Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, W swell with 2,722 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 10PM (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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next few weeks at Back Strands.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim start. The first few days are a write-off, no sugar-coatin’ it. We’re talkin’ a solid gap of nothing good until at least the tail end of the first week. The first proper chance to even think about paddling out doesn’t really show up until Thursday the 5th, and even that’s a borderline affair.
For the first week, it’s a whole lot of wind and chop messin’ up what little swell there is. You’ve got a massive spike of energy on Friday the 4th, with a 10-second period swell from the W/NW pushin’ 10 ft and a combined energy of 2722. That’s a ton of power, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore at 28 mph. The place will be an absolute dog’s breakfast – messy, blown-out, and honestly, only any good if you’re into kite-surfing, not paddle-surfin’. Too big and ugly for a beginner, and even experts wouldn’t have fun in that slop.
We finally get a sniff of something cleaner on Tuesday the 8th, but it’s only scored as marginal. There’s a 7 ft swell from the W with a 10-second period in the morning (combined energy 881) and a fresh SSE offshore wind at 19 mph, so it’d be clean, but that’s a bit of size with average period. That afternoon it drops off, and the period shortens to 8 seconds so it’s not really worth getting excited about.
The real stand-out, the one to circle on the calendar, is shaping up for Monday the 14th. Now, this is a week and a half away, so treat it with a bit of caution, but the charts are lookin’ promising. We’ve got a 3 ft long-period groundswell from the W with a 12-second period comin’ in for the morning. The wind is a gentle offshore from the ESE at 9 mph. That’s a recipe for clean, walled-up waves at this reef. The period is long, so expect proper shaped waves and plenty of push, even if the height isn’t massive. The combined energy is 239, so it’s moderate, but it’ll feel punchy. For the afternoon it switches to a S cross-off at 9 mph, still clean, with a 13-second period. The swell direction (W) matches the optimum for the break perfectly. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so you should get plenty of rides. There’s just a chance of a few others in the water, so don’t expect it to be empty.
The second week is even more of a gamble. The first shot on Thursday the 11th has a tiny 2 ft swell goin’ glassy in the afternoon, but it’s weak. Nothin’ else stands out. Focus on that Monday the 14th – that’s your best bet by a long shot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri morning, light winds from the S by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 8 | W 11 | W 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
212 | 253 | 127 | 57 | 54 | 127 | 113 | 235 | 1212 | 2722 | 1914 | 1315 | 469 | 146 | 51 | 68 | 60 | 333 | 224 | 149 | 258 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:55AM3.23m | 9:10PM3.42m | 9:34AM3.12m | 9:51PM3.18m | 10:19AM2.95m | 10:42PM2.89m | 11:18AM2.76m | 11:53PM2.61m | 12:40PM2.65m | 1:30AM2.47m | 2:18PM2.72m | 3:09AM2.55m | 3:39PM3.00m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:49PM0.33m | 3:17AM0.33m | 3:29PM0.50m | 3:57AM0.55m | 4:17PM0.73m | 4:47AM0.81m | 5:22PM0.97m | 5:58AM1.05m | 7:02PM1.11m | 7:40AM1.13m | 8:53PM0.99m | 9:13AM0.98m | 10:09PM0.69m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | NW 8 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | NW 10 | N 10 | — | — | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | W 9 | W 9 |
— | — | 127 | 57 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 1315 | 469 | 146 | 51 | 68 | 60 | — | — | 79 | 258 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | NW 9 | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 131 | 38 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | — | SE 2 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 8 | W 11 | W 12 | WNW 11 | — | SSW 3 | — | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 4 |
212 | 253 | — | 1 | 54 | 127 | 113 | 235 | 1212 | 2722 | 1914 | — | 1 | — | 13 | 14 | 19 | 333 | 224 | 149 | 28 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 266 | 53 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 53 | 283 | 53 | 292 | 727 | 727 | 265 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 149 | 27 | 313 | 53 | 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.











