Culdaff, Ireland
Watch this spot We email you when Culdaff is worth the trip.
About Culdaff
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NE (41°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (221°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 43). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 9°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Culdaff, 2.6 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 16 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dublin Airport (DUB), direct. About 26 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → DUB · Skyscanner from about £370 returnAdGetting there. 4 h 15 from the airport to Culdaff, 274 km.
Accommodation.
Stay in CuldaffAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Culdaff (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
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Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Culdaff · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Culdaff · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Culdaff on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Culdaff does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 11, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 71kJ | offshorewind from the south, 8 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 23, too small | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 486kJ | wind from the south-east, 9 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 18, too small | 4 ft11 scrumbling | 296kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 10 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 23, too small | 6 ft9 ssoft | 464kJ | wind from the west, 13 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 25, too small | 4 ft9 ssoft | 231kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 11 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 4, too small | 3 ft9 smushy | 176kJ | wind from the north-west, 14 knots | 10°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 22, too small | 5 ft9 ssoft | 326kJ | offshorewind from the south, 16 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 17, too small | 5 ft13 scrumbling | 658kJ | offshorewind from the west, 29 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 63, good | 9 ft9 ssoft | 1,200kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 16 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 13, poor | 6 ft7 smushy | 357kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 21 knots | 10°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 4h 15 by road. About 16h 05 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 26 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 5 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 4h 15 by road. About 16h 05 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,115–£2,055 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to DUB, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | £370–£770 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £110–£180 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £260–£430 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £245–£455 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £95–£155 |
| Total | £1,115–£2,055 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.