Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 11s period, W swell with 862 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 5s. 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 1.9m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 11s |
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 shaping up.
To be brutally honest, the next 16 days are a bit of a write-off for Back Strands. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions starting now and carrying on for a while. The first few days are a total mess – Tuesday the 18th sees a 5ft W swell, but it’s getting hammered by a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore wind, making it lumpy and poor. The combined wave energy is moderate at 249, but it’s not doing us any favours with that wind. Wednesday and Thursday offer similar stories with a bit more size but still onshore or cross-shore winds, keeping quality low. The water temperature is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
After that, from Friday the 21st right through to the end of the month, the swell drops off a cliff. We’re looking at tiny waves mostly under 3ft, with weak energy readings (often below 100). The wind does improve at times – for instance, Monday the 24th morning goes offshore from the SE, but the swell is only 1ft, so there’s just nothing to ride. Even though we get some clean, glassy conditions on Saturday the 29th afternoon and Monday the 31st, with offshore or glassy wind, the swell is too small to get excited about.
The only faint glimmer comes on Thursday the 27th afternoon – the waves are still only 3ft from the W, but the wind goes light cross-offshore from the ENE, and the conditions are described as “clean”. The score is a 1 out of 10, so it’s surfable but very ordinary. The energy is moderate at 110. If you’re desperate, you might get a longboard out for a few weak ones, but it’s nothing to write home about.
There’s no standout period or big swell coming. The forecast is a flat, windy, or tiny mess for the whole 16 days. For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a rare blank run. Hold tight, check the next update.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Tue morning, light winds from the NNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 249 | 486 | 748 | 755 | 552 | 377 | 154 | 88 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 247 | 78 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 10:09AM2.95m | 10:27PM3.01m | 10:51AM2.76m | 11:11PM2.67m | 11:41AM2.56m | 00:08AM2.39m | 12:52PM2.41m | 1:34AM2.22m | 2:28PM2.40m | 3:12AM2.25m | 3:50PM2.56m | 4:19AM2.41m | 4:44PM2.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:02PM0.67m | 4:31AM0.78m | 4:48PM0.95m | 5:14AM1.05m | 5:46PM1.21m | 6:15AM1.27m | 7:18PM1.37m | 7:50AM1.36m | 9:06PM1.34m | 9:21AM1.26m | 10:15PM1.16m | 10:19AM1.06m | 11:01PM0.94m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — |
mm | — | — | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 11 | — | — | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | — | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 8 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 748 | — | — | 377 | 154 | 88 | 64 | 64 | — | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 247 | 78 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | W 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | NW 6 | — | WNW 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 | — | 9 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | W 9 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 9 | — | W 10 | W 10 | — | NNW 10 | NNW 4 | N 7 | N 3 | NW 7 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | S 3 | S 4 | — |
| kJ | 249 | 486 | — | 755 | 552 | — | 117 | 23 | 25 | 3 | 65 | 10 | 12 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 39 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 319 | 265 | 53 | 53 | 127 | 13 | 189 | 270 | 319 | 397 | 319 | 178 | 276 | 313 | 117 | 244 | 276 | 46 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Back Strands surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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