Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at this forecast. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for Back Strands. There’s a lot of swell on the cards, but the wind is gonna be a major player in what we actually get to ride. The water’s sitting at 62°F right now, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus.

We start off the run on Sunday the 6th of September afternoon. There’s swell coming in at 3ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (127). The problem is the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 16 mph, which is okay, but the rain and the conditions are just a bit messy. It’s not going to be a great session.

Monday the 7th of September sees the swell jump up to 6ft in the morning, coming from the west, with the same 10-second period. The energy is now strong (524). But the wind is a cross-shore from the WSW at 19 mph, and it’s lumpy. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 22 mph and goes cross-on, making it even worse. Tuesday the 8th of September is a write-off – the swell hits 10ft from the WNW, but the wind is onshore at 28 mph, and the energy is very strong (1739-1803). That’s not for paddling; that’s a kite session if anything.

We get a bit of a break Wednesday the 9th of September. The swell drops to 4ft in the morning, with a light onshore wind (6 mph) from the WNW. The energy is moderate (268). The afternoon sees a cross-shore wind at 12 mph, but the swell is only 3ft. It’s still not great.

Thursday the 10th of September morning offers a clean window. The swell is a consistent 3ft from the west, with a better 11-second period. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW at 12 mph, and the energy is moderate (238). This is the first decent chance to get a clean wave, but it’s small. The afternoon gets windier and lumpy again.

The following week is a proper struggle. Friday the 11th of September is all cross-onshore and choppy. Saturday the 12th of September morning has a 6ft swell from the WNW with a very long 14-second period and strong energy (1475), but the wind is a strong cross-shore at 25 mph, making it a messy, dangerous mess. By the afternoon, the wind is onshore from the NW at 16 mph and the swell is 7ft. Forget it.

Sunday the 13th of September morning is the absolute standout of the entire 16-day window. The swell is 4ft from the WNW with a long 12-second period, and the energy is moderate (429). The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph. This is gonna be a glassy, clean morning. The break is a reef, so it will handle that long-period swell well. Just be aware it can get a bit crowded here sometimes. After that, the wind turns and it gets lumpy.

Monday the 14th of September sees a building swell at 8ft from the west, but with a fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph, it’s lumpy. By the afternoon, the swell hits 10ft with a 12-second period and very strong energy (2784), but the wind is still a fresh cross-shore. The rest of the week is a mix of onshore winds and messy conditions, with a few marginal clean-ish windows on the 16th and 17th of September, but the swell is either too big (12ft) or the wind is too strong. The 16th of September afternoon has an 12ft groundswell from the west with a clean cross-off wind, but that’s expert territory only.

The last few days from the 18th of September onwards are a bit of a washout. The swell stays around 5ft to 7ft, but the wind is almost always cross-shore or cross-on, leaving the surf lumpy and uninviting. The 21st of September sees the swell drop back to 3ft, with a clean cross-off wind, but it’s just too small to get excited about.

Best bet: No doubt about it, the Sunday 13th of September morning is the only real gem. Clean 4ft W swell with a long period and light offshore. That’s your window.

Rusty

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