to wake up again.