Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, NW swell with 408 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 1.8m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, and I've got to be straight with you—this one's a tough sit. I've scanned the charts for Back Strands, a reef setup that's fairly exposed to the swell, and the next 16 days are looking pretty grim. The water's sitting at 61°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only bright spot.
We're starting off with a real dud. From Sunday, the 2nd of August, right through to the end of the first week, there's barely a ripple. The swell is tiny, under 2ft on Sunday morning, and it just shrinks from there. Tuesday the 4th sees a moment of glassy conditions in the afternoon, but with a swell of only 0.3ft, you're not even getting your feet wet. The combined energy is in the single digits (7), so there's just no power in the water. We get a bit of a pulse on Wednesday the 5th with a 4ft to 5ft NW swell, and the energy jumps up to moderate (262), but that's accompanied by a howling 22 to 28 mph onshore wind. It's a messy, blown-out scene—honestly, that setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The rest of the first week and into the second is a write-off. Thursday the 6th through to the 13th is a long, flat stretch with weak, short-period swell and persistent cross-onshore winds. The combined energy is mostly in the low double digits or less, and the rare sessions that are "clean" offer nothing but knee-high slop. The only real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Friday the 14th. We get a 3ft swell from the west, period of 7 seconds, and a light offshore SSE breeze at 9 mph. The energy is still weak (69), but it's the cleanest window we've seen in a while. The surf is still very ordinary, but you might find a few workable runners if you're desperate.
Looking further out, the 16th of August shows a pulse of 6ft swell from the west with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 627. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, and the conditions are lumpy. It's a step up in size, but the quality is poor. The 17th drops back down to 3ft with an onshore breeze. There's just no good window here, folks. The consistency is low, and the forecasts are a blank run for the area. Things can change, but right now, I'd say leave the board in the car and go for a walk.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu night, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Wed morning, light winds from the SW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | W 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 43 | 31 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 59 | 253 | 266 | 116 | 25 | 15 | 17 | 231 | 251 | 225 | 165 | 134 | 99 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:04PM3.50m | 9:25AM2.98m | 9:38PM3.38m | 10:04AM2.91m | 10:18PM3.21m | 10:49AM2.80m | 11:06PM3.01m | 11:45AM2.69m | 00:08AM2.80m | 12:58PM2.63m | 1:30AM2.67m | 2:23PM2.69m | 3:01AM2.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:38PM0.38m | 3:15AM0.38m | 3:13PM0.48m | 3:50AM0.46m | 3:52PM0.63m | 4:31AM0.58m | 4:39PM0.80m | 5:21AM0.75m | 5:39PM0.97m | 6:27AM0.90m | 7:03PM1.08m | 7:52AM0.97m | 8:42PM1.01m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:32 | — | — | 9:30 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 |
mm | 1 | 3 | 7 | — | — | 9 | — | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 10 | W 11 | — | W 10 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 43 | 31 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 59 | 9 | — | 8 | 25 | 15 | 17 | 231 | 251 | 225 | 165 | 134 | 99 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 6 | NW 7 | W 11 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 |
| kJ | 1 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 8 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | — | — | NW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 2 | — | — | — | NW 10 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | — | — | W 5 | S 4 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 253 | 266 | 116 | — | — | 11 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 19 | 104 | 251 | 400 | 268 | 61 | 36 | 0 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 53 | 21 |
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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