Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for a proper paddle. We've got a lot of onshore junk and blown-out conditions on the cards for the main stretch.

We're starting off this Monday the 31st with a weak, short-period swell, maybe 5ft, but it’s coming in with a Westerly wind and rain. It’s messy, it’s lumpy, and honestly, not worth getting wet for. The wave energy is weak, and the water is 62°F, which is about two degrees warmer than usual for this time of year – a touch of tropical juice in the air, but it doesn’t help the surf. That poor form just carries on through Tuesday and Wednesday. The swell stays small and the wind keeps swinging around, cross-shore and cross-on, keeping everything chopped up.

Thursday stays marginal, but Friday the 4th is where it gets properly serious. A big Westerly groundswell hits, pushing 12ft with a 13-second period. The energy reading is huge – strong to very strong. But the wind is screaming from the WSW at 28 mph, making it an absolute washing machine. The break is going to be messy, blown-out and dangerous. If it's a beach setup, this is looking way more interesting for the kite surfers than for anyone on a paddleboard. Beginners should stay well clear of this one; at over 8ft, this is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday the 5th. The swell drops back to a cleaner 6ft from the WNW, and the wind finally relents, turning offshore for the morning. It’s not perfect, and the tide might be a bit funny, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. It’ll be a bit of a scramble for waves, but it’s something. Sunday and Monday next week just fade back into small, weak surf again.

Then we look to the following week, and there are a couple of interesting blips on the radar. The first is on Tuesday the 8th, with a clean 5ft from the WNW, but the winds are up and down. The more promising window is that Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th of September. There’s another solid groundswell building – we’re looking at 7ft to 12ft with a long 13-second period. The energy readings are strong. The winds are cross-offshore, which could make for some clean, big waves. But this is a long way out, so treat it as promising, not guaranteed. At that size, it’s for experienced surfers only, and that long period can make beach breaks close out – something like Back Strands, being a reef, might handle it better. Just be aware of the strong winds that could mess it up.

So, the short story? This week is a write-off. Saturday the 5th is your only real chance of a clean-ish wave before things get big and messy again. Keep an eye on that big swell around the 14th and 15th, but don’t book the day off work just yet. Forecasts change.

Rusty.

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