Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, WNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, WNW swell with 313 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with NW 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 1.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.
To be honest, the next week and a half is a bit of a grind for us at Back Strands. The real good stuff is a fair way out, so you’ll need to be patient.
We’ve got a real dry spell through the first weekend. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are basically a washout with tiny, weak swell and a stubborn cross-onshore wind making a mess of things. Sunday the 23rd afternoon goes glassy, but with waves barely hitting 1ft, it’s a flat, glassy lake.
The first real sign of life comes on Monday the 24th. The morning is the window. We’ll see a clean 4ft groundswell from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds, and a gentle offshore ESE wind. That’s a proper surfable moment. The combined energy hits 313 (moderate), so there’s some weight behind it. The afternoon stays clean but the swell drops a touch.
After that, we’re back in the quiet zone for a few days. A little pulse on the 27th, but it’s messy. Then we get hammered by strong winds around the 28th and 29th – that’s more of a kite session than a paddle session, with chop and lumpy conditions.
The real standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning offers a solid 5ft of swell from the W with a 9-second period, and a light offshore breeze from the east. The energy is a strong 353 (moderate). It’s clean, it’s got size, and it’s the best call in the whole 16-day window. The afternoon gets tricky though – the swell jumps to 8ft with a very long 12-second period. That’s expert-only territory, and the wind goes cross-shore, which can make those long-period lines sectiony at a beach break. For the morning session, you’ll be in for a treat.
Water temps are sitting at about 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner wetsuit.
The rest of the first week of September is just ok, with a few clean but small days. Thursday the 3rd has a nice 5ft swell from the W again, but the cross-onshore wind will mess it up.
So, to sum it up: the first week is lean. Save your energy for Monday the 24th morning, and for the big one, Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. The waiting game is worth it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 9 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 64 | 45 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 52 | 313 | 265 | 190 | 81 | 64 | 23 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 119 | 140 | 157 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | on | on |
High Tide | 12:52PM2.41m | 1:34AM2.22m | 2:28PM2.40m | 3:12AM2.25m | 3:50PM2.56m | 4:19AM2.41m | 4:44PM2.80m | 5:04AM2.60m | 5:23PM3.06m | 5:41AM2.80m | 5:57PM3.30m | 6:13AM2.97m | 6:28PM3.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:18PM1.37m | 7:50AM1.36m | 9:06PM1.34m | 9:21AM1.26m | 10:15PM1.16m | 10:19AM1.06m | 11:01PM0.94m | 11:00AM0.83m | 11:37PM0.71m | 11:35AM0.61m | 00:09AM0.50m | 12:06PM0.43m | 00:40AM0.32m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | |  | |  |  | | | | |  | |
 | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:37 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 9 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | W 8 | NW 5 | NW 5 | W 9 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | W 7 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 9 |
| kJ | 64 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 52 | 313 | 265 | 190 | 81 | 64 | 23 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 119 | 140 | 157 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 11 | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | NW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NW 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 9 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 18 | — | — | 12 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 9 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | NW 7 | — | W 10 | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | NW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | NW 6 | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 2 | ESE 2 | SE 3 | SE 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 45 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 313 | 313 | 168 | 119 | 278 | 272 | 127 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 168 | 7 | 17 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 48 | 231 |
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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