
Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,803 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let’s have a look at this forecast. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Back Strands. There’s a lot of swell on the cards, but the wind is gonna be a major player in what we actually get to ride. The water’s sitting at 62°F right now, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus.
We start off the run on Sunday the 6th of September afternoon. There’s swell coming in at 3ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (127). The problem is the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 16 mph, which is okay, but the rain and the conditions are just a bit messy. It’s not going to be a great session.
Monday the 7th of September sees the swell jump up to 6ft in the morning, coming from the west, with the same 10-second period. The energy is now strong (524). But the wind is a cross-shore from the WSW at 19 mph, and it’s lumpy. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 22 mph and goes cross-on, making it even worse. Tuesday the 8th of September is a write-off – the swell hits 10ft from the WNW, but the wind is onshore at 28 mph, and the energy is very strong (1739-1803). That’s not for paddling; that’s a kite session if anything.
We get a bit of a break Wednesday the 9th of September. The swell drops to 4ft in the morning, with a light onshore wind (6 mph) from the WNW. The energy is moderate (268). The afternoon sees a cross-shore wind at 12 mph, but the swell is only 3ft. It’s still not great.
Thursday the 10th of September morning offers a clean window. The swell is a consistent 3ft from the west, with a better 11-second period. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW at 12 mph, and the energy is moderate (238). This is the first decent chance to get a clean wave, but it’s small. The afternoon gets windier and lumpy again.
The following week is a proper struggle. Friday the 11th of September is all cross-onshore and choppy. Saturday the 12th of September morning has a 6ft swell from the WNW with a very long 14-second period and strong energy (1475), but the wind is a strong cross-shore at 25 mph, making it a messy, dangerous mess. By the afternoon, the wind is onshore from the NW at 16 mph and the swell is 7ft. Forget it.
Sunday the 13th of September morning is the absolute standout of the entire 16-day window. The swell is 4ft from the WNW with a long 12-second period, and the energy is moderate (429). The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph. This is gonna be a glassy, clean morning. The break is a reef, so it will handle that long-period swell well. Just be aware it can get a bit crowded here sometimes. After that, the wind turns and it gets lumpy.
Monday the 14th of September sees a building swell at 8ft from the west, but with a fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph, it’s lumpy. By the afternoon, the swell hits 10ft with a 12-second period and very strong energy (2784), but the wind is still a fresh cross-shore. The rest of the week is a mix of onshore winds and messy conditions, with a few marginal clean-ish windows on the 16th and 17th of September, but the swell is either too big (12ft) or the wind is too strong. The 16th of September afternoon has an 12ft groundswell from the west with a clean cross-off wind, but that’s expert territory only.
The last few days from the 18th of September onwards are a bit of a washout. The swell stays around 5ft to 7ft, but the wind is almost always cross-shore or cross-on, leaving the surf lumpy and uninviting. The 21st of September sees the swell drop back to 3ft, with a clean cross-off wind, but it’s just too small to get excited about.
Best bet: No doubt about it, the Sunday 13th of September morning is the only real gem. Clean 4ft W swell with a long period and light offshore. That’s your window.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Mon night, light winds from the WNW by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 6 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 13 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
125 | 308 | 524 | 680 | 970 | 1739 | 1803 | 922 | 268 | 144 | 58 | 238 | 200 | 130 | 239 | 173 | 461 | 1475 | 1598 | 968 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:09AM2.55m | 3:39PM3.00m | 4:20AM2.77m | 4:39PM3.34m | 5:13AM3.02m | 5:27PM3.64m | 5:57AM3.22m | 6:09PM3.85m | 6:36AM3.37m | 6:48PM3.94m | 7:12AM3.45m | 7:25PM3.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:53PM0.99m | 9:13AM0.98m | 10:09PM0.69m | 10:16AM0.72m | 11:03PM0.38m | 11:05AM0.45m | 11:47PM0.12m | 11:47AM0.23m | 00:25AM-0.05m | 12:26PM0.09m | 1:01AM-0.11m | 1:03PM0.03m | 1:34AM-0.07m | |||||||
— | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
8:14 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 17 | 5 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 15 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | W 10 | — | — | W 8 | WNW 13 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 |
125 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 268 | 144 | 58 | — | 200 | — | — | 173 | 461 | 1475 | 1598 | 968 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | WNW 16 | W 9 | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 146 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | S 4 | W 11 | SW 3 | W 6 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
29 | 308 | 524 | 680 | 970 | 1739 | 1803 | 922 | — | — | 12 | 238 | 6 | 130 | 239 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 513 | 53 | 53 | 514 | 292 | 292 | 581 | 442 | 36 | 53 | 80 | 12 | 512 | 265 | 308 | 53 | 12 | 48 | 104 | 53 |
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.










