Back Strands Surf Break

Lat Long: 54.45° N 8.49° W

Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 25 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Back Strands sea temperature is
16.4° C
1.8° 

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 25 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, WNW swell with 817 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with W 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s 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 2.1m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (IST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4AM (Tue 28th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 9s
Best Surf 4AM (Tue 28th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 9s
Most Powerful 4PM (Sun 26th Jul)7ft (2.1m) 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 offer at Back Strands over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this one’s a tough stretch.

The forecast starts off pretty grim. We’ve got a pulse of swell arriving on Saturday the 25th of July, with waves around 6 ft from the WNW and a period of 9 seconds, but the wind is a messy cross-onshore from the WSW at 19 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 579, but with that wind, it’s a write-off. Sunday the 26th is even worse – the swell bumps up to 7 ft, but the wind is howling from the WNW at 22 mph, making it a lumpy, cross-onshore mess. Combined energy climbs to 804, but it’s not surfable. This is the kind of setup that’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There’s a small window on Monday the 27th morning. The swell drops to 5 ft from the W with a 10-second period, and the wind goes light cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph. The energy is moderate at 377, and the surf is described as clean. It’s a marginal score, but it’s the best we’ve got. The break is a reef, and with a W swell direction, it’s not hitting the optimum from the W, but the clean conditions make it worth a look. Still, the overall quality is poor, so don’t expect magic.

After that, the surf fades fast. Tuesday the 28th sees 4 ft waves with cross-off winds in the morning, but the energy drops to 189 and the surf is poor. By Wednesday the 29th, we’re down to 3 ft, and the rest of the week is a slow decline into tiny, weak waves. From the 30th of July onward, the swell drops below 3 ft, and the combined energy falls into the double digits (28 to 85). The wind does go glassy on the morning of the 31st of July and again on the 3rd of August, with 2 ft waves from the WNW, but the energy is so low (48 and 62) that it’s barely breaking. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

There’s a slight uptick on the 6th of August, with a 4 ft swell from the WNW and a 7-second period, but the wind is a cross-on from the N at 6 mph, and the energy is moderate at 169. The surf is still poor. The rest of the outlook through to the 9th of August is all small, weak, and choppy.

The bottom line: there’s really no standout session here. The best bet is Monday the 27th morning, but it’s a marginal call. The lack of consistency is a bummer, but in this area, a blank run like this happens. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, I’d say take the week off.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Wed afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
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
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
WNW
9
1.8
WNW
10
1.9
WNW
10
2.1
WNW
10
2.1
WNW
10
1.6
WNW
10
1.4
W
10
1.3
W
10
1.2
W
9
1.1
W
9
1.1
W
9
1
W
8
1
W
8
0.8
W
8
0.6
W
8
0.5
W
7
0.5
W
7
0.5
WNW
7
0.7
WNW
7
0.5
WNW
7
0.4
WNW
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
579
689
740
804
817
533
377
313
230
186
177
135
135
82
41
28
27
29
47
28
18
Wind (km/h)
30
WSW
20
W
35
W
35
WNW
35
WNW
20
WSW
15
SSW
20
SW
15
SSW
20
S
20
SW
15
SSW
10
WNW
10
W
15
WSW
10
SW
10
WNW
5
NW
5
NNE
15
WNW
10
NE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
on
on
glassy
on
cross
High Tide
4:11PM2.65m
4:34AM2.52m
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
Low Tide
9:43AM1.09m
10:27PM1.08m
10:36AM0.96m
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
light rain
light rain
light rain
cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
light rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:31
5:33
5:35
5:37
5:39
5:39
5:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:46
9:45
9:44
9:42
9:39
9:37
9:37
 mm
3
2
5
3
2
1
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
15
15
15
14
14
14
16
17
17
20
21
18
14
14
14
15
15
14
14
15
15
Feels °C
11
12
11
8
8
10
14
15
16
18
18
17
13
12
12
14
13
12
12
12
13
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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