Riding essentials
Season
Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Months riders and schools name
How windy
16-24 kn
Character: synoptic
Room to launch
ok
access rules on record, below
Water
mixed
15.3 °C in summerElly has two characters
Hazards
8
Reported by riders
Level
Intermediate to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
low crowds · busy June July August September
Schools
3
named at this spot
From the airport
91 min
Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC)
When it fills in
Atlantic frontal wind with no daily cycle. It blows while the system is crossing, at any hour, and it dies with the system rather than at a time of day. There is no dependable thermal here and no measured onset hour, so the session is set by the forecast and the tide.
Nearbystraight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Drum Beachno page yet
- Cross Beachno page yet
- Falmoreno page yet
- Blacksodno page yet
- Belmulletalso a name for this spot
- Keel Beach, Achillno page yet
The spot
Two spots in one
Wind, season and rules
The wind
Direction
Direction to shore
Elly Bay's sheltered beach sits on the east side of the Mullet Peninsula and faces east into Blacksod Bay. That means the west and north-west that lay the water flat there are offshore, crossing about 3 km of low peninsula before they reach you, and what is downwind is Blacksod Bay rather than the open Atlantic: still some 7 km of cold water to the far shore.West sideEast, south-east and south blow onshore into that beach. Elly Beach on the western side is the mirror image, with west and north-west onshore into Atlantic swell and south to south-east side-offshore. Read off the coastline; no rider has confirmed it.
Dominant direction
West to northwest is the direction to want at Elly Bay, which is rated intermediate. Southwest is the long-term average at the wider Belmullet station, but that reading is not spot-specific.The exposed west-facing side of the beach is a different case: south to southeast is the wave-sailing wind there, consistent with the bay and the beach being different sub-locations in the same system.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
The quiver, in words
Sizing for EllyNobody publishes sizes for Elly. The Belmullet station averages 13 knots from the south-west with gusts to 39, and the west-facing side is reckoned to start working near 12 knots and to be best at 16-24.Recommended gearA 75-85 kg rider covers that with 12 m and 9 m, and a 7 m for the days a front pushes past 30. Winter neoprene adds a couple of kilos, so size up rather than down in the cold months. Indicative, derived from the station figures and the reported working range, not from measured local sessions.
Character
synoptic
Average strength
Nearby Belmullet station average: SW, 13 kts, gusts 39 kts, observations 2002-06-01 to 2026-06-30; no statistical data is available for Elly Bay itself.
Typical strength
Elly Bay West reportedly starts working around 12 kn and is best around 16-24 kn, though that assessment comes from coastline orientation rather than local verification.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan87
- Feb99
- Mar, riders' month77
- Apr, riders' month77
- May, riders' month72
- Jun73
- Jul68
- Aug84
- Sep, riders' month72
- Oct, riders' month91
- Nov89
- Dec85
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct.
- 20 ktJan9°
- 21 ktFeb9°
- 17 ktMar9°
- 16 ktApr10°
- 14 ktMay12°
- 15 ktJun15°
- 14 ktJul16°
- 16 ktAug16°
- 15 ktSep15°
- 18 ktOct13°
- 19 ktNov12°
- 20 ktDec10°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.
Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | Wind from | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87% | 19.8 kt | SW | 7.8 °C | 8.5 °C |
| Feb | 99% | 21.3 kt | SW | 8.3 °C | 8.7 °C |
| Mar | 77% | 16.8 kt | SE | 7.9 °C | 8.6 °C |
| Apr | 77% | 15.7 kt | S | 9.6 °C | 9.9 °C |
| May | 72% | 14 kt | SW | 12.1 °C | 12.3 °C |
| Jun | 73% | 14.6 kt | SSW | 14 °C | 15 °C |
| Jul | 68% | 13.9 kt | W | 14.4 °C | 15.5 °C |
| Aug | 84% | 16.4 kt | WSW | 15.2 °C | 16 °C |
| Sep | 72% | 15.2 kt | SSW | 14.3 °C | 15.4 °C |
| Oct | 91% | 18.1 kt | SSW | 12.4 °C | 13.4 °C |
| Nov | 89% | 18.9 kt | SW | 10.1 °C | 11.8 °C |
| Dec | 85% | 20.4 kt | WSW | 8.2 °C | 10 °C |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2022-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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.
ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024
The water
Type
mixed
Standing depth
A big shallow area is described; the official bathing-water profile gives medium and maximum designated bathing-water depths of 0.5 m and 5.0 m depending on tides.
Tides
Tides modify the rideable area; bathing-water depth is noted to vary with tides.
Temperature
15.3 °C summer · 9.4 °C winter
Modelled monthly average: 9–16 °C
Wetsuit
A long wetsuit is normal year round, thick neoprene in winter, and a shorty is possible in summer.Nearby Belmullet water temperature is around 15.3 °C in August and 9.4 °C in February, so plan on at least a full suit, and winter rubber in the cold months.
Conditions
Your level
not for beginners 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: ok
Somewhere else
1 spot nearby
Rescue
Launch
Sandy bay/beach launch, with a medium-size launching/landing area, sandy bay and lots of space. The exposed Elly Beach competition setup has very limited parking on the beach, with competitors parking along the dirt road.
Rules & access
1 min read
Dogs and camping
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
- Work out with locals whether the forecast being discussed is sheltered Elly Bay or exposed Elly Beach West; the two ride nothing alike.
- Do not launch through the Blue Flag bathing area while swimmers are in; the Mayo by-law prohibits kitesurfing close to them.
- Pack cold-water neoprene even in August, when the sea off Belmullet averages only about 15 C.
- Treat high tide and big swell on the exposed side as advanced conditions: reefs, almost no parking, and open Atlantic behind you.
- Keep off the dunes and machair and give the birds room; this is designated SAC/pNHA and SPA habitat.
- On the bay side, the wind that makes it flat is the wind blowing you away from the beach. Ride it with someone on the sand, or take the west side instead.
- There is no lifeguard here in any month. Put 112 in your phone and know the inshore lifeboat comes from Belmullet, not from the beach.
Getting there
Airport
Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) is the practical regional airport; Dublin (DUB) is much farther but listed as 345 km from the spot.
Route
Drive west via Ballina/Bangor and the R313 to Belmullet, then south toward Drumreagh/Aghleam; the bay appears on the left after about 4 km from Belmullet. Public transport is possible but slower, with Bus Eireann links via Ballina/Castlebar rather than a simple direct airport transfer.
Transfer
91 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Belmullet has hotels, B and Bs and holiday rentals, including the Talbot Hotel and the Broadhaven Bay Hotel out toward Carne Golf Links. The nearest dedicated kite lodge is Pure Magic on Achill, not at Elly.
No-wind days
Carne Golf Links, Erris Head/Benwee Head coastal walks, Blacksod Lighthouse/SOLAS Visitor Centre, Belmullet Tidal Pool, boat trips from Blacksod, angling, cycling around Erris, Ceide Fields and Ballycroy/Wild Nephin National Park.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Elly Bay?
March-May and September-October, though riding is possible year-round with cold-water gear.
Is Elly Bay suitable for beginners?
The sheltered bay side is flat and shallow in westerly wind, but the exposed Elly Beach side has reef breaks and mast-high swell better suited to intermediate and advanced riders.
What is the wind like at Elly Bay?
Southwest is the dominant direction; the nearby Belmullet station averages around 13 knots.
Are there rules at Elly Bay?
The 2022 Mayo beach by-laws prohibit kitesurfing close to swimmers, let the council designate restricted water-sports zones, and ban dogs from the Blue Flag area 12:00-18:30 in bathing season.
What are the main hazards?
Reef breaks and mast-high waves on the exposed side, plus internationally protected bird habitat around the dunes.
Last updated: August 2026