Fennels Bay

Myrtleville · Ireland South · Ireland

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Fennels Bay (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/fennels-bay.

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A rocky left-hand reef in a small bay at Myrtleville, near the mouth of Cork Harbour. On its day the wave is short and hollow and breaks suddenly over boulders, some of which stick out of the water. The bay is tucked inside the harbour mouth, so it needs a solid swell and works far less often than the open beaches.

Level
Advanced
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter
Boards
A shortboard.

When it works

✓ A solid south to south-west swell with a west to north-west wind, from low to mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Small swells don't reach it, and south or east winds blow straight in.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef

Best months

November, December, January, February

Local tips

For experienced surfers only: boulders stick up across the reef, and getting in and out over the rocks is tricky. Watch a few sets before you paddle out.

Getting there

The bay is below the road between Myrtleville and Church Bay. Park with care on the road above it and climb down the path to the rocks.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fickle. Surfnerd calls it a rare spot that needs a bigger swell, while surf-forecast lists it as fairly consistent in winter, with January the best month. Summer is mostly flat.
Crowd and vibe
Few surfers, even when it works, because it breaks so rarely.
Facilities
No facilities at the bay itself.
Water quality
Not one of the EPA's monitored bathing waters, so there is no official rating.

Ideal conditions

Swell
S–SW best, SE–SW works
Size
1.4–2.4 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 3 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore W–NNW; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
low, mid best, avoid high, on the rising tide
Faces
SE (145°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Ireland South · All spots

Sources