Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, NW swell with 42 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 0.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righteo, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the charts are telling us for Back Strands.
Honestly, for the next week and a half, we're looking at a bit of a flat spell. There's really nothing doing on the wave front. We’ve got tiny little dribbles of swell, like 0.7ft to 1.3ft, with short periods and low wave energy (36). It's just not worth getting the wettie on for. The wind is a mixed bag, but the main problem is the total lack of any proper push. This is a banner stretch of quiet days you could plan a beach day around, but not a surf session.
Now, things start to get interesting around Friday, July 24th. We see a pulse of swell arrive, with heights building to 5.9ft to 6.2ft from the WNW, and a long period of 13 seconds. The combined wave energy jumps right up to 1121, so there's a lot of power in the water. The catch? The wind is gonna be a light cross-onshore, which will keep the surface a bit bumpy. The actual surf quality is called "marginal," so while there will be more water moving, it might not be the cleanest.
The standout, what I’d be circling on the calendar, is Saturday, July 25th in the morning. The swell is still solid at 4.9ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy is strong at 521. But the real kicker is the wind: it's glassy, a light SSE airflow. That is going to give us clean, smooth waves. At that size, it's a good medium range, not too big for most but enough to get a decent ride. The only bummer is that the wind for the afternoon looks to swing around and get a bit messy.
After that little window, the end of the month looks a bit messy again with stronger onshore winds and a lot of chop. The energy stays moderately high (up to 824), but the quality drops out with the wind ruining the surface.
So, if you're patient, the one true stand out is Saturday morning, the 25th. It's your best shot at some clean, glassy waves at Back Strands.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu night, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 36 | 31 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 12 | 34 | 27 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 36 | 18 | 30 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:16AM3.26m | 6:39PM3.74m | 7:07AM3.31m | 7:27PM3.91m | 7:54AM3.29m | 8:14PM3.97m | 8:40AM3.22m | 8:59PM3.91m | 9:25AM3.10m | 9:43PM3.72m | 10:10AM2.95m | 10:28PM3.45m | 10:57AM2.80m | 11:14PM3.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:13PM0.21m | 00:53AM0.06m | 12:59PM0.12m | 1:43AM-0.02m | 1:43PM0.09m | 2:30AM0.00m | 2:27PM0.15m | 3:15AM0.12m | 3:10PM0.28m | 4:00AM0.30m | 3:55PM0.49m | 4:45AM0.52m | 4:43PM0.73m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:01 | — | — | 10:00 | — | — | 9:59 | — | — | 9:58 | — | — | 9:57 | — | — | 9:55 | — | — | 9:53 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 24 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 10 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 |
| kJ | 36 | 31 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 21 | 10 | 9 | 36 | 18 | 30 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 18 | — | W 11 | — | — | W 11 | W 10 | W 12 | WNW 11 | W 8 | — | W 8 | W 11 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NW 6 | W 8 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | — | 6 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 6 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 10 | 9 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | NNW 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 34 | 27 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 32 | 32 | 117 | 117 | 117 | 278 | 117 | 313 | 494 | 117 | 292 | 415 | 336 | 19 | 243 | 19 | 119 | 276 | 46 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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