Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the start of this forecast period is a bit of a bust. There’s nothing worth paddling out for until the tail end of the week. We’ve got a run of poor surf conditions with strong, onshore winds and messy, weak swell. Wednesday the 5th is a write-off – 25 mph winds out of the NW and a choppy 6 ft swell that’s just not clean. That energy is moderate (425) but the wind is just ruining it. That carries on through Thursday and Friday with small, chopped-out waves.

Now, it’s not until Saturday morning, the 8th of August that we see a glimmer of hope. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 15 mph, cleaning things up. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the energy is moderate (199). The surf is still weak, but the conditions are finally clean. It’s still only a 1 out of 10 kind of session, so don’t expect magic.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is Sunday morning, the 9th of August. We’ve got a light breeze out of the SSW at 6 mph, which is a light cross-offshore, keeping the face of the reef clean. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the energy jumps to a solid 386. This is the best wave energy on offer, and with the clean conditions, Back Strands is looking like the pick of the bunch. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 61°, so it’s not too bad for a winter session. This is your chance.

After that Sunday morning high, the afternoon turns a bit onshore, and Monday the 10th drops back to small, weak surf. Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are tiny and not worth a mention. We then get a big pulse of energy on Thursday the 13th of August afternoon, with a massive 10 ft swell from the west at 10 seconds, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph. The energy is 1586, which is very strong, but it’s lumpy and messy. That’s strictly for the experts in the crew, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The following morning, Friday the 14th, is still blown out with strong winds.

The second week settles into a pattern of small, clean windows. Saturday morning, the 15th of August, delivers glassy conditions with a light SSE breeze, but only 3 ft of west swell. Sunday the 16th morning is also glassy with a similar small 3 ft swell. The crowd profile at Back Strands is listed as "sometimes" busy, so you might have a few locals out, but nothing chaotic. The surf is small, but it’s clean. Monday the 17th morning offers a gentle offshore breeze from the SE and a 3 ft swell, so it’s another clean, small session.

Overall, the best bet is the Sunday morning the 9th. It’s the only time the swell, wind, and energy all line up for a genuinely good-looking wave. The rest is a mix of small clean days or bigger, wind-affected slop. Keep your wetsuit zipped and your eyes on that Sunday morning forecast.

Rusty.

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