Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, WNW swell with 808 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s 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 10) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7AM. 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+) | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Back Strands over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any surf to get excited about for a while.
The first week and a half is pretty much a write-off. We kick off Tuesday the 4th with tiny 0.7 ft to 1 ft swell and poor conditions. The wind is a mess. By Wednesday the 5th, the swell jumps up to 8 ft, but it’s accompanied by a howling 28 mph onshore wind, which is just a complete no-go. That pattern of messy, blown-out, cross-onshore wind sticks around through the end of the first week. The combined swell energy hits a peak of 770 (moderate energy) on Friday afternoon, but with the wind howling, it’s useless.
Saturday the 8th morning offers a glimmer, with a 7 ft swell from the west and a 9-second period, giving 764 combined energy (moderate). The wind is cross-shore, but the forecast says it’s only marginal at best. The rest of that weekend and into the next week is still poor, with the wind and swell not lining up.
Then, finally, we get a little window. Monday morning the 10th sees a drop in swell to 4 ft, but the wind goes glassy from the NNE. That’s clean, but the waves are small and ordinary. The next couple of days are tiny and clean, but utterly flat.
The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday the 17th. Mark it in your calendar. We’ve got a 6 ft west-northwest swell with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 783 (moderate). The wind is light and offshore from the SSE. The forecast is for very good surf conditions. That’s a proper, clean, lined-up day at Back Strands. It’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the best bet on offer. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
After that, Tuesday the 18th gets blown out again by a near gale, and the swell is all over the place. So, it’s a long wait, but that Monday the 17th looks like a beauty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon night, min 13°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue morning, strong winds from the WNW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri morning, light winds from the WNW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 8 | NW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 20 | 177 | 750 | 591 | 222 | 57 | 35 | 39 | 268 | 770 | 539 | 764 | 404 | 422 | 471 | 375 | 308 | 202 | 125 | 24 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | on | on | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:43PM2.92m | 4:18AM2.84m | 4:48PM3.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:16AM0.88m | 10:04PM0.77m | 10:22AM0.67m | 11:06PM0.47m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:16 |
mm | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 12 | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 7 |
| kJ | 6 | 20 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | — | 539 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 24 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 |
| kJ | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 2 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | SW 5 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | 177 | 750 | 591 | 222 | 57 | 35 | 39 | 268 | 770 | 41 | 764 | 404 | 422 | 471 | 375 | 308 | 202 | 125 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 88 | 104 | 243 | 500 | 727 | 267 | 104 | 14 | 261 | 265 | 14 | 53 | 53 | 27 | 27 | 89 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Back Strands surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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