Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

First up, I gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Back Strands is a tough one. We’ve got a real quiet start, and the whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim. The water temp is sitting at 62°F which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only good news.

The pattern that’s setting up is a long stretch of poor surf. From Thursday the 23rd right through to the end of the month, it’s mostly cross-onshore winds and choppy, messy conditions. We do get a bit of a pulse of swell showing up around the 25th and 26th, with wave heights hitting 7 ft from the WNW, and the combined energy hitting 613 (moderate) and 804 (strong) on the Saturday and Sunday. But with the wind howling from the WNW at 22 mph on the Sunday, it’s going to be a windblown mess. That kind of size and short period (9-10 seconds) with onshore wind is gonna be a battle. For the experienced crew only, if you’re desperate.

We’ve got a couple of days of cleaner conditions from Monday the 27th through Wednesday the 29th, with the wind switching to a cross-offshore from the S and SSW. The swell drops right back though, down to 4 ft and then 3 ft. The combined energy falls to 328 (moderate) and then 114 (weak). The surf is still rated as poor or marginal. On Monday morning the 27th, the waves are 4 ft from the WNW, period 10 seconds, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore at 12 mph. It’s the best we’ll see, but it’s still just a marginal option. You might get a couple of average ones, but keep the expectations low.

After that, from the 30th of July right through to the 7th of August, it’s a dead zone. The swell drops to nothing – 3 ft, then 2 ft, then 1 ft, and even 0.7 ft. The combined energy falls into the 10s and 20s (weak). There’s a period of strong winds on the 4th and 5th of August, with the SSE and S wind at 25 mph, but the swell is gone. That’s more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing. On the 7th of August we get a hint of offshore wind from the SE at 16 mph, but the swell is only 2 ft. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride.

Honestly, there is no standout swell in this window. The best chance, if you’re a local who knows the reef, is the Monday morning, July 27th. That’s your one shot at something clean and rideable, but it’s barely a pulse. The rest of the forecast is a write-off. For a reef break like this, we need a proper groundswell with a bit of period, and we just aren’t getting it.

Rusty signing off.

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