
Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 3 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 4 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, W swell with 476 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 3 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s 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 Friday (Jul 03) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 04) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Friday (Jul 03) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Fri 3rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 10s |
| 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, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at Back Strands.
Right off the bat, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We've got a gap from now until about Thursday the 9th of July where the conditions are just messy. There's some small swell around, hitting about 3 ft from the west on Friday the 3rd, but the wind is all over the place—cross-off, cross, and even some cross-on—with speeds up to 19 mph. The wave energy is moderate at best (217) but the wind just chops it up. It's not worth paddling out for.
We finally get a little window on Thursday morning the 9th. The swell drops to 3 ft from the west with a 10-second period, and the wind goes glassy. The water is sitting at 62°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—about 5° above average. That's a nice little surprise for your toes. The energy is weak though (117), so it's more of a longboard cruise than anything punchy. That glassy spell hangs around into Friday morning the 10th, with a slightly longer 11-second period and 3 ft west swell, giving the waves a bit more shape and energy (195). It's still only surfable, not spectacular, but clean.
Now, the standout shows up on Monday the 13th. The morning is clean with an offshore breeze (ESE at 3 mph) and a 3 ft west swell, but the period jumps to 12 seconds. Then Monday afternoon is the real gem: the wind goes glassy, the swell builds to 4 ft from the west with that same 12-second period, and the energy jumps to a moderate 322. This is the best on offer. It's a reef break, so that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely. Expect good shape and clean faces. It's a fairly consistent spot, so you should get some rides. The only catch? Crowds are listed as "sometimes," so you might have some company, but it shouldn't be too packed.
Tuesday the 14th keeps the clean vibes going with offshore and glassy conditions in the morning and afternoon, but the swell drops back to 3 ft with a 10-second period and energy around 200. Still fun, but not as good as Monday.
After that, from Wednesday the 15th, the swell just falls off a cliff. We're looking at tiny waves (2 ft down to 0.6 ft) with weak energy (52 down to 6) right through to the end of the forecast on Saturday the 18th. The winds are offshore or glassy, but honestly, there's nothing to ride.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a bust. The clear winner is Monday afternoon the 13th at Back Strands with that glassy, 4 ft west groundswell. Tuesday is the backup if you miss it. After that, it's flat again.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Fri morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
167 | 184 | 432 | 450 | 476 | 306 | 173 | 167 | 202 | 230 | 230 | 187 | 149 | 127 | 108 | 99 | 103 | 113 | 117 | 92 | 103 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 9:00PM3.35m | 9:14AM2.78m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:28PM0.51m | 3:10AM0.62m | 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 | ||||||||
5:03 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | |
— | — | 10:10 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:09 | — | — | 10:08 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:07 | — | — | 10:07 | |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WNW 11 | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 |
167 | 107 | — | — | — | — | 173 | — | — | — | — | 187 | 149 | 127 | 108 | 99 | 103 | 113 | 117 | 92 | 103 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 | N 9 | — | — | — | — |
47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 184 | 432 | 450 | 476 | 306 | — | 167 | 202 | 230 | 230 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 80 | 53 | 427 | 1015 | 27 | 22 | 283 | 27 | 145 | 268 | 267 | 283 | 265 | 22 | 7 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.










