Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the table for this stretch.

Honestly, buds, it's a heartbreaking run of forecasts here. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, and for the first week and a half, it’s basically a ghost town. There’s almost nothing worth paddling out for. The one spot on the radar is Back Strands, but for the first several days, the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. We’re talking about a run of flat, powerless conditions from the 9th right through to the morning of the 13th, where the swell barely tickles the reef. The combined wave energy is in the low double digits (72 or less) for most of that time, which is about as weak as it gets.

The first real glimmer of hope, if you can call it that, shows up on the morning of Thursday the 13th. The swell bumps up to 2ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds and the combined energy finally hits triple digits at 100. The wind is light out of the SSW, making for clean conditions. Look, it’s not going to be epic, but it’s the first surfable wave of the whole run. The water is sitting at 61°, which is a touch warmer than what’s normal for this time of year, so that’s a small comfort.

We then hit another dry spell for a few days, with the swell dropping back into the dirt. The next potential window opens up on the morning of Monday the 18th. The swell picks up to 4ft from the west, with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 186. The wind is light SSW, keeping it clean. It’s nothing special, but it’s surfable.

For my pick of the litter, I’m looking at the afternoon of the 22nd of August. The swell from the WNW is 4ft with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is 248, which is moderate. It’s a west-northwest swell, which matches the optimum for this spot. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but it's the most energy we see in the whole outlook. The crowds are marked as "sometimes" at Back Strands, so there’s a chance you’ll have company, but it’s not a guarantee.

The long-range stuff after that is a bit of a mixed bag. The 24th of August morning has a clean 3ft swell from the west with a fresh breeze, but the consistency is low. Don’t plan your life around it.

The sad truth here is that for a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a rough run. The forecasts can change, so keep your eye on it, but for now, don’t expect much.

Rusty.

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