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Tramore

County Waterford · Tramore Bay

also known as Tramore Strand, Tra Mhor, Tra Mhor/Tramore

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

wavesbeginner-friendlyhigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

11–15 kt

Modelled monthly average; no knot figure publishedCharacter: synoptic

See Month by month

Room to launch

big

access rules on record, below

Water

small to medium wave ocean beach

16 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jul Aug

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

180 min

Cork Airport (ORK)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Duncannon14 km

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Dunmore Eastno page yet
Annestownno page yet
Bunmahonno page yet
Dungarvanno page yet

The spot

Tramore is a 5 km Atlantic strand under a seaside town on the County Waterford coast: small to medium waves, clean water, and enough beach that launching is never the problem. The wind set runs ESE through WSW, with SE and SW the two to look for and SW the everyday direction. Ride toward the sandy end.

The promenade end has stones, concrete and bystanders, and in July and August the water in front of it is reserved for swimmers and surfers. Lifeguards work weekends in June and daily in July and August, and currents are reported, so a first-timer here wants a lesson rather than a rental.

Season and protected areas

March, April, May, September and October are the months the frontal wind actually delivers, inside a season quoted as 11 months. The Backstrand lagoon and the dunes behind the spit sit inside SAC 000671, which covers habitat only, with no mention of watersports, so treat that lagoon as somewhere to stay out of and keep the ocean strand as the kite spot.

Sea temperature peaks at 14-19 C around mid-August and bottoms out at 8-10 C around late February, which is 3 mm in summer against 5 mm with gloves and booties from December to March.

The wind

locals call it Atlantic frontal wind

Direction

Direction to shore

ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW and WSW all work, with SE and SW the best. The bay is open to southerly and southeasterly wind.

Dominant direction

Character

synoptic

Strength

No knot figure is published for this spot.

Modelled monthly average: 11–15 kt — see Month by month

Frontal wind. SW is the usual main direction, while SE and SW are the two called best for kiting.

March, April, May, September and October are the best months, inside an 11-month season. May through October is the broader warm-season window, but the shoulder-season frontal months are the ones that work.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan57
Feb81
Mar, riders' month74
Apr, riders' month63
May, riders' month42
Jun46
Jul56
Aug58
Sep, riders' month56
Oct, riders' month77
Nov66
Dec71

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct.

14 ktJan9°
15 ktFeb9°
15 ktMar9°
13 ktApr10°
11 ktMay13°
12 ktJun15°
12 ktJul14°
13 ktAug14°
12 ktSep16°
15 ktOct14°
15 ktNov13°
15 ktDec11°

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	57%	13.6 kt	WSW	6.5 °C	9.3 °C
Feb	81%	14.6 kt	SW	8.4 °C	9.1 °C
Mar	74%	14.9 kt	SW	8 °C	9 °C
Apr	63%	12.8 kt	SSW	9.4 °C	10.2 °C
May	42%	10.9 kt	WSW	12.7 °C	13 °C
Jun	46%	11.5 kt	SW	14.7 °C	14.8 °C
Jul	56%	11.8 kt	SW	15.7 °C	14.2 °C
Aug	58%	12.9 kt	SW	16.2 °C	14.2 °C
Sep	56%	12.4 kt	NNW	14.6 °C	15.9 °C
Oct	77%	14.5 kt	SW	12.7 °C	13.9 °C
Nov	66%	15 kt	SW	9.7 °C	12.6 °C
Dec	71%	15.3 kt	SW	7.7 °C	10.8 °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

small to medium wave ocean beach

Tides

No kite-specific best tide is confirmed. Mid to high is listed as ideal for surfing, and significant tides move the navigable area.

Temperature

16 °C summer · 9 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 9–16 °C

Wetsuit

3 mm in summer and 5 mm with gloves and booties from December to March.Peak sea temperature is 14–19 °C around mid-August and the minimum is 8–10 °C around late February, so figure 4/3 or 3/2 plus boots at the peak and 5/4 or 6/5/4 with hood, gloves and booties near the minimum.

Currents

Currents are reported.

Conditions

A clean small-to-medium wave beach: 5 km of sand and dunes facing the Atlantic, used for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Listed for beginner, intermediate and expert riders. Waves, currents, stones and concrete near the promenade, and the summer crowds, mean a beginner should book lessons or wait for a soft day.

The scene

What riders come here for

wave ridingfreeridestormy shoulder-season sessions

Who it suitslessons

An established seaside resort and local watersports beach, with summer bathers, surfers, promenade traffic and a kite school on site.

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

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: big

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

1 spot nearby

Duncannon14 km

The one spot within 40 km is under Nearby

Rescue

Lifeguard cover at Tramore, generally weekends in June and daily in July and August, with the local signs setting the exact hours.

Launch

The main strand below the town, 5 km long behind high dunes. The promenade end is stony and concrete-edged, so walk toward the sandier part.

Hazards riders report 8 reported

Crowds and zones

Bystanders and beach users, especially in July and August
Reserved swimmer/surfer zones in front of the promenade in July and August

Bottom

Stones, especially near the promenade

Waves and currents

Currents

Protected areas and rules

The Backstrand tidal lagoon and the dunes beside it are a designated Special Area of Conservation, so check access rules before launching or crossing the dunes.
Adjacent Tramore Dunes and Backstrand SAC protected habitat

Other

Concrete and promenade-side hard hazards
Cold winter water

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: the Adopted Beach Bye-Laws 2021 apply to the county beaches, and the local signage is what to read on the day.

Riding zones are reported at Tramore, and the beach in front of the promenade is reserved for surfers and swimmers in July and August.

The kitesurfing happens on the open Atlantic-facing strand; SAC 000671 over Tramore Dunes and Backstrand covers habitat protection only, with no mention of watersports or kitesurfing, so treat the Backstrand lagoon as protected habitat to keep out of rather than a riding area.

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

Rig and launch toward the sandy end, away from the promenade stones and concrete.
Read the beach signs for the July and August swimmer and surfer zone in front of the promenade before you set up.
Stay out of the Backstrand lagoon and off the dunes; that is protected habitat, not a flat-water option.
Book a lesson for your first sessions here, because waves and currents are both reported hazards and lifeguard cover is weekends in June and daily in July and August.
Pack 5 mm with gloves and booties from December to March; 3 mm covers the summer.

Getting there

Airport

Waterford Regional Airport is 10 minutes from Tramore where a service is running; Cork Airport (ORK) is the closest by distance, and Dublin Airport (DUB) is the practical one for public transport connections.

Route

Waterford Regional Airport is 10 minutes from Tramore, with typical airport journeys of 3 hours from Dublin, 2.5 hours from Cork and 3 hours from Shannon. On public transport, come in through Dublin Airport and take the hourly J.J. Kavanagh bus to Waterford Bus Station, then on to Tramore.

Transfer

180 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Tramore is a full seaside town with beachfront and town accommodation, with amenities around the bay.

No-wind days

Surfing, the Tramore promenade and beach, the Waterford Greenway, Dunmore East, Annestown and Bunmahon beaches, Tramore Racecourse and Waterford city.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite Tramore?

March, April, May, September and October are the best months within an 11-month season.

Is Tramore suitable for beginners?

It is listed for beginner through advanced riders, though waves, currents and stone or concrete hazards near the promenade favor instruction for beginners.

What is the wind like at Tramore?

SE and SW are called the best directions, within a wider ESE-through-WSW usable range.

Are there rules at Tramore?

As of 2026, the beach in front of the promenade is reserved for surfers and swimmers in July and August, and the adjacent Backstrand and dunes are a protected SAC.

What are the main hazards?

Stones and concrete near the promenade, currents, and crowding with bathers and surfers in peak summer.

Last updated: August 2026