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. I gotta be straight with you – this stretch is as quiet as a Monday morning beach carpark. We’re looking at a long, blank run here, so don’t get your hopes up for any proper sessions.

The whole 16-day window is basically a bust. The first recommendation doesn’t even pop up until Tuesday the 28th of July, and even then, it’s a write-off. The swell is there, but it’s a mess. Tuesday morning at Back Strands sees a 4ft swell from the W, with a short 8-second period, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSW at 12 mph. The combined energy is moderate (198), but it gets a zero score – the conditions are just poor. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 61°F, about 3°F above average for this time of year.

That pattern just keeps going. Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday, Thursday – all poor. The wind swings onshore, the swell stays small and weak, and the wave comment is always “poor surf conditions.” There is nothing here worth paddling out for. The swell energy drops from moderate into the weak double digits by the end of the week, and by the weekend of the 1st of August, we’re looking at tiny 2ft leftovers with a light cross-off, but still not enough to do anything with.

We hit a real low point from the 3rd of August onward. The swell drops to 1.0ft and 0.7ft, with energy readings as low as 12 to 17. It’s flat, basically. There’s a glimmer of hope on Friday the 7th of August, when the morning goes glassy – wind from the WNW at 3 mph – but the swell is still only 3ft from the NW with a 5-second period. The afternoon is glassy too, with a 3ft swell from the NW, and the energy is 79. The wave comment finally says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” scoring a 1 out of 10. That’s the best we get, and it’s barely a ripple.

After that, it’s back to tiny, weak swells and strong, messy winds. The 9th and 10th of August have 2ft swells with strong breezes and cross-chop – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The final few days are just flat, with 0.7ft and 0.3ft swells and glassy conditions on the 12th of August, but no energy to speak of.

So, what’s the call? There is no standout here. Not one. The whole 16-day window is a gap of poor to flat conditions. For this area, a blank run like this is pretty normal when the forecasts line up this way. It tends not to stay poor for long, but right now, leave the boards in the garage and go do something else.

Rusty.

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