Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you straight up – this 16-day window for Back Strands is a proper mixed bag, and honestly, it’s gonna take some patience. There’s a decent amount of swell on the table, but the wind is going to be the enemy most of the time.

We kick off with a bang, but it’s a messy one. Friday the 4th sees a solid 12ft west swell rolling in with a 12-second period and a massive combined energy of (4002), but that 28 mph cross-on wind from the west absolutely trashes it. It’s a write-off for a clean wave. That big energy hangs around into the weekend, but it’s all cross and onshore.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday afternoon, the 5th. The swell drops to a more manageable 4ft from the west-northwest, and we finally get a light, cross-off breeze from the south at 6 mph. The energy is moderate (328), and it’s looking clean. This is your first proper chance for a surf, but it’s not a standout.

Sunday the 6th is a write-off again with strong winds and tiny swell.

Now, keep your eye on Saturday the 12th of September. This is the standout window. The morning session is where you want to be. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the west-northwest, with a nice 11-second period (531 combined energy), and the wind is a glassy cross-off from the south-southwest at just 3 mph. It’ll be clean, lined up, and with that period, the reef at Back Strands should be working nicely. The afternoon will still have some small waves, but a light cross-on breeze will just take the shine off it.

After that, we get a few small, clean days but nothing with much punch. The 13th of September has clean 3ft waves with light offshore winds from the south-southeast, but it’s tiny. The 14th and 15th see some longer-period swells (13-14 seconds) but they’re small and plagued by onshore breezes again.

The last week of the forecast gets a bit more interesting energy-wise, but the wind stays nasty. Monday the 18th of September has a 8ft west swell with an 11-second period (1201 combined energy), but again, it’s cross-on and choppy. That pattern of size with poor wind hangs around until the very end of the window, with only marginal conditions on the 19th.

So, the call is simple: if you can only paddle out once this fortnight, make it Saturday morning, the 12th of September. That’s your cleanest, best-shaped chance. For the rest, you’ll be battling the breeze. Keep checking back; things can change.

Rusty.

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