When the Bar mouth is working its f**cking class! Its hard to tell when it is working cause its so far away, so take a pair of binoculars or somethin'. But if u do take the risk of walking up the beach, and its on, your in for a treat. Some of the wave when its comin in bounces of the rocks and forms a wedge that makes the wave hollow and bowl shaped.
Love P'stewart but yes i agree with Al C. - seemed better 10yrs ago. Just watch out for a large rock known as the mushroom if surfing bailes (anyone know why it is called bailes?). Surfing over the mushroom or even into it isn't the problem, its getting sucked in below the mushroom as was the experience of a Mr Cullen. He was stuck in there for days......... a terrible experience!
This beach is good at times, I have lived and surfed here all my life I have also surfed in Cornwall, France, and Australia. Be aware of fools who think a ft is 4 inches, Portstewart has never, and i mean never had 10-14ft swells as someone else at the top of this said, even if it did it would stop working at about 6-7ft, I have never been out in anything on this beach above 4ft. Castlerock on the otherside of the river bann is better suited to local conditions.
Portstewart is where I have lived for my whole life of twenty years. I have seen this beach like a pond and I have seen it get real angry. Bailies at the east end of the beach is a real nice right hander and can get somewhat hollow in the big autumn swells. Easy access to Bailies via the rocks. At the west end of the Portstewart Strand is the Barmouth where a bar of rocks escorts the River Bann into the Atlantic. This place can go off!! I have seen huge, gulping waves here and I would not recommend it for beginners on a big day. It must be a northerly swell for this place to work well. Because of the distance which the Barmouth is from the start of the beach at the east end, you hardly ever get anyone out there. Sweet! Easy access from the rocks off of the Barmouth. I have been there with porpoises in the water. Some of the best sessions I have ever had in Ireland have been here. 9 - 10ft max. Be kind to Causeway Coast locals!!
Portstewart during the summer isn't very good. Once September hits it is one of the best beaches in the north. You can usually expect at least 3 - 4 ft waves daily until the winter when it gets very rough. On good days the waves can peak at about 10 - 12 ft when you are scared just looking at them. It is a good beach for tourists as the waves are small in the summer and there are few hazards.
I've surfed this place a lot. I find it hard to believe that the other reviewers didn't even pick up on the fact Portstewart works on a south or south-easterly wind. What has happened to all the sand bars? I'm sure it was better 10 years ago.
There are numerous peaks mid way up the beach. Terrible rips near the rocks, so go up the beach about a mile for perfect waves when breaking. Long time no see Al C. Must be 10 years!
I surf here a lot and the waves vary a lot. Just the other day they were clean head height and today they are useless. There is often a rip along the beach of changing strength and direction but it's usually not too bad.
It's not even a very nice place, so in order to avoid a few disappointing waves I wouldn't bother. Try West Donegal instead if you are going to go that far North, much nicer and more to do in the evenings as well as excellent waves.
Portstewart Strand... Ummm... Good for beginners, excellent if you like close-outs. I have seen it good but its rather illusive. You'll have a 'oh it looks good down there' session all the way down the beach. Either end of the beach holds some promise, perhaps even a little suprise. If you're surfing Bailies park in the Edgewater hotel carpark... they don't mind.
Not a bad beach break, it can get big during the winter. Beware the hardcore locals have been known to get angry at times. If the locals don't get you the rips will. Not worth the hassle.
This place is crazy, I surfed it this winter plenty of times and boy was it hollow. Portstewart or pipe as the locals regularly call it can hold up to 20ft death kegs and give you a beating worse than big J McG or Racheal. Hit it at low for fast fast fast hollow hollow hollow waves. When surfin Portstewart remember this....PULL IN!!!!!
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