Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next few weeks at Back Strands.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim start. The first few days are a write-off, no sugar-coatin’ it. We’re talkin’ a solid gap of nothing good until at least the tail end of the first week. The first proper chance to even think about paddling out doesn’t really show up until Thursday the 5th, and even that’s a borderline affair.

For the first week, it’s a whole lot of wind and chop messin’ up what little swell there is. You’ve got a massive spike of energy on Friday the 4th, with a 10-second period swell from the W/NW pushin’ 10 ft and a combined energy of 2722. That’s a ton of power, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore at 28 mph. The place will be an absolute dog’s breakfast – messy, blown-out, and honestly, only any good if you’re into kite-surfing, not paddle-surfin’. Too big and ugly for a beginner, and even experts wouldn’t have fun in that slop.

We finally get a sniff of something cleaner on Tuesday the 8th, but it’s only scored as marginal. There’s a 7 ft swell from the W with a 10-second period in the morning (combined energy 881) and a fresh SSE offshore wind at 19 mph, so it’d be clean, but that’s a bit of size with average period. That afternoon it drops off, and the period shortens to 8 seconds so it’s not really worth getting excited about.

The real stand-out, the one to circle on the calendar, is shaping up for Monday the 14th. Now, this is a week and a half away, so treat it with a bit of caution, but the charts are lookin’ promising. We’ve got a 3 ft long-period groundswell from the W with a 12-second period comin’ in for the morning. The wind is a gentle offshore from the ESE at 9 mph. That’s a recipe for clean, walled-up waves at this reef. The period is long, so expect proper shaped waves and plenty of push, even if the height isn’t massive. The combined energy is 239, so it’s moderate, but it’ll feel punchy. For the afternoon it switches to a S cross-off at 9 mph, still clean, with a 13-second period. The swell direction (W) matches the optimum for the break perfectly. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so you should get plenty of rides. There’s just a chance of a few others in the water, so don’t expect it to be empty.

The second week is even more of a gamble. The first shot on Thursday the 11th has a tiny 2 ft swell goin’ glassy in the afternoon, but it’s weak. Nothin’ else stands out. Focus on that Monday the 14th – that’s your best bet by a long shot.

Rusty.

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