
Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with 684 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period with WNW 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. 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 1.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Back Strands over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a slow patch for this reef. We’re looking at a long dry spell before anything really worth paddling out for shows up.
The pattern is pretty flat for a while. The first real glimmer of surf shows up on Monday the 27th of July, and even then it’s just a brief window. The water is sitting at 62°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so the rubber might feel a bit more forgiving.
That Monday morning on the 27th is the standout, but only in the context of a pretty bleak forecast. Tuesday afternoon the 28th offers a tiny window of cleaner conditions, but the surf will be on the small side. After that, it’s a real snoozefest for over a week.
There is a pulse of swell that tries to build around the 5th of August, but the winds and conditions look foul. Then, in the second week, there’s a hint of something cleaner with offshore winds kicking in on the 8th and 10th of August, but the swell is tiny. It’s a waiting game, folks. Here’s the run-down:
Monday, 27th July – The Only Real Window
Back Strands sees a pulse of 4ft swell from the WNW with a 10-second period. The combined wave energy is moderate at 346. The wind is light from the SSW, cross-off, and the forecast says “clean”. This is the best it gets in this window. It’s not pumping, but for a Monday morning, it’s surfable. The 4ft is manageable for most.
Tuesday, 28th July – Quick Clean-up
The swell drops to 4ft from the west, period drops to 8 seconds. The morning is messy with a cross-chop, but by the afternoon, the wind goes light cross-off and it cleans up. It’s ordinary, but if you’re desperate, the later session is your best bet.
The Long Gap (29th July to 4th August)
From Wednesday the 29th right through to the 4th of August, it’s a write-off. Swell barely breaks 3ft, and when there’s a little bump, the wind is onshore or side-onshore and ruining it. The combined wave energy drops to below 100, signalling a weak, messy ocean. Kite surfers might have a look at the choppy days, but for paddle surfing, it’s a blank.
The Second Week (5th August onwards)
There’s a little spike on the 7th of August with 5ft from the west, but the period is short at 7 seconds and the wind is side-onshore. The energy hits 192, which is moderate, but it won’t be pretty.
The only positive note is the 8th and 10th of August, when the wind shifts offshore (SE and ESE). However, the swell is tiny – 1ft to 1ft. It’ll be glassy and clean, but with no push. Combined energy is down in the single digits (22 and 9). A rare, inconsistent break like this needs more than that to fire.
So, keep your expectations low. The one brief standout is that Monday morning, the 27th of July. After that, it’s a waiting game. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s looking quiet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon night, min 13°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
935 | 684 | 342 | 282 | 169 | 319 | 165 | 133 | 104 | 61 | 42 | 29 | 18 | 94 | 57 | 39 | 56 | 81 | 84 | 70 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off |
High Tide | 5:02PM2.83m | 5:21AM2.66m | 5:44PM3.03m | 6:01AM2.79m | 6:22PM3.22m | 6:36AM2.90m | 6:56PM3.38m | 7:10AM2.98m | 7:29PM3.51m | 7:43AM3.03m | 8:00PM3.57m | 8:15AM3.05m | 8:32PM3.56m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:14PM0.92m | 11:19AM0.79m | 11:55PM0.76m | 11:56AM0.63m | 00:32AM0.61m | 12:30PM0.48m | 1:06AM0.49m | 1:03PM0.38m | 1:38AM0.40m | 1:34PM0.32m | 2:10AM0.35m | 2:05PM0.33m | 2:42AM0.35m | |||||||
— | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | |
— | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 | — | — | 9:39 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 | |
mm | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 8 |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | NW 10 | WNW 6 | NNW 7 | W 11 | — | W 9 | WNW 7 |
— | — | 342 | 282 | 169 | 319 | 165 | 133 | 104 | 61 | 42 | 29 | 18 | 4 | 57 | 5 | 2 | — | 7 | 70 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 9 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | — | NNW 9 | W 12 | — | — | — | W 9 |
— | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 7 | — | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 6 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | — |
935 | 684 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 94 | — | 39 | 56 | 81 | 84 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 727 | 104 | 0 | 22 | 13 | 268 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 37 | 27 | 104 | 552 | 51 | 104 | 540 | 512 | 260 | 260 | 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.










