Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. It’s a bit of a flat, quiet stretch ahead for the Back Strands area. I’ve stared at the charts and there’s no real juice on the horizon for a while. We’ve got a long gap of nothing happening. The first few days are just small, weak leftovers, and the wind is all over the place. It’s not looking like a classic week, that’s for sure.

Monday the 10th kicks things off with some tiny, weak surf. The swell’s coming from the WNW, but it’s only around 2.3ft on the morning, dropping off a bit by the afternoon. The energy is weak, sitting around 72 in the morning. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 61.2°F, which is a little notable, but it’s not going to save the surf. It’s glassy, but there’s just nothing to ride. This is a “look at the ocean and sigh” kind of day.

Tuesday and Wednesday are even worse. The swell disappears, dropping to 1ft and 1.3ft. The energy is basically non-existent, with two-digit numbers in the low 20s and 30s. There’s some offshore wind on Tuesday morning which would have been nice if there was any wave to hold up, but there isn't. It’s just flat and frustrating.

We get a tiny pulse on Thursday the 13th. The morning shows a 2.3ft swell from the W with period around 10 seconds. The energy ticks up to 102, which is still weak, but it’s the first sign of life. The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the waves are still pretty ordinary. It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but I’d be checking the tide and expecting to work for every little crumble.

Then the wind shits the bed. From Thursday afternoon through the weekend, we get onshore and cross-onshore winds, and the swell doesn't really build. Friday the 14th has a bit more size, hitting 3.3ft, but it’s coming with 25 km/h onshore winds, so it’s going to be a messy, choppy mess. The energy is moderate, around 130, but it’s all lumpy and blown out. Not worth the paddle out.

Saturday the 15th looks similar. 3.6ft of swell, but the wind is still on it. It’s a washing machine out there. We’re looking at a full week of onshore slop.

Sunday the 16th cleans up a little with some cross-off wind, but the swell has dropped back down to 2.3ft. It’s clean but tiny. You’ll be fighting for scraps.

Monday the 17th is more of the same. Small, weak surf, around 2.6ft to 3ft, with light winds. The energy is back in the low 100s, but it’s still just marginal. This is a “bring a longboard and a good book” kind of day.

The next real event doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 18th. We get a spike in the afternoon with 3.9ft of WNW swell and the period jumps to 11 seconds. The energy jumps up to 350, which is moderate to strong. But guess what? The wind is onshore, 25 km/h from the NNW. So we get a pulse of energy, but it’s completely ruined by the wind. Classic. It’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess.

The rest of that week stays average. Wednesday the 19th has some size, 3.6ft, but it’s still onshore. The energy is moderate, in the 200s, but the quality is poor. It’s just a lot of whitewater.

Finally, we get a bit of a reprieve on the 20th. The wind goes glassy, light and variable. The swell is still small, around 2.3ft from the WNW, but it’s clean. The energy is in the low 100s. It’s not going to be epic, but if you’ve got a foamie and some patience, you might find a clean little bank. This is the best of a bad bunch for the first week.

Now, looking further out, there’s a glimmer of hope. On Friday the 21st, the swell bumps up to 3.9ft from the WNW with a 10-second period. The energy is moderate, around 288. The wind is cross-off from the south, which is good. This could be the standout of the whole period. It’s still a week and a half away, so treat it with caution, but the ingredients are there. It’s a clean, moderate swell with a decent period. That’s the one to keep an eye on.

After that, the wind swings onshore again for the weekend, and the swell fades. The 23rd shows a bit more size, 4.9ft, but it’s cross-shore and choppy. Not great.

The final days,

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