East Strand, UK
Also within 20 km of Portrush
- West Strand Surf spot · 0.4 km from Portrush
- Portrush Surf spot · 1 km from Portrush
- White Rocks Surf spot · 1.4 km from Portrush
- Portstewart Surf spot · 6.1 km from Portrush
- Castlerock Surf spot · 9.5 km from Portrush
Watch this spot We email you when East Strand is worth the trip.
About East Strand
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces N (353°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (173°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 44). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 8°C in March, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 14°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Portrush, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 15 h 35 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. 3 h 45 from the airport to East Strand.
Accommodation.
Stay in PortrushAd
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 Portrush (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Portrush 3 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 87 places to stay · where East Strand stays
Places to stay in Portrush · Booking.com AdPortstewart 11 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 36 places to stay
Places to stay in Portstewart · Booking.com AdCastlerock 19 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 12 places to stay
Places to stay in Castlerock · Booking.com AdBallycastle 42 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 28 places to stay
Places to stay in Ballycastle · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Portrush · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Portrush · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury 
Where it is
East Strand on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 32, too small | 3 ft8 smushy | 92kJ | offshorewind from the south, 5 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 49, good | 4 ft11 scrumbling | 384kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 2 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 64, good | 5 ft11 scrumbling | 420kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 11 knots, offshore | 13°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft10 smushy | 708kJ | wind from the north-west, 21 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 56, good | 5 ft9 ssoft | 289kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 11°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 13, poor | 4 ft9 smushy | 287kJ | wind from the north-west, 28 knots | 10°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft9 ssoft | 766kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 9 knots | 9°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 19, poor | 5 ft13 scrumbling | 643kJ | wind from the west, 26 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 0, too big | 10 ft10 ssoft | 1,627kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 17 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 24, poor | 5 ft8 smushy | 238kJ | wind from the south-west, 17 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 intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 3h 45 by road. About 15h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf East Strand
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 17 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf East Strand
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Portrush
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 4 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 3h 45 by road. About 15h 35 door to door
The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Portrush each day: East Strand, Portrush, West Strand, White Rocks.
Rough cost
About £1,100–£2,045 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 | £105–£175 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £250–£420 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £240–£445 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£170 |
| Total | £1,100–£2,045 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Portrush
- Domino's PizzaPizza · in the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Sep 2025
- 1 at Causeway StreetBar and grill · 0.1 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Sep 2025
- Smash N BirdBurger · 0.1 km from the centre
- UrbanEuropean · 0.1 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Mar 2025
- Wing HongChinese · 0.1 km from the centreFood hygiene 3 of 5, Aug 2025
- Apache Pizza PortrushPizza · 0.2 km from the centreFood hygiene 5 of 5, Apr 2024
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits
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.