Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, WNW swell with 280 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period with WNW 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 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. 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 1.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-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) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, the first week and a half is a write-off. We’re looking at a solid stretch of nothing from now until the end of August, with only small, crumbly swell and onshore winds making a mess of things. It’s a proper dry spell. You’d be better off waxing your board at home than staring at the ocean.
The one real glimmer of hope, the one that’s got me a bit excited, arrives on Monday, the 31st of August. Back Strands is going to wake up. Monday morning, we’ve got a clean 10-foot swell from the west, with a period of 10 seconds and a light easterly breeze. The combined energy is massive – a solid 2191 – and it’s in the excellent surf range for experienced surfers. This is a big, powerful west swell, and with that offshore wind, it’ll be clean and lined up. This is a clear standout for the period. It’s a reef break, and with a 10-foot swell, this is not one for beginners. It’s going to be a proper, heavy day. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” so get there early if you can.
The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there.
After that, things settle down again into early September with a mix of small, onshore slop and a few days where the wind goes light and glassy, but the swell just isn’t there to back it up. Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon looks glassy, but the swell is a tiny 2 feet – one for the longboard if you’re desperate.
So, bottom line: save your energy for the last day of August. That Monday morning is the only real show in town. The rest of the forecast is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, strong winds from the ESE by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 9 | W 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 5 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 172 | 85 | 120 | 75 | 36 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 90 | 280 | 227 | 151 | 89 | 40 | 21 | 84 | 125 | 148 |
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 | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:41AM2.56m | 00:08AM2.39m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:14AM1.05m | 5:46PM1.21m | 6:15AM1.27m | 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 | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  | |
 | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 1 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | W 9 | — | — | W 8 | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 |
| kJ | 157 | 85 | — | — | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 90 | 280 | 227 | 151 | 89 | 40 | 21 | 84 | 125 | 148 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | NW 7 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 10 | — | — | — | WNW 11 | NW 10 | NW 9 | W 7 | NW 10 | N 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | W 7 | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | NW 10 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NNW 4 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 5 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 2 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | — | W 3 | — |
| kJ | 172 | 35 | 120 | 75 | 36 | 11 | 11 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 458 | 721 | 416 | 313 | 313 | 158 | 119 | 276 | 46 | 15 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 260 | 260 | 195 | 0 | 0 | 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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