Lackan Bay

Ballina · Ireland West · Ireland

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Lackan 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/lackan-bay.

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A small, north-facing bay on the north Mayo coast, west of Killala Bay, with a sandy strand at its head. Its peaks break left and right over sand with a few rocks, and the shape of the bay keeps it out of the worst of the westerly winds. It is a quiet place to learn or to hide when the open coast is blown out.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Quiet
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A longboard, funboard or foam board for the gentle peaks; a fish when it has some size.

When it works

✓ A north or north-north-west swell of about 1–2 m with a south or south-west wind.

When it doesn't

✕ Westerly swells mostly miss it, and a northerly wind blows straight in.

Watch out for

  • rocks

Best months

January, February, March, September, October, November, December

Local tips

Because the bay faces north, it is the spot to check on days with a strong westerly or south-westerly wind, which most of the coast cannot handle. The guides disagree on the best tide, so look at it at a few stages.

Getting there

On the north Mayo coast between Ballycastle and Killala. There is a free car park on the western side of the bay.

Travel notes

How often it works
Fairly consistent outside summer when a north swell is running. It is a good plan B in strong westerly winds.
Crowd and vibe
Usually empty, with a few surfers at weekends. Wannasurf describes the locals as friendly.
Facilities
Free car park only. Shops and pubs are in Killala and Ballycastle.
Water quality
Lackan Bay is not one of the EPA's monitored bathing waters, so there is no official rating.

Ideal conditions

Swell
NNW–NNE best, NW–NE works
Size
0.8–1.8 m offshore swell; starts at 0.5 m, holds to 2.4 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore SSE–SW; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
N (10°)

Live cam

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

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Ireland West · All spots

Sources