Gaa, Ireland

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Strandhill, 25 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: NOC (NOC), 44 km.

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About Gaa

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces N (355°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (175°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). 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 16°C in August, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 1 good days in 7; in February, about 0. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Strandhill, 25 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: NOC (NOC), 44 km. Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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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 returnAd
Getting there. 3 h 50 from the airport to Gaa.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Strandhill, 25 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: NOC (NOC), 44 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Gaa · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Gaa · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Gaa on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Gaa, each day
Day	Score for intermediates	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	55, good	3 ft10 scrumbling	188kJ	wind from the south, 8 knots, offshore	12°C
Mon 19Oct	20, poor	5 ft11 scrumbling	539kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots, offshore	12°C
Tue 20Oct	65, good	4 ft10 scrumbling	338kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 15 knots, offshore	13°C
Wed 21Oct	0, too big	7 ft9 smushy	839kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 16 knots	11°C
Thu 22Oct	46, fair	6 ft9 ssoft	419kJ	wind from the south-west, 13 knots, offshore	10°C
Fri 23Oct	5, poor	4 ft10 smushy	312kJ	wind from the north-west, 17 knots	11°C
Sat 24Oct	0, too big	8 ft9 ssoft	949kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 22 knots	12°C
Sun 25Oct	18, poor	4 ft13 smushy	526kJ	wind from the west, 37 knots	11°C
Mon 26Oct	0, too big	9 ft9 ssoft	1,145kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 19 knots	11°C
Tue 27Oct	11, poor	6 ft7 smushy	241kJ	wind from the west, 18 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 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 3h 50 by road. About 15h 35 door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Surf Gaa
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Gaa
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 6 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 3h 50 by road. About 15h 35 door to door

Rough cost

About £855–£1,625 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
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
Food	7 days eating out	£245–£455
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£95–£155
Total		£855–£1,625

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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