Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Well, I’ll be honest with you... it’s a pretty grim stretch for the most part. We’ve got a long wait on our hands before anything even remotely rideable shows up. Right now, from Sunday the 23rd of August right through, there’s just nothing doing. The water is sitting at 62°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only good news. We’re looking at a solid week of tiny, weak energy and messy winds. The combined energy is barely a whisper – we’re talking single digit values (10) and low double digits (26) – so don’t even bother waxing the board.

The first real glimmer of hope pops up on Monday the 24th of August. The morning is still a bit ordinary, but the *afternoon* is where it’s at. The wind goes glassy, and we get a 4ft swell from the west, with a nice long period of 11 seconds (groundswell) and moderate energy of 275 (moderate). That’s a clean, lined-up wave for a reef break. This is the standout window of the whole forecast. The swell is small enough for most, and with that glassy surface, it’s going to be pretty. Just be aware crowds are possible at Back Strands.

After that Tuesday the 25th through the rest of the week, it’s back to junk. Strong breeze, messy conditions, and the swell drops right off. The combined energy sinks back under 100 (weak). We’ve got a real dry spell for days.

Then, we get another tease on Thursday the 3rd of September. The afternoon shows some hope with a 3ft west swell, 8-second period, and glassy conditions again. The energy is moderate (114), but the waves are described as "surfable but very ordinary". It’s not the clean runner we had on the 24th, but it’s the best of a bad bunch after that first Monday.

The final week is a write-off. Strong winds, cross-onshore, and swell that’s blown out. On the 7th of September, there’s a 5ft swell from the west, but it’s under a strong onshore breeze and the energy is high (359), but the quality is "poor". For a beach-and-reef setup like Back Strands, that’s more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

So, the only true standout is Monday afternoon, the 24th of August at Back Strands. Get it while it’s glassy. The long-range hope on the 3rd of September is a distant second, and by then, the forecast is less certain.

Rusty.

Read more