
Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with 651 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s 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 Wednesday (Jul 29) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s is also forecast. 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's coming up for Back Strands over the next couple of weeks.
Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. The swell is gonna pulse up a couple of times, but the wind is mostly going to wreck it. The water is sitting at 62°, which is a full 4° warmer than we'd expect for this time of year, so that's a pretty notable warm spell.
We start off Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd with tiny, weak swell – barely a ripple at 1 ft to 2 ft from the NW with a short period (6-7 seconds). The combined energy is negligible (32), and it's blown out by onshore winds. Just leave the board in the car.
Friday the 24th shows a bit of life. Swell picks up to 3 ft from the WNW, period stretches to 9 seconds, and the energy jumps into the moderate range (173). But the wind is a choppy cross-onshore from the WSW at 12-15 mph, so the surface is going to be messy. Not worth the drive.
Now, Saturday the 25th into Sunday the 26th, the swell jumps significantly. We're looking at 6 ft to 6 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period. This puts the combined energy into strong territory (up to 651). But here’s the kicker – we've got onshore winds blowing at 15-22 mph. That much power, with a cross-onshore wind, is going to be a washing machine. It’s heading into dangerous territory for beginners, and the chop will be nasty for everyone. This setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Monday the 27th sees the swell drop back to 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind finally switches to a clean cross-offshore from the SSW at 12-18 mph. Conditions will be clean, and that's the saving grace. But the wave comment calls it "marginal" – likely the long period (9 seconds) and dropping swell are making it fat and inconsistent at this beach and reef setup. It's a bit of a tease.
Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 30th, the swell fades back to below 3 ft with weak energy again. The wind is a mix of clean but light, or back to choppy onshore slop. Nothing to write home about.
There's a quiet gap from here until the tail end of the outlook. The only real bright spot in the entire 16 days comes on Sunday, August 2nd. The afternoon session is a rare moment of perfection. The swell bumps up to a clean 2 ft from the WNW with a 10-second period (121 combined energy), but the wind goes dead calm – glassy. That is a major positive. If you want a quiet, clean, longboard-style session where you’re just sliding around in the dusk light, that's your window. The crowd factor is "sometimes", so be prepared to share a few waves.
After that, it's back to small, weak, and mostly windy for the first week of August. The 3rd and 4th have some clean morning windows, but the swell is tiny and the period is short (5-7 seconds). It’s thin.
So, to sum it up: there's no proper standout session with size and quality. The best on offer is that glassy window on Sunday, August 2nd afternoon. It's small, but it will be clean. A close second is Monday the 27th morning if you're desperate for a surf and can handle a dropping swell in clean but marginal conditions. For the rest, you're better off getting the kite gear out or waiting for the next forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Wed night, fresh winds from the WSW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 23 | 173 | 171 | 230 | 651 | 596 | 380 | 579 | 502 | 391 | 328 | 347 | 254 | 177 | 225 | 144 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:44PM2.54m | 1:06AM2.57m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:44PM1.16m | 7:27AM1.11m | 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 | ||||||||
5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:51 | — | — | 9:50 | — | — | 9:47 | — | — | 9:46 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | NW 6 | W 8 | NW 6 | WNW 11 | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
15 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 596 | 380 | — | — | 391 | 328 | 347 | 254 | 177 | 225 | 144 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 9 | — | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 6 | — | 12 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | NW 6 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | SSW 4 | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — |
17 | 22 | — | 6 | — | 15 | 173 | 171 | 230 | 651 | — | — | 579 | 502 | — | 8 | — | — | 7 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 316 | 104 | 104 | 477 | 505 | 53 | 27 | 1218 | 267 | 265 | 265 | 127 | 127 | 434 | 53 | 127 | 53 | 14 | 510 | 135 | 27 |
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)
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.










