Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and listen up – Rusty here with a look at what’s coming down the line for Back Strands. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the second week is shaping up to be a ripper. Let’s get into it.

The water temperature is sitting at 60°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you might not need the thickest wetsuit.

First up, Friday the 11th is a bit of a tease. Friday morning is a write-off with messy 4ft WSW windswell and onshore wind. But Friday afternoon cleans up nicely – we get some 4ft of WNW swell with a cross-offshore breeze making things tidy. It’s small, but it’s a start.

Saturday the 12th brings a pulse of energy – a big 7ft swell from the west, but it’s paired with a strong cross-shore wind and rain. The combined energy jumps to 1126, but the conditions are ugly. Not your day.

Sunday the 13th is your first real window. The morning is clean as a whistle with light offshore winds from the south, and 4ft of WNW swell (279 combined energy). It’s small but fun, and the reef setup at Back Strands should handle that period well. Afternoon stays clean but drops a little.

We then hit a flat, windy stretch from Monday the 14th all the way through to Saturday the 19th. A lot of poor surf, strong winds, and choppy conditions. Not worth paddling out. This gap is almost a full week of dud surf.

Sunday the 20th sees a return to clean, small waves – 3ft WNW swell with light cross-offshore winds (284 combined energy). Not a standout, but a sign things are turning.

Now, here’s the gold. Monday the 21st: the morning kicks off with 6ft of WNW groundswell, period pushing 12 seconds, and clean cross-offshore breeze (861 combined energy). The afternoon goes glassy – 5ft, 12-second period, and zero wind. This is good, clean, proper surf.

But the true standout is Tuesday the 22nd. This is the big one. We’ve got 8ft of west swell with a 13-second period in the morning, and combined energy of 2400. The wind is light offshore from the ESE. This is excellent, powerful, long-period groundswell. However, at 8ft, this one is for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon stays glassy with 8ft waves. Back Strands (reef) will handle this long-period energy beautifully, but expect it to be working. Crowds are possible here.

Wednesday the 23rd is almost as good. The morning has 7ft of WNW swell, clean and light offshore (1277 combined energy). The afternoon goes completely glassy with 7ft waves. Another excellent day.

After that, the swell drops off fast from Thursday the 24th, and we’re back to small, onshore, poor conditions through to the end of the window on the 26th. So, focus your energy on that Monday the 21st through Wednesday the 23rd. That’s your window.

Rusty.

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