Nearby Burrow Beach (Sutton) 14 km · Dollymount Beach 17 km · Poolbeg 20 km · Sandymount Strand 21 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No daily onset. The wind is frontal rather than thermal, so it can arrive at any hour and hold through the night; what times the session is the tide and the forecast window, not a sea breeze.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: No daily onset. The wind is frontal rather than thermal, so it can arrive at any hour and hold through the night; what times the session is the tide and the forecast window, not a sea breeze.
Typical strength
A working day sits around 16-25 knots from the south or south-west, and the south-west comes through gusty. Nothing is measured at the beach; the nearest long-run figure is Dublin Airport's 11-knot south-westerly annual mean, which counts every hour of the year rather than the ones you would ride.
Also on record
Dublin Airport annual average wind is SW at 11 kts. That is the nearest public wind statistic found, not a beach-specific Rush average.
The quiver, in words
Indicative from the 16-25 knot working range rather than from a local log: a 75-85 kg rider is on 9 m for a typical day, 12 m at the 14-17 knot end, 7 m once it is over 25. Gusty south-west and cold water are both arguments for the smaller of two options.
Direction to shore
cross-on
Dominant direction
South to southwest is the confirmed direction at Rush South, usually south-southwest to southwest on the beach itself. That matches the guidance for Rush North and South together and Ireland's prevailing south-to-west pattern. A lone easterly and northeasterly claim is treated as an outlier.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan42
- Feb28
- Mar, riders' month40
- Apr, riders' month32
- May, riders' month8
- Jun13
- Jul27
- Aug19
- Sep, riders' month30
- Oct, riders' month26
- Nov22
- Dec48
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct.
- 42%Jan8°
- 28%Feb8°
- 40%Mar8°
- 32%Apr10°
- 8%May13°
- 13%Jun15°
- 27%Jul15°
- 19%Aug16°
- 30%Sep16°
- 26%Oct14°
- 22%Nov12°
- 48%Dec9°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42% | 58% | 52% | 13.2 kt | WSW | 09:00 | 6.1°C | 8°C | 62 |
| Feb | 28% | 63% | 47% | 12.2 kt | WSW | 13:00 | 7.9°C | 8.1°C | 57 |
| Mar | 40% | 76% | 66% | 13.4 kt | SSE | 13:00 | 7.8°C | 8.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 32% | 52% | 47% | 12 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 9.2°C | 10.1°C | 60 |
| May | 8% | 19% | 15% | 9.3 kt | SSE | 12:00 | 12.9°C | 13.2°C | 62 |
| Jun | 13% | 30% | 18% | 10.2 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 14.8°C | 15.4°C | 60 |
| Jul | 27% | 44% | 39% | 11.1 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 15.9°C | 15.3°C | 62 |
| Aug | 19% | 47% | 40% | 11.4 kt | W | 13:00 | 16.3°C | 16.2°C | 62 |
| Sep | 30% | 47% | 40% | 11.5 kt | S | 14:00 | 14.3°C | 15.9°C | 60 |
| Oct | 26% | 53% | 44% | 11.6 kt | SSE | 12:00 | 12.4°C | 14.1°C | 62 |
| Nov | 22% | 52% | 37% | 11.6 kt | W | 13:00 | 9°C | 12°C | 60 |
| Dec | 48% | 69% | 63% | 13.8 kt | WSW | 12:00 | 7.1°C | 9.3°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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. 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
mixed
Standing depth
Shallow access; the beach is gently sloping sand.
Tides
Tidal Irish Sea beach. Tide predictions come off the Dublin tide station, 21 km SSW of Rush North Beach, and the tide changes how much navigable water you have.
Temperature
Summer About 15-16 C in late summer: an August average of 16.2 C at Rush South Beach against roughly 13 C for the north Irish Sea as a whole.
Winter About 8-10 C in winter: February runs 8.6 C at Rush South Beach, while the north-east coast overall sits below 7 C in February.
Wetsuit
Cold-water spot. Expect a full wetsuit year-round; 4/3 or 5/3 in summer depending on wind chill, 5/4 or 5/3 with hood, boots and gloves in winter.
Currents
Reported as low, under a knot, over the sandy bottom of the main beach. The harbour and the rocky headland at the north end are a different matter and nobody has surveyed the flow there.
Your level
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: huge
Somewhere else
Burrow Beach (Sutton), 14 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Launch from the sand of South Beach, above all the south end, which is the popular kite corner, and only past the soft sand sign. The beach runs 2.4 km behind an established dune system, so the launch and landing area is large, and the riding zones marked on the spot are worth respecting.There is a public car park and public toilets at Convent Lane. Rush has dedicated launching areas for water activities, though a 2021 consultation submission argued that kitesurfers still needed allocated launch and landing points, water entry and exit points and safety signage.
Space
huge
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Rig at the south end and launch only past the soft sand sign.
- Read tide and direction together, because the usable launch and riding area moves with the water level.
- Ride weekdays or shoulder season; on summer weekends the beach belongs to bathers, and lifeguards work 11:00-19:00 at weekends in June and daily in July and August.
- Check the council bathing alerts or the beach noticeboard for a Do Not Swim notice before you rig.
- Bring a full suit even in August: 4/3 or 5/3 in summer, 5/4 or 5/3 with hood, boots and gloves in winter.
- Keep away from the harbour and the rocky headland at the north end unless you know the tide, the wind angle and your exits.
Getting there
Airport
Dublin Airport (DUB)
Route
By car via the M1 and M50 and then Convent Lane, with a public car park at the beach. The beach is a 10-minute walk from the bus stop and a 45-minute walk from Rush train station, and there is a bus connection from Dublin city centre.
Transfer
30 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Stay in Rush, Skerries, Malahide, Swords or Dublin city, depending on whether you want beach access or transport and nightlife. No kite-specific accommodation at the beach is confirmed.
No-wind days
Rush South Beach swimming or beach walk when open and lifeguarded · Rush harbour and headland walk · Skerries · Malahide · Dublin city · SUP or other watersports with Dublin providers
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Rush South Beach?
March-May and September-October, with a lighter, busier feel in summer.
Is Rush South Beach suitable for beginners?
It is listed for all levels, though tides, occasional waves and summer bather traffic call for instruction or local guidance.
What is the wind like at Rush South Beach?
South to southwest is the locally promoted direction for both Rush North and South.
Are there rules at Rush South Beach?
As of 2026, dedicated launch areas exist for water activities, and dogs are banned from the Blue Flag area from June 1 to September 15, 11:00-19:00.
What are the main hazards?
Small to medium waves and chop, seasonal Do Not Swim notices after wastewater overflow risk, and a rocky headland to the north.
Last updated: August 2026