Beach
both
Level 6/10

Machrihanish

Kintyre, UK
🌀Strong rips🚶Difficult access

Machrihanish's Westport sandbar sits at the north end of one of Scotland's most beautiful beaches.

Machrihanish surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today23
53
Fair
2.0m@13s
21km/h
Thu24
40
Poor
1.1m@11s
25km/h
Fri25
36
Poor
3.4m@16s
19km/h
Sat26
45
Fair
2.2m@12s
26km/h
Sun27
31
Poor
1.6m@9s
19km/h
Mon28
31
Poor
1.5m@8s
17km/h
Tue29
47
Fair
1.1m@9s
34km/h
Wed30
4
Poor
0.4m@9s
41km/h
Thu1
37
Poor
1.6m@11s
33km/h
Fri2
0
Poor
0.0m@11s
16km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: AfternoonAM 19 km/h · PM 18 km/h · Tide at 1pm (0.4m)
Swell
2.0m
WNW(284°)
Score: 25/25
Period
13s
Medium period swell
Score: 24/25
Wind
21km/h
NW(307°)
Score: 0/25
Weather
13°C
0.0mm45%
First light 6:40amSunrise 7:10amSunset 7:19pmLast light 7:49pm
Windswell0.6m@3sSecondary0.3mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 7:57–10:40am · risingStrike window: 5:58–7:49pm · risingIdeal tide: mid
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
11°
13°
14°
15°
14°
12°
14°
15°
17°
17°
12°
13°
14°
15°
14°
11°
13°
14°
16°
16°
13°
12°
13°
14°
11°
9°
11°
13°
13°
12°
13°
13°
14°
15°
15°
14°
15°
15°
15°
15°
15°
15°
15°
16°
15°
12°
12°
13°
14°
14°
4m2.0
sec
14s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
11s
14s
16s
16s
15s
15s
15s
12s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
8s
8s
7s
7s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
11s
12s
12s
11s
10s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
swell
windkm/h
17g27
21g34
24g40
22g36
15g25
13g23
19g32
27g45
31g50
30g50
20g31
19g31
20g35
17g29
20g32
22g35
27g45
26g45
27g46
27g47
22g36
18g30
20g34
20g35
13g19
13g18
16g25
19g34
18g31
15g23
24g34
31g41
39g50
39g56
35g58
30g42
37g47
45g64
46g69
42g66
36g50
35g50
33g52
31g51
28g48
15g36
14g32
16g25
18g24
19g26
tidem
4:15am0.1m
9:50am0.4m
1:30pm0.4m
8:20pm0.6m
5:02am0.0m
8:30pm1.0m
6:08am0.2m
1:20pm0.6m
6:10pm0.6m
12:43am0.7m
6:37am0.2m
2:07pm0.8m
6:50pm0.7m
1:40am1.0m
8:06am0.4m
2:20pm0.9m
8:00pm0.7m
2:16am0.9m
9:00am0.3m
3:00pm0.9m
6:22pm0.6m
3:07am1.0m
6:45am0.7m
3:26pm1.3m
8:30pm0.8m
3:30am1.0m
8:30am0.3m
4:10pm0.8m
7:45pm0.4m
4:21am1.1m
8:30am0.5m
4:45pm1.1m
9:21pm0.4m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

4:15 am
Low tide - 0.06m
9:50 am
High tide - 0.44m
1:30 pm
Low tide - 0.38m
4:21 pm
Low tide - 0.29m
Times shown in spot-local time.+1 more tide events

Strike Score Breakdown

53
Fair
Components
Swell Direction20/25
Swell Size25/25
Swell Period24/25
Wind0/25
Raw Score69/100
Adjustments
Wind History-3
💨 Gusty Wind-3
⚠️ Weak Component-10
Adjusted Score53/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score53

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to CAL, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WNW (290°)
Direction range
260° - 320°
Size range
1m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.7m - 2.1m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
13s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
60° - 130°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid

Water temp

10°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

2/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Machrihanish?

The Machrihanish profile favors mid tide. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Machrihanish?

The Machrihanish profile uses wind from E (90°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 60° to 130°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Machrihanish?

The Machrihanish scoring profile favors swell from WNW (260° to 320°), a swell-height range of 1m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 13s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Machrihanish?

The main season at Machrihanish is Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. A secondary window runs Mar-May.

How do I get to Machrihanish?

The spot profile lists CAL as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 10 minutes.

What kind of wave is Machrihanish?

Machrihanish is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 6/10.

Best Season

Peak: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb

Secondary: Mar-May

Getting There

Airport
CAL
Drive time
10 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion