Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period, W swell with 862 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with WNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Back Strands this week:
The surf forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 1.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it, looking at what's on the cards for Back Strands.
Mate, to be brutally honest, the next couple of weeks are looking tough for a proper paddle. We’ve got a solid stretch of poor conditions ahead. We kick off this Tuesday the 18th with a fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph, and while there’s a 5ft swell bumping around from the west, the whole setup is lumpy and messy. That combined wave energy is moderate (249 on Tuesday morning, climbing to 486 by the afternoon), but with that onshore wind, it’s not doing us any favours. The water temp is sitting at 62°F which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but you won't be feeling it with that wind in your face.
This grim pattern pretty much sticks through the rest of the week and into the weekend. Wednesday the 19th sees a 6ft west swell but it's crossed up with fresh onshore winds. The energy hits 612, which is solid, but the quality is just not there. Thursday and Friday drop off in size, down to under 3ft, and the wind keeps blowing onshore. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is tiny, with swell barely scraping 2ft and the energy dropping to just 24. It's not going to be worth getting wet.
We do get a little flicker of hope around Monday the 24th. The swell is only 0.7ft to 2ft, but for the first time, we see a clean, offshore wind from the SE. It's small and weak, but at least it's clean. That clean trend continues on Tuesday the 25th with some fresh offshore winds from the SSE at 19 to 22 mph, but again, the swell is small at 2ft to 2ft. The energy is only 62, so you're looking for small peelers, not power.
The best chance we get in this whole outlook is Thursday morning the 27th of August. The swell bumps up a bit to 3ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and we get a gentle offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph. The wave energy is moderate at 120, and the conditions are called "clean". It's not a world-class day, but compared to the rest of this run, it's the standout window for a session on a longboard or a funboard. It's the only day in the whole forecast that gets a score of 1 out of 10, which tells you how rough the rest of it is.
After that, it gets ugly again. Friday the 28th brings a gale-force cross-onshore wind at 40 mph, completely blowing everything out. Then we roll into a proper blank run from the 29th of August all the way through to the end of the period. There's a couple of days around the 30th and 31st where the swell picks back up to 3ft, but it's onshore and messy. Then the first of September throws in a 6ft to 7ft swell with onshore winds at 19 mph – that's a kite surfer's playground, not a paddle surfer's. With that kind of size and wind, it's just a messy, lumpy battlefield.
So, bottom line: if you're keen, target Thursday morning the 27th. It's the only clean, surfable window. Otherwise, it's a long wait.
Stay tuned, forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
249 | 486 | 748 | 612 | 552 | 369 | 154 | 90 | 92 | 107 | 65 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 22 | 19 | 10 | 63 | 237 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 10:09AM2.95m | 10:27PM3.01m | 10:51AM2.76m | 11:11PM2.67m | 11:41AM2.56m | 00:08AM2.39m | 12:52PM2.41m | 1:34AM2.22m | 2:28PM2.40m | 3:12AM2.25m | 3:50PM2.56m | 4:19AM2.41m | 4:44PM2.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:02PM0.67m | 4:31AM0.78m | 4:48PM0.95m | 5:14AM1.05m | 5:46PM1.21m | 6:15AM1.27m | 7:18PM1.37m | 7:50AM1.36m | 9:06PM1.34m | 9:21AM1.26m | 10:15PM1.16m | 10:19AM1.06m | 11:01PM0.94m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 11 | — | — | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 9 | NW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | W 10 |
— | — | 748 | — | — | 369 | 154 | 90 | 92 | — | — | 5 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 63 | 237 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | W 11 | NNW 6 | WNW 9 | NW 6 | — | WNW 10 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 15 | 1 | — | 10 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | W 9 | NNW 6 | — | — | W 9 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 9 | — | W 10 | W 10 | — | NNW 8 | NNW 4 | N 3 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 |
249 | 486 | — | 612 | 552 | — | 150 | 35 | 3 | 107 | 65 | 19 | 23 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 319 | 265 | 53 | 135 | 135 | 196 | 137 | 396 | 415 | 313 | 313 | 178 | 247 | 308 | 117 | 117 | 276 | 32 | 7 | 27 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











