Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, WNW swell with 917 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with W 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 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. 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 2.2m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-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 Friday (Jul 31) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the coming days. I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s a bit of a tough stretch for the waves around here.
We’ve got a quiet start, with the first real opportunity to get wet not showing up until Tuesday the 4th of August. That’s a long gap of over a week of nothing much to write home about. The water’s sitting at a temperature that’s pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, so no drama there.
The standout, and really the only day that’s got any real appeal, is the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August at Back Strands. We’ll see a small, clean 4 ft swell rolling in from the WNW. The magic here is the wind: it’s going to be glassy. Dead calm. That’s a rare treat, and it’ll make the surface look like a mirror. The combined swell energy is weak though, only 151, so it’s not going to be powerful, but for a small day with perfect conditions, it’s your best bet. The swell period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak and lumpy in shape, but at least it’ll be clean.
Before that, from the 26th of July right through to the morning of the 4th, it’s pretty much a write-off. We’ve got a mix of lumpy, cross-onshore junk, and a few days where the swell is just too small to bother with. The wind is mostly from the wrong directions, and the quality is poor. There’s a bit of a pulse on the 30th of July with a 6 ft swell from the W, but it’s got a fresh cross-onshore wind and a combined energy of 537, making it a messy, blown-out mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing session than a paddle-surfing one.
After that Tuesday morning window, it drops off again. The rest of the week and into the second week looks small and weak, with a few clean mornings but barely any swell to work with. The 9th of August has a clean 1 ft swell from the WSW, but that’s just a dribble.
So, mark your calendar for Tuesday the 4th of August, early morning. Get on it before the wind picks up, because after that, it’s back to waiting.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Sat night, light winds from the WSW by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Wed night, fresh winds from the W by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 6 | W 9 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 885 | 855 | 598 | 440 | 322 | 198 | 181 | 133 | 113 | 108 | 80 | 54 | 155 | 533 | 150 | 163 | 164 | 91 | 55 | 41 | 27 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 4:34AM2.52m | 5:02PM2.83m | 5:21AM2.66m | 5:44PM3.03m | 6:01AM2.79m | 6:22PM3.22m | 6:36AM2.90m | 6:56PM3.38m | 7:10AM2.98m | 7:29PM3.51m | 7:43AM3.03m | 8:00PM3.57m | 8:15AM3.05m | 8:32PM3.56m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:36AM0.96m | 11:14PM0.92m | 11:19AM0.79m | 11:55PM0.76m | 11:56AM0.63m | 00:32AM0.61m | 12:30PM0.48m | 1:06AM0.49m | 1:03PM0.38m | 1:38AM0.40m | 1:34PM0.32m | 2:10AM0.35m | 2:05PM0.33m | 2:42AM0.35m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:45 | — | — | 9:44 | — | — | 9:42 | — | — | 9:39 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:37 | — | — | 9:35 |
mm | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 7 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 9 | W 8 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 440 | 322 | 198 | 181 | 133 | 113 | 108 | 2 | 54 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 163 | 164 | 91 | 55 | 41 | 27 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | N 9 | N 9 | N 10 | — | NW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | W 8 | — | WSW 6 | W 9 | W 7 | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 885 | 855 | 598 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 80 | — | 155 | 533 | 150 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 422 | 727 | 265 | 27 | 27 | 10 | 53 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 53 | 7 | 453 | 206 | 53 | 53 | 145 | 12 | 127 | 310 | 53 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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