Back Strands Surf Break

Lat Long: 54.45° N 8.49° W

Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Back Strands sea temperature is
16.6° C
2.2° 

Back Strands surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Back Strands surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, NW swell with 52 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Back Strands this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 0.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (IST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 4PM (Sat 18th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta level with you. For the first week and a half, it’s pretty flat and quiet. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves – mostly between 0.7ft and 2ft, with energy readings that are basically a whisper. The wind is often onshore or cross-onshore, so the quality is poor. It’s a bit of a waiting game, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Now, the real talk starts to shift around Friday, July 24th. We finally see a pulse of energy come through. The swell picks up to a solid 4ft out of the west-northwest, with a period of 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The energy jumps to 454 (moderate wave energy), and the wind is a clean cross-off from the east. Back Strands is your go-to on this Friday morning. It’s exposed to the west, so it’ll be catching that incoming swell. The water is a notably warm 62°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.

The action keeps rolling into Saturday, July 25th and Sunday, July 26th. Saturday afternoon brings a 5ft west swell with offshore east-southeast wind, making for clean conditions. Sunday afternoon is a real standout: glassy flat calm, 4ft west swell, and the energy is sitting at 270. That’s a session you’ll want to be in the water for. The break is fairly consistent, but it can get crowded sometimes, so expect some company.

Monday, July 27th and Tuesday, July 28th keep the run going. Monday afternoon has a 4ft west swell with gentle offshore wind. Tuesday morning is the biggest of the run with a 5ft west swell, energy hitting 492 (moderate wave energy), and light cross-off winds. That’s a solid, powerful wave for anyone who’s confident.

The standout window is the Sunday, July 26th glassy afternoon and the Tuesday, July 28th morning with the bigger 5ft swell. Those are the best of the lot. The rest of the second week sees the swell backing off, with smaller, weaker waves and more onshore wind coming back in.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off, but from the 24th through the 28th, there’s a solid run of cleaner, proper surf. The best of the best is that glassy Sunday and the punchy Tuesday morning.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
W
10
0.3
W
10
0.3
W
9
0.2
W
9
0.2
W
10
0.2
W
9
0.2
W
10
0.3
W
9
0.3
W
8
0.3
WNW
10
0.4
WNW
8
0.6
NW
5
0.7
NW
7
0.6
NW
7
0.5
NW
7
0.4
NW
7
0.3
W
9
0.2
W
10
0.4
W
10
0.4
W
10
0.4
W
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
31
16
14
6
7
6
8
13
12
19
24
16
52
36
22
16
13
9
32
31
29
Wind (km/h)
10
E
15
E
15
E
5
E
10
E
10
ENE
15
NW
10
NNE
15
NNW
20
NNW
15
NNW
15
NW
20
NNW
10
N
5
NNW
15
NW
10
WNW
15
NW
15
NW
15
NNW
10
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
6:39PM3.74m
7:07AM3.31m
7:27PM3.91m
7:54AM3.29m
8:14PM3.97m
8:40AM3.22m
8:59PM3.91m
9:25AM3.10m
9:43PM3.72m
10:10AM2.95m
10:28PM3.45m
10:57AM2.80m
11:14PM3.14m
11:47AM2.65m
Low Tide
00:53AM0.06m
12:59PM0.12m
1:43AM-0.02m
1:43PM0.09m
2:30AM0.00m
2:27PM0.15m
3:15AM0.12m
3:10PM0.28m
4:00AM0.30m
3:55PM0.49m
4:45AM0.52m
4:43PM0.73m
5:31AM0.76m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:16
5:18
5:20
5:20
5:22
5:24
5:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
10:01
10:00
9:59
9:58
9:57
9:55
9:53
9:52
 mm
Temp °C
25
20
23
26
23
23
24
21
18
18
14
14
15
14
16
16
14
15
16
13
16
Feels °C
23
17
22
25
24
23
22
20
14
14
10
12
11
11
12
12
12
13
14
11
15
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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