Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happenin’ at Back Strands. Gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a real grind. We’re lookin’ at a long stretch of junk until things finally try to come together around the 8th.

The water temp is sittin’ about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first couple of days, Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd, are a total washout. Tiny little waves with no push – combined energy readings of just 46 and 13 – and the wind is all over the place. You’d be better off stayin’ in bed.

Then Tuesday the 4th is a glassy, pretty morning, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft. It’s like a lake out there. Nothin’ doin’.

Wednesday the 5th sees a jump in size, but it’s a messy one. The wind screams onshore, gustin’ up to 28 mph, and the combined energy jumps to 636 – that’s a lot of raw, ugly power, but it’s all short-period wind swell at 6-8 seconds. The surf is poor, blown out, and lumpy. That much energy with that wind is more of a kite-surfing situation than a paddle-in session. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are still onshore and messy, with the energy droppin’ back down. Not worth paddlin’ out.

Now, here’s the one and only window that might get your heart beatin’. Saturday morning, August 8th. The forecast shows a 5 ft swell from the west, with a period of 8 seconds, and a combined energy of 270. That’s moderate energy, but the real kicker is the wind – light, cross-offshore from the SSW. That’ll clean it right up. The report says “expect good surf conditions,” which is the first nice thing we’ve heard all week. The break is fairly consistent and a reef setup, which should handle that west swell alright. Just be aware that crowds are sometimes an issue here, so if you see a few cars, you know the locals are onto it. Sunday the 9th will be glassy again in the morning, but the swell is smaller, and the energy is down. The rest of the forecast into the second week is a slow fade-out back to tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. There’s a gap of nearly a week with no real recommendations after the 9th.

So, the standout is simple: Saturday morning, August 8th, at Back Strands. That’s your one shot. The rest of the 16 days is a barren stretch.

Rusty.

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