Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 4 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, W swell with 450 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 04) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, listen up. Rusty here, lookin' at the charts for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a story, and not a very exciting one, so let's get into it.
Overall, we're looking at a tough run. The first week is mostly junk – onshore wind and tiny waves. There's a chance of some clean surf mid-week, but it's small and nothing special. Things then go completely flat for a long stretch.
The only spot on the radar is Back Strands, a reef break that needs everything to line up. For most of the forecast, it just doesn't get it. The water's at 61°F, which is a good 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year – a nice surprise if you're going in.
Your first real chance for a wave comes on Wednesday morning, July 8th. The wind goes glassy with a light 3 mph breeze from the south – that's a major positive for clean conditions. You're looking at surf around 3 feet from the west, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is low. The call is "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions". It's not gonna be pumping, but it'll be clean.
Thursday morning, July 9th is similar – 3 feet of west swell with a super light offshore wind. It's clean and small. Friday morning the 10th might be the pick: a 3-foot west swell with a 11-second period and a light offshore breeze. A touch more energy there, a bit more shape. Still very ordinary, though.
Then it all dies. From Saturday the 11th all the way through to July 19th, the swell drops to practically nothing – we're talking under 2 feet. There are a few glassy mornings, like Wednesday the 15th and Saturday the 18th, but for a reef break, that's just flat.
So, the honest truth? There's no standout. If you really need a paddle, the Wednesday 8th or Friday 10th mornings are your best bets for clean conditions. Don't expect much more than a knee-high dribble. The rest of the window is a bust.
Keep an eye on the sky, and I'll keep an eye on the charts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 398 | 450 | 351 | 220 | 209 | 185 | 157 | 130 | 195 | 240 | 199 | 157 | 127 | 142 | 136 | 109 | 132 | 56 | 198 | 227 | 208 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:35PM3.29m | 9:54AM2.71m | 10:12PM3.22m | 10:37AM2.66m | 10:53PM3.12m | 11:28AM2.61m | 11:42PM3.01m | 12:27PM2.59m | 00:41AM2.92m | 1:34PM2.63m | 1:52AM2.87m | 2:45PM2.75m | 3:06AM2.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:02PM0.58m | 3:47AM0.66m | 3:39PM0.68m | 4:27AM0.69m | 4:20PM0.80m | 5:13AM0.73m | 5:10PM0.93m | 6:06AM0.77m | 6:13PM1.03m | 7:10AM0.79m | 7:30PM1.04m | 8:20AM0.76m | 8:50PM0.94m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:11 | — | — |
 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:06 |
mm | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 21 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 220 | — | — | 157 | 130 | 195 | 240 | 199 | 157 | 127 | 142 | 136 | 109 | 132 | 56 | 198 | 227 | 208 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 398 | 450 | 351 | — | 209 | 185 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 265 | 283 | 53 | 53 | 267 | 22 | 27 | 53 | 27 | 27 | 203 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Back Strands surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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