Windsurf Guide To Brandon Bay

Brandon Bay is a great place to windsurf with many different beaches all within 7 miles of each other giving a huge amount of options for any given wind or swell direction. Often the amount of places to sail is a problem in itself. I often meet people who have sailed at the wrong part of the beach on any given day so this is a guide to help you out when you come to Brandon Bay.

The Beaches.

Fermoyle is The last beach in Brandon Bay going west.

Best Wind.

West wind, Windguru needs to be showing at least 25 knots for it to work well, As the wind is blocked by the hills. Can also be sailed at low tide NW wind cross-on when the reefs on the Maharees are dry

Swell. North or northwest. Sheltered by Brandon head so gets less swell than most of Brandon bay. But when there is a 10m swell running it can still be very big!

Tide

Okay at all tides.

It can be very good for Jumping and cross wave riding. It isn't the most powerful wave, Great fun and good for all levels of wave sailors.

Kilcummin

Fun in west wind giving Cross/Cross on port tack. Can pick up the SW wind a little earlier than Gowlane giving cross off DTL when you could not sail Gowlane. Catches less swell than Gowlane. 

Easy parking on the beach.

Best winds- West or South West  (*Too much south in the wind will be too offshore*)

Swell- Gets anything from north to west. Swell magnet in a north swell.

Tide- All tides.

Gowlane

In The prevailing southwest wind Gowlane is more about riding than jumping. 

Works in everything from knee high to mast high. Can be down the line heaven.

When it is big it can be hard to get out through walls of white water. Board voluume helps on those Easy to miss a session here as any forecast of SW wind with 8 knots of wind can be enough to float and ride on a 5.0

Wind - South west is best. 

Swell- North through to west. Anything from 1M at 8 seconds will give a good wave.

Tide- Best on the push mid to high but works all through the tide.

Stradbally

When the wind is too offshore at Gowlane here is the spot to go. Often less windy than Gowlane.

Straight out front tends to be a close-out. Try going upwind of the parking area for better waves.

Parking can be very tight.

Wind- South West, South south-west.

Swell- North West to North

Tide- Best at mid to high.

Back Beach.

Wind - South or North winds

Swell. West swell

Tide. Best mid to high

What it like. Hard to drive to without a 4X4 outside of summer. Gets south winds better than Dumps and can get better waves if a lot of north in the swell.

Dumps

Wind. South, North and North West. South east

Swell. North swell

Tide. All tides

What it like

Works in lots of conditions. Drain pipe is the bank to the right, It can give a great peak to sail. High tide there gives a powerful shore break if your brave, low tide can be easier.

South winds give good DTL, but can be very gusty.

Small swells in north wind are a lot of fun. North west will be a lot stronger here than at Fermoyle giving cross on starboard tack sailing

Shitties

Wind - North or  North west wind

Swell - North west best, but north to west will get into it

Tide - Mid to high tide.  Works at low tide if you go downwind and sail beside the dry reef

What is it like ?   Easy sail out. Good for jumping as it has a flat water run up to the wave. Very easy place to sail big waves without too much skill needed.

Mossies

What it like. Hard to sail really well but easy to sail. the sail out is easy, and you can sit on the shoulder and watch. Gives a heavy peak going in to a endless shoulder.  Mostly sailed with a bit onshore in the wind  but the way the wave wraps it not a problem.

Wind - Best at North  with a little bit of east in it (very rare), But  north and north-west still very good

Swell - Northwest. Needs a decent swell to break.

Tide.  2 hours on each side of the high tide. if you are brave and know where the rocks are it is good on lower tides. 

Garry William

Wind - Northeast winds

Swell-  Picks up most

What's it like?  Rare and Expensive, Very sharp rocks!

Hells gate

Winds  South west, West north ,west  and East winds

Swell. North to west

Tide. Most work. Small swells low is  best . Big swell low tide can be plain scary.  Dry on big spring tides

Whats it like. Home to red bull storm chase.Reef break, sail from Scraggane or the swim out from the small beach on the way to the harbor. Not sailed that much put works in lots of condition. Good  DTL in  a south west  wind when brandon bay out of control. Wave gets bigger the  closer you get to the Island . Can often  be a lot of fun in a west wind and North west giving a good mix of jumping and riding. 

Scraggane

Winds.  Everything works

Tides.  all work

Whats it like.  Good flat water option. Works  most of the time

Gives  super super fast speed strip in strong south  or SE winds. North west or  west give good free ride/style sailing when theres no swell around. Fun if the wind is off the scale and huge north swell which can give a shoulder high two turn wave

Sandy Bay.

Winds.  Best in North or south, 

Whats it like. Flat water fun sail here if to bumpy in onshore north winds at Scraggane

Tralee Bay

Winds. West  strong winds

Swell. North

Tide. One hour each side of high.

What's it like. Winter  beach can give great sailing when Brandon bay is massive.  

Inch

Too far for me being 12 miles from Brandon Bay! so not a place I know that well. Nice beach break that picks up south west  swells much better than Brandon bay. Well worth a trip if you find south east winds and no swell in Brandon you may find perfect DTL. in good waves. Also can get  very good  thermal winds . Look for light north wind days and lot of sun from 3pm onwards.  Image shows inch reef one of the longest rights in the world . Give me a call if it sailable !

Smerwick. 

Place to go if brandon super windy. always a not less here.  Need a big  North swell to work well.  works in west to south west winds.  Take a map  and find a place side shore on the day. Often a one hit close out,  but seek and you can find magic DTL watch out for coffin rock!!

Where to sail  a given wind direction.

North winds

Come through true to forecast.

1) Dumps, low tide or swell not the right size to make the reefs work.

2) Mossie (Needs a good swell from the north west or west).

North East Wind

Rare and mostly very cold. If you can cope with the temperature there is excellent sailing on offer. North Easterly's make the reef breaks cross off Starboard tack (1Hells gate (2 Garry William (3 Mossies

East winds.

Very Rare and not much swell.

 South East Winds

Good for speed sailing in Scraggane very very fast.  SE winds  most of the time come with SW or south swells which do not really get in to Brandon bay. Look at a map and you can find wave sailing with a 2 hour drive. If your very lucky and you get a west swell then Dumps can be epic cross off port- tack.

Scraggane “speed”

Dumps

South Winds

Get blocked by the mountains. You really need  25 knots plus on windguru for any chance of  good action. The wind tends to lift the further you get from the hills so the back beach is often better than dumps

Back Beach

Fermoyle. “Speed if no swell”

South West

Lots of options. wind is funned by the hills so 8 K forecast can give great sailing cross off down the line port tack.

Kilcummon, picks up wind first, swell a little smaller

Gowlane, Best option on a normal SW windy day

Stradbally. If very windy there will be less here and more side shore.

Hells gate.  Brandon bay out of control can give good reef sailing

Smerwick. Will be 4.2 weather when 3.0m needed in Brandon + a lot less swell

West winds

Light west winds are a bit rubbish ! more wind on the Magharees but on shore  at surf beaches. I go to Scraggane with luck you can sail cross on Hells gate which can give a good riding  and jumping  cross on

Scraggane “flat water”

Hells gate

Fermoyle

Tralee bay. (Huge north swell only)

North West

Only cross on sailing bit the wind comes through clean and strong so fun and reef sailing still good.

Mossies/ Shittys. (Waves wrap so still lots of fun)

Dumps. 

Fermoyle. (less wind !)