Surf: Even more sheltered is Mullaghmore Strand, the place to go on stormy big W swells for variable size and quality beachbreaks. Perfect for longboarders and beginners in the lee of the headland and more push at the E end. Environment: Follow the signs for the beach carpark. Great water quality. Gets a crowd of all abilities when everywhere else is blown out. Surf: General: Mullaghmore Strand stretches north from the postcard perfect harbour village. Amazing beach for the whole family but rarely gets waves in the summer. It takes a large swell to wrap around the head to create waves big enough to surf on the beach. Usually that happens in winter months. But a great learning wave when it happens. Also a good spot to seek shelter from huge swells with west gales as the southern end of the strand faces nearly due east. Higher tides make for several peaks. Sometimes the river on the north end makes a decent sand bar. Tides: High tides allow more swell in to the sand. Low tends to close out the whole beach. Size: Knee to chest high. Wind: W-SW Swell: SW-NW Bottom: Sand. Paddling: You will hardly have to paddle. Spot Rating: Very inconsistent. Shelter spot. Novelty. Access: Free public parking in grass lot. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Not too many surf here. Sometimes a surf school looking for a small enough wave. Local Vibe: Very relaxed. Environment: Very clean but cows are kept in the fields by the beach. Small Agricultural runoff. Hazards: Safe. Not too much water moving. Sometimes a shallow shorebreak type wave at high tide. No Lifeguards. Season: Winter usually provides swells big enough.