Streedagh Strand • Statistics for January

January: Peak Atlantic Muscle

January is the heart of winter and Streedagh Strand sits right in the firing line of the North Atlantic. The average swell is a solid 6ft (1.8m) and the average period is 12.6 seconds, putting most sets in the powerful long-period groundswell zone. The swell rose is dominated by the west through north-northwest window this beach craves: WNW leads with 26 percent, W is close behind at 23 percent, and NW/NNW account for another 18 percent. A large share of the energy sits in the 3-8ft (1-2.5m) range, with occasional 8ft+ (2.5m+) days when deep lows track directly toward the west coast of Ireland.

Wind is the main spoiler. The same storm track that sends the swell also aims strong winds at the coast, and W/NW onshore flow makes up a major chunk of the wind rose. Ideal offshore flow from the E/ESE/SE/SSE quadrant is present only about 30 percent of the time. When a high pressure ridge or Scandinavian high sets up, those offshore winds groom the WNW groundswell into clean, hollow lines. Air temperatures average 6.7°C, water temperature drops to 8.7°C, and rain is frequent with 4.45 mm/day, so bring the thick rubber.