Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. Rusty here, and I’ve been lookin’ hard at Back Strands. This stretch is gonna be a bit of a rollercoaster, with plenty of wind muckin’ things up, but there’s a couple of windows that’ll get your heart racing.

We start on September 10th, but the first few days are pretty rough. Thursday the 10th has a 2ft west swell with an 8-second period and combined energy of only 73 – that’s weak. A moderate breeze from the south gives us cross-offshore wind, but the surf conditions are poor. Friday the 11th gets a little better: a 4ft west swell, still short at 8 seconds, combined energy 245 – still not great. By Friday afternoon, we get a 4ft swell from the west-northwest at 9 seconds, a gentle breeze from the south keeps it clean, but it’s only marginal.

Saturday the 12th we see a jump: a 7ft west swell at 12 seconds in the morning, combined energy spikes to 1146, but the wind is moderate cross-onshore from the west-southwest with light rain – it’s poor, choppy. Not your day. Sunday the 13th looks better: a 4ft west-northwest swell at 11 seconds in the morning, combined energy 293, and a gentle south-southwest breeze gives us cross-offshore wind. Clean conditions, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the first real highlight, but at 4ft, it’s fun-sized, not a monster.

Then we hit a gap. Monday the 14th through most of the following week is a mix of onshore winds, rain, and poor surf. The 15th and 16th have solid 6ft to 7ft swells, but with northwesterly winds blowin’ onshore, combined energy up to 784, it’s all messy. A long gap of nearly no good options until Thursday the 17th.

On September 17th, Thursday morning, we get a standout: a 5ft west swell at 11 seconds, combined energy 663, and – this is key – a light breeze from the south-southeast gives us clean offshore wind. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best call in the whole run. Clean, offshore, decent size, solid groundswell. Back Strands is a reef break that’s fairly consistent and fairly exposed, so it’ll hold that west swell. The water temp is average for this time of year, no wild swings. Get on it if you can.

After that, things get shaky again. Friday the 18th has a 4ft west-northwest swell, but it’s marginal. Then Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th see a push in size – Sunday the 20th morning has an 8ft west-northwest swell at a long 14-second period, combined energy 2362 – that’s strong energy. The wind is a moderate breeze from the south-southwest, cross-off, keeping it clean. Score is a 3 out of 10, marginal – and at 8ft on a reef, that’s expert territory. It’s a big, long-period groundswell, so it’ll wrap in clean, but you’ll want to know the reef. Crowds are possible – the spot can get busy on a pulse.

From the 21st onward, we’ve got more onshore winds and chop. September 23rd sees another spike: Wednesday afternoon, an 8ft west swell at a very long 16 seconds, combined energy 3563 – massive, powerful, very long-period groundswell. But the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, making it fairly choppy, and the forecast is marginal. This one’s for the experts only. Then the 24th and 25th throw 10ft swells at us, but with strong cross-onshore and onshore winds hittin’ 28 mph, it’s blown out, messy. Even the big energy (3669) won’t save it.

So, to wrap it: the best window for a solid, clean surf is Thursday morning, September 17th. That 5ft west swell with offshore light breeze is your pick. For the brave, the 20th and 23rd offer serious size and long-period power, but it’s expert territory with potential crowds. Otherwise, there are long gaps – like from the 14th to the 17th – where you’re better off waitin’ for a change. The pattern tends to shift, so keep an eye out. Stay stoked, and paddle hard.

Rusty

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