Burrow Beach (Sutton)
County Dublin · Sutton
also known as Sutton Burrow Beach, Burrow Beach, Hole in the Wall Beach
Riding essentials
Season
no season named
Months riders and schools name
How windy
10-25 kt
Character: mixed
Room to launch
large sandy beach at low tide; can be busier in the flat-water corridor when conditions are good
access rules on record, below
Water
flat and shallow at low tide; choppy with sandbar waves at high tide
14.6 °C in summerBurrow sits on the Sutton and Howth side of north Dublin, facing the open Dublin Bay and Baldoyle Bay approaches
Hazards
11
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to intermediate
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug
Schools
3
named at this spot
From the airport
14 min
Dublin Airport (DUB)
When it fills in
No daily cycle to wait for. The wind here is frontal and can blow at any hour, so the timing that matters is the tide: plan the session around low water, not around an afternoon build.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Dollymount Strandno page yet
- Portmarnockno page yet
- Rushno page yet
- Sandymountno page yet
- Skerriesno page yet
The spot
Conditions
Wind
Access
The wind
locals call it Dublin Bay frontal and local sea-breeze/thermal mix
Direction
Direction to shore
N, NW and NE are onshore, E is cross-shore, W and S are offshore. The spot is best when the wind sits somewhere between northeast and northwest, and low tide in a north to northeast wind is the classic combination.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
No local sizing is published. Indicative for 75-85 kg on the flat low-tide water: 12 m at 12-15 kt, 10 m through the high teens, 9 m at 20-23 kt, and 7 m by the time it is 25. Size down a little at high water, when the chop and the sandbar waves start eating the bottom end.
Character
Typical strength
10-25 kt is the usable band quoted for the beach, with the lower half of it what the schools want for the flat low-tide water. There is no long-run measurement for Burrow itself; the nearest coastal station that ever reported, at Howth, averaged 8 kt from the southwest over 2012-2017 across all hours, which is background rather than a session figure.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan65
- Feb61
- Mar73
- Apr53
- May31
- Jun32
- Jul35
- Aug44
- Sep48
- Oct48
- Nov53
- Dec71
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
- 65%Jan8°
- 61%Feb8°
- 73%Mar8°
- 53%Apr10°
- 31%May14°
- 32%Jun16°
- 35%Jul16°
- 44%Aug17°
- 48%Sep16°
- 48%Oct14°
- 53%Nov12°
- 71%Dec9°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 85% | 76% | 17.1 kt | WSW | 09:00 | 6.3 °C | 7.7 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 61% | 88% | 79% | 15.8 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 8 °C | 8 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 73% | 90% | 87% | 17.9 kt | SSE | 13:00 | 7.9 °C | 8.1 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 53% | 82% | 75% | 15.8 kt | SSE | 15:00 | 9.3 °C | 10.3 °C | 60 |
| May | 31% | 58% | 40% | 12.4 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 12.9 °C | 13.9 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 32% | 75% | 52% | 13.2 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 14.8 °C | 16.2 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 35% | 79% | 60% | 14 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 16 °C | 16 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 44% | 79% | 68% | 14.4 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 16.4 °C | 16.7 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 48% | 75% | 63% | 15.2 kt | ESE | 15:00 | 14.4 °C | 16.3 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 48% | 74% | 68% | 14.7 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 12.6 °C | 14.1 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 53% | 77% | 67% | 15.2 kt | W | 12:00 | 9.2 °C | 11.8 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 71% | 82% | 77% | 17.9 kt | W | 13:00 | 7.4 °C | 8.8 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
flat and shallow at low tide; choppy with sandbar waves at high tide
Standing depth
Shallow at low tide; the exact depth range is unconfirmed.
Tides
Low tide exposes a sandbank that flattens the bay and creates flat, shallow water. High tide is significantly choppier but still rideable, and the offshore sandbar can produce waves.
Temperature
14.6 °C summer · 8.6 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 8–17 °C
Wetsuit
A full wetsuit is the practical default in Dublin Bay; sea temperature averages around 14.6 °C in August and 8.6 °C in February. Booties are advised because shells can hurt feet.
Currents
Current is a real issue. Watch it on the ebb above all, and in certain W wind and rising-tide configurations the streams take boards away fast.
Conditions
Your level
not for advanceds here
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large sandy beach at low tide; can be busier in the flat-water corridor when conditions are good
Somewhere else
4 spots nearby
Rescue
Launch
Access from Burrow Road with pedestrian paths to the beach. Parking is on Burrow Road close to the walking path; DART, bus and pedestrian access to the beach are confirmed.
Rules & access
1 min read
- 2026: no kite permit, licence or kite-specific zoning for Burrow. Lifeguards work 11:00-19:00 at weekends through June and daily in July and August, and the flagged bathing area is theirs, so keep clear of it and of swimmers while they are on.The bathing season runs 1 June to mid-September with water sampled throughout; Do Not Swim notices last five days and Prior Warning notices go up ahead of forecast rain, both posted on the beach noticeboard.
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Schools that ride here
Rider tips
- Ride the bottom of the tide: that is when the sandbank flattens the bay and the water is shallow enough to learn in.
- Park on Burrow Road by the pedestrian path and walk down.
- Wear booties, because shells cover much of the standing area.
- Take extra care on the ebb, and in W wind on a rising tide, when the board-loss streams are worst.
- Take the DART toward Howth and get off at Sutton, not the Malahide branch.
- Check the Fingal bathing-water notices before you go in; Burrow Beach has had temporary Do Not Swim notices.
- Locals call it the board graveyard. Ride a board leash-free but stay upwind of your kit, and do not let a downwinder start by accident.
- In June, July and August the lifeguards flag a bathing area between 11:00 and 19:00; launch and ride clear of it.
- Rig for 10-25 kt: 12 m at the bottom, 9 m in the low twenties, and a size smaller once the tide comes in and the chop builds.
Getting there
Airport
Dublin Airport (DUB)
Route
Easy by car or public transport. Dublin Bus 31 and 31B run to Sutton and the DART stops at Sutton Station, about a 15-minute flat walk from the sand. From Dublin Airport it is about 13 km and about 14 minutes by car, or around 1 hour by bus and train.
Transfer
14 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Use Sutton, Howth or Dublin city accommodation; no kite-specific lodging at the launch.
No-wind days
Howth walks and harbour, Burrow/Sutton beach walks, Dublin city sightseeing, Pure Magic SUP/wing options when suitable, DART trips along Dublin Bay.
Photos
FAQ
Is Burrow Beach suitable for beginners?
Yes, the low-tide sandbank creates flat, shallow water used for lessons and freeride, though current and shells call for supervision.
What is the wind like at Burrow Beach?
North, northwest and northeast winds are onshore and steadiest; west and south winds are offshore and gustier.
Is the tide important at Burrow Beach?
Yes, low tide exposes the sandbank for flat, shallow water, while high tide is choppier with small sandbar waves.
What are the main hazards?
A strong current on the ebb tide, board-loss streams in west wind with a rising tide, and shells underfoot.
How do you get to Burrow Beach?
By DART or bus to Sutton, with parking on Burrow Road close to the beach path.
The bigger pictureEverything about Dublin
Last updated: August 2026