Back Strands Surf Break

Lat Long: 54.45° N 8.49° W

Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 11 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Back Strands sea temperature is
16.1°C
1.9° 

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 11 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 14s period, WNW swell with 2,221 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 9s period. 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 2.4m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (IST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 4PM (Fri 11th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 9s
Best Surf 4PM (Fri 11th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 9s
Most Powerful 1PM (Thu 17th Sep)8ft (2.4m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty comin' at ya from the edge of the water.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya – the next couple of weeks here at Back Strands are a bit of a mixed bag. We've got a serious pulse of swell on the way, but the wind is gonna be the main character in this story for a lot of the time. We're seeing some major energy rolling in, but the timing of the clean conditions is gonna be key.

We kick things off on Friday the 11th of September. The morning is a write-off with a cross-on shore breeze messing up a 4ft W swell. The afternoon cleans up nicely though. That 4ft W swell, with a period of 9 seconds, and a clean cross-off breeze blowing from the SSW will have some fun little lines. The wave energy is moderate (269), perfect for a cheeky session after work.

The weekend is a bit of a bummer. Saturday the 12th sees 7ft of W swell with a 12-second period, but a strong cross-shore wind makes a mess of it. The energy is ramping up (1040), but you'll be battling chop. Sunday the 13th is the better play this weekend. We've got a light 3ft WNW groundswell early, and the wind goes offshore from the SE. It's clean (267 energy), and that 11-second period will give the waves some shape on the reef.

Now, the first real standout in this whole forecast is Sunday morning the 13th. It's not the biggest, but with that light offshore wind and clean conditions, it's the best quality we'll see for a while. The swell direction (WNW) lines up with what this spot loves. Keep in mind it can get a crowd here on a good day, so get in early.

We hit a dry spell from Monday the 14th through pretty much the rest of that week. The swell jumps up to 7ft and 8ft on Thursday the 17th, but with brutal onshore winds, it's not for paddling – that looks more like a kite-surfing setup if anything. The energy is strong (1497 to 2005), but it's all blown out.

The second week gets more interesting, but less certain. The big highlight, and I mean *the* standout of the whole outlook, is looking at Saturday the 26th of September. That's a long way out, so this is a "promising but we'll see" call. The forecast shows a 13ft W swell arriving with a very long 14-second period. The energy is massive (6184). What makes this special is the predicted glassy conditions with a light ENE wind. That is an excellent forecast for experienced surfers. That kind of deep groundswell will hold up beautifully on this reef. It's pure, raw power.

Before that, Friday the 25th morning also looks clean with a glassy 8ft W swell (1540 energy). A solid, long-period groundswell with offshore winds – that's the kind of morning that makes it all worth it.

So to wrap it up: Sunday the 13th morning for the cleanest, most fun waves of the first week. And keep a very close eye on the forecast for the 25th and 26th of September – that last weekend could be something very, very special if it holds.

Stay stoked.
Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Fri night, calm by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sun night, strong winds from the NW by Tue night).

Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
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
2
1
0
0
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
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)
1.2
W
8
1.3
W
9
1.6
WNW
13
2
W
12
1.8
W
12
1.2
WNW
12
1
WNW
11
0.9
WNW
10
0.7
WNW
9
0.8
W
8
0.8
W
8
1
W
9
1.1
W
10
1.3
W
10
1.7
WNW
12
1.7
WNW
11
1.4
WNW
10
1.5
W
9
2.2
WNW
13
2.4
WNW
13
2.1
WNW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
205
269
823
1040
879
392
218
169
84
74
84
173
244
332
757
672
386
342
1497
2005
1240
Wind (km/h)
20
W
15
SSW
30
S
25
SW
20
W
0
E
5
SE
10
S
15
SSE
15
S
15
SW
30
SSW
30
W
30
WNW
40
NW
35
NW
25
W
35
WSW
40
WSW
25
W
20
W
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
glassy
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
6:36AM3.37m
6:48PM3.94m
7:12AM3.45m
7:25PM3.90m
7:47AM3.46m
8:00PM3.74m
8:20AM3.39m
8:34PM3.49m
8:53AM3.26m
9:08PM3.19m
9:26AM3.07m
9:44PM2.87m
10:03AM2.85m
10:23PM2.55m
Low Tide
12:26PM0.09m
1:01AM-0.11m
1:03PM0.03m
1:34AM-0.07m
1:39PM0.07m
2:06AM0.07m
2:15PM0.19m
2:37AM0.27m
2:50PM0.39m
3:07AM0.52m
3:27PM0.65m
3:40AM0.79m
4:07PM0.93m
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heavy rain
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light rain
rain showers
rain showers
thunderstorm
light rain
rain showers
cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
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part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:58
7:00
7:01
7:03
7:05
7:07
7:09
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:00
7:59
7:55
7:53
7:51
7:49
7:45
 mm
24
1
4
2
24
2
2
3
5
6
1
Temp °C
15
16
17
18
16
15
17
18
17
19
20
17
14
15
14
12
14
14
14
14
13
Feels °C
11
13
14
14
13
15
17
17
16
18
19
16
9
10
7
5
9
9
7
9
8
  • 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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