Back Strands Surf Break

Lat Long: 54.45° N 8.49° W

Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Back Strands sea temperature is
17.6° C
3.0° 

Back Strands surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Back Strands surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, WNW swell with 768 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Back Strands this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 2.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (IST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 1PM (Sun 26th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, grab a seat. Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into the 16-day outlook for Back Strands. It’s a reef setup, fairly exposed to the west, and the optimum swell direction is straight from the west.

Honestly, I’m looking at this and it’s a tough one. We’ve got a solid block of nothing happening. For the first week and a half, from July 20th right through to the end of the month, the surf is just a write-off. The wave comment consistently says “poor surf conditions,” and the scores are all zeros. The wind is a mess—mostly cross-onshore or onshore, from the north-northwest or west, blowing at 9 to 15 mph. The swell is tiny, often 1 ft to 2 ft, with periods all over the place, from a weak 6 seconds up to a middling 11 seconds. The combined energy is pathetic, barely cracking 40 (47 on Monday morning, for example). There’s simply nothing to get excited about. It’s a flat spell.

Then, on the 24th of July, things start to look a bit different. The swell lifts to 5 ft from the west-northwest, with a 9-second period, and the wave energy jumps to a moderate 352. But the wind is still a 15 mph cross-onshore, and the conditions are “moderate cross-onshore and choppy.” It’s still rated poor. The next few days, July 25th to 29th, see the swell actually get some size—7 ft, 7 ft, 5 ft—with the energy climbing into the strong range (655, 752, 424). That’s a decent amount of water moving. But the wind stays on the wrong side of the ledger, mostly cross-onshore or onshore from the west-northwest. The period hangs around 9 to 10 seconds, which is a bit of a groundswell, but with that wind direction, it’s just going to be a messy, lumpy ocean. The wave comment never changes from “poor surf conditions.”

The real tragedy is that when the swell is big enough to ride, it’s likely too big for beginners (over 5 ft, and for a couple of days over 8 ft, which is expert-only territory), and the wind completely ruins it. For a reef break, you need it clean to make the most of the shape. With this constant cross-onshore chop, it’s going to be a battle.

The stretch from July 20th to 31st is a brutal 11-day gap with no good surf. The last week of the outlook, from August 1st to 4th, the swell drops back down to 2 ft to 3 ft. The wind does finally turn cross-offshore from the south on August 2nd, and the conditions are described as “clean.” That’s the only glimmer of hope, but at 3 ft and a short 7-second period, the energy is weak (72 to 77). It’s better than a flat day, but nothing to call home about.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn’t one. The best on offer is probably the morning of August 2nd, with clean conditions and a tiny 3 ft south-southwest wind swell. If you’re desperate for a paddle, it’s an option. But for a proper session, this forecast is a dud. It’s a blank run, and for this area, it’s not unusual. The conditions just aren’t aligning. Let’s hope the next forecast brings some better news.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Wed night, fresh winds from the W by Fri night).

Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
W
11
0.4
W
11
0.4
W
10
0.4
W
10
0.3
W
9
0.3
W
9
0.5
NW
6
0.5
NW
6
0.4
NW
6
0.3
NW
6
0.2
W
8
0.8
WNW
7
1.5
WNW
9
1.4
WNW
9
1.6
WNW
9
2
WNW
9
1.8
WNW
10
1.9
WNW
10
2.1
WNW
10
2
WNW
10
1.6
WNW
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
35
35
31
30
15
15
18
19
10
6
5
60
352
281
374
655
603
696
752
712
452
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
20
NNW
15
NNW
20
N
20
NNW
20
N
15
NNW
15
NW
5
NNW
10
W
15
W
20
WSW
25
W
25
W
40
W
20
WNW
15
W
15
NW
25
NW
25
NW
15
NW
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
High Tide
10:57AM2.80m
11:14PM3.14m
11:47AM2.65m
00:05AM2.82m
12:44PM2.54m
1:06AM2.57m
1:52PM2.49m
2:18AM2.43m
3:06PM2.53m
3:33AM2.43m
4:11PM2.65m
4:34AM2.52m
5:02PM2.83m
Low Tide
4:45AM0.52m
4:43PM0.73m
5:31AM0.76m
5:37PM0.97m
6:24AM0.96m
6:44PM1.16m
7:27AM1.11m
8:06PM1.25m
8:38AM1.15m
9:25PM1.21m
9:43AM1.09m
10:27PM1.08m
10:36AM0.96m
11:14PM0.92m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:24
5:26
5:26
5:28
5:31
5:31
5:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:53
9:52
9:51
9:50
9:47
9:46
9:45
 mm
3
1
Temp °C
14
14
13
13
13
12
15
17
14
15
15
14
15
15
15
14
14
14
15
15
14
Feels °C
11
11
11
10
10
9
13
15
13
13
14
12
11
11
11
11
11
13
10
10
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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Information about the Back Strands Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Back Strands provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Back Strands can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Back Strands surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Back Strands) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).

Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Back Strands may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.

Are you planning a holiday in Sligo? If you are looking for accommodation near Back Strands, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Sligo, consider staying in Sligo which is 19 km (12 miles) away. Other places in and around Sligo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Killybegs which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Enniskillen, Ballina and Letterkenny.

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