Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. It’s a bit of a wild start to the outlook for Back Strands. We’ve got a reef break that’s fairly consistent, but the next few days are going to be a write-off. The wind is going to be howling from the west and northwest, with onshore conditions and some serious lump that’s going to have the ocean looking like a washing machine. We’re talking fresh breezes on Tuesday, and by Thursday the wind is going to be near gale force with swells hitting 10ft to 13ft. That’s not surf, that’s a washing machine full of rocks. The energy is cranking, but it’s all for nothing with the wind. We’ll see the combined energy spike to 5131 on Thursday arvo, but it’s just blown-out mess. If you’re into kite surfing, this stretch might get you going, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass.

Now, we do get a bit of a breather on Friday the 18th. The swell drops back to a still-juicy 8ft from the WNW, with a 13-second period. The wind swings around to a light south cross-off, and the ocean will be clean. It’s going to be big and powerful, so this is not for the faint-hearted. Over 8ft means it’s expert-only territory, and the long-period swell might be a bit much for a beach break, but this is a reef, so it should hold up. I’d give it a look if you’ve got the skills. The energy is strong at 2157.

Saturday and Sunday are a bit of a letdown. The swell eases to the 6ft – 6ft range, but we have cross-onshore winds again, so it’s back to being lumpy and bumpy. Not great.

Then we get a bit of hope. Monday the 21st drops to 5ft, but it’s only marginal. The real standout for the first week is on Tuesday the 22nd. The wind goes glassy in the morning, and we get a solid 6ft of west swell at a very long 16-second period. The energy is strong at 1961. This is a proper groundswell. For a reef setup like this, that long period is going to produce some beautiful, powerful lines. It’s an excellent forecast for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the first week. The afternoon gets a bit questionable, so get out there early.

The rest of the week looks pretty fun, with a run of clean days from Wednesday the 23rd through Friday the 25th. The swell stays in the 4ft – 7ft range, and we get some light offshore and cross-off winds. Good waves, just not as big. Then Friday arvo, the swell kicks back up to 8ft with a 16-second period, and the energy jumps to 3567. It’s a bit of a late swell, so we’re looking at a potentially great Saturday.

And Saturday the 26th it is. Morning brings a clean 8ft from the WNW with a 14-second period and a gentle offshore wind. The energy is strong at 1977, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The water is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, sitting at 60°, which takes the edge off. This is the other standout. The swell direction is from the WNW, which is in the same ballpark as the optimum for this spot.

There’s a bit of a drop-off for the next couple of days, but then things get properly interesting for the final stretch. On Monday the 28th, we’ve got a big 12ft WNW swell with an 11-second period hitting in the morning, and it’s clean with an offshore wind. The energy is a massive 2977. Then that afternoon, it’s still 10ft and glassy. This is a big, powerful swell, so again, expert-only. It’s promising, but it’s far out, so we’ll see how it fills in.

The final day of the outlook, Wednesday the 30th, the swell drops back to a manageable 5ft, and the wind is fresh offshore. It’ll be clean, if a little on the small side. Honestly, looking at the whole run, the two days to circle are Tuesday the 22nd and Saturday the 26th. They’ve got the size, the direction, and the clean winds. Get on it.

Rusty.

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