
Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, WNW swell with 1,756 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with W 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 (Sep 11) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 7PM. 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with the outlook for Back Strands. It’s a reef setup that’s fairly exposed to the swell, and we’ve got a westerly direction as the sweet spot. Water temps are sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
Right, looking at the next couple of weeks, I’ve got to be straight with you—it’s a long, bleak run for any decent surf here. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t pop up until Friday the 11th, and even then it’s a struggle. From now until then, we’re looking at a solid gap of nearly a week with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is there, sure, but the wind is just relentless.
Monday the 7th sees a cross-shore breeze and swell building to 6ft, but the combined energy is moderate (539), and the wind is just ruining it. By Tuesday the 8th, the swell gets big—up to 10ft on the afternoon with strong energy (1724)—but it’s onshore and messy, strictly for experts only, and honestly, it looks more like a kitesurfing day than a surf day with those winds. Wednesday the 9th eases off to 5ft, but it’s still cross-onshore and only marginal.
The first glimmer of hope comes on Friday the 11th afternoon. The swell drops to 4ft from the west with an 8-second period, but the wind goes glassy. That’s the standout moment in this whole forecast. The energy is weak (174), but with glassy conditions, you might snag a few clean little waves. It’s surfable but very ordinary, and since the spot can get crowded sometimes, you’ll want to be out there early for a peak.
Saturday the 12th is a write-off—a near gale and a 5ft swell with a long 13-second period that will be too straight for the beach break anyway, more suited to a point or reef, but the wind kills it. Sunday the 13th has a cleaner cross-off breeze with 5ft to 6ft swell and moderate energy (555–879), but it’s still only marginal. That long 12-second period could give some shape, but the quality isn’t there.
After that, it’s more of the same mess until Sunday the 20th. That afternoon finally shows some promise: a gentle offshore breeze from the southeast, 3ft swell from the west with an 11-second period, and combined energy of 193. It’s not big, but that offshore wind will clean it right up. Still, it’s only surfable in a very ordinary way.
Honestly, the pick of the entire 16-day window is Friday afternoon the 11th. Glassy conditions, even on a small 4ft west swell, are hard to beat for a fun session. Sunday the 20th afternoon is a distant second with that offshore wind.
Stay patient, the forecasts can change, but right now it’s a waiting game. Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Mon night, moderate winds from the NW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri night, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
49 | 125 | 314 | 539 | 830 | 1295 | 1480 | 1724 | 980 | 308 | 176 | 90 | 155 | 245 | 270 | 200 | 169 | 140 | 497 | 710 | 623 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:18PM2.72m | 3:09AM2.55m | 3:39PM3.00m | 4:20AM2.77m | 4:39PM3.34m | 5:13AM3.02m | 5:27PM3.64m | 5:57AM3.22m | 6:09PM3.85m | 6:36AM3.37m | 6:48PM3.94m | 7:12AM3.45m | 7:25PM3.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:53PM0.99m | 9:13AM0.98m | 10:09PM0.69m | 10:16AM0.72m | 11:03PM0.38m | 11:05AM0.45m | 11:47PM0.12m | 11:47AM0.23m | 00:25AM-0.05m | 12:26PM0.09m | 1:01AM-0.11m | 1:03PM0.03m | 1:34AM-0.07m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 8:14 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 10 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 |
49 | 125 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 308 | 176 | 90 | 155 | — | — | 200 | 169 | 140 | 497 | 710 | 623 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | — | — | — | W 15 | WNW 13 | — | — | — |
— | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 38 | — | — | — | 5 | 102 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSW 4 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | S 3 | SSW 3 | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 4 |
28 | 29 | 314 | 539 | 830 | 1295 | 1480 | 1724 | 980 | — | — | 8 | 3 | 245 | 270 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 466 | 513 | 53 | 265 | 532 | 716 | 569 | 558 | 727 | 27 | 10 | 135 | 22 | 530 | 268 | 53 | 0 | 132 | 265 | 116 | 0 |
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.










