Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with 678 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s 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 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m 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 1.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, gather 'round, mates. Rusty here. We've got a 16-day look at Back Strands, and I gotta be straight with you—it's a bit of a slow burn. The first week and a half is mostly a write-off, but there's a glimmer of something decent right at the tail end.
The overall pattern is a long, frustrating stretch of poor conditions, with a decent pulse of swell arriving in the second week. The first report is for Thursday, July 23rd, but don't get your hopes up. We're looking at a gap of about a week and a half before we see anything worth paddling out for.
From Thursday, July 23rd through to Wednesday, July 30th, the surf is just plain ugly. Winds are all over the place, mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and strong. The swell is tiny for the first few days, and when it does pick up a bit on the 25th and 26th, the wind is a mess. The combined wave energy at Back Strands on Saturday morning, July 25th, hits a moderate 597, but it's accompanied by a fresh cross-onshore wind that's gonna make it lumpy. That's no good for anyone. The water temp is a touch warmer than average for the time of year, sitting at 62°F.
Now, we finally get a bit of a reprieve. Monday, July 27th, the wind swings around to a cross-offshore, and the surf is clean, but the waves are small and the energy is weak. It's a tease. The first decent chance doesn't come until Monday, August 3rd. That's the standout.
Mark your calendars for the morning of Monday, August 3rd. The wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm, and we've got a 6ft swell rolling in from the WNW. The combined energy is a solid 547, so it's got some push. The period is 9 seconds, so it's a decent groundswell. This will be a proper clean session. The afternoon hangs on with glassy conditions and a 5ft swell, but it drops a little.
The only other one to mention is Sunday, August 2nd afternoon. The swell is 6ft, but the wind is a light cross-on, so it won't be as clean as the Monday. The energy is moderate at 409.
So, the best bet is Monday, August 3rd, first thing. The swell is a solid 6ft from the WNW, and with the glassy conditions, Back Strands will be clean. It's a reef break, so it should handle the swell well. It's a bit of a drive for a surf, but it's the only real window we've got in this outlook.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 6 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 12 | 24 | 206 | 171 | 127 | 597 | 650 | 562 | 664 | 657 | 391 | 283 | 181 | 190 | 190 | 199 | 143 | 146 | 154 | 162 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 1:52PM2.49m | 2:18AM2.43m | 3:06PM2.53m | 3:33AM2.43m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:06PM1.25m | 8:38AM1.15m | 9:25PM1.21m | 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 | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:47 | — | — | 9:46 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 | — | — | 9:39 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 11 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 6 | 5 | 24 | — | — | 82 | — | 650 | — | — | — | 391 | 283 | 181 | 190 | 190 | 199 | 143 | 146 | 154 | 162 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | — | NW 10 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | SSW 2 | — | — | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 9 | 206 | 171 | 127 | 597 | — | 562 | 664 | 657 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 485 | 1203 | 27 | 292 | 1218 | 1083 | 265 | 265 | 127 | 263 | 434 | 51 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | 27 | 53 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
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.
Nearest