Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with 512 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with WNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Back Strands this week:
The surf forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for this stretch of coast, and I gotta be honest – it’s a tough stretch for a while. The only spot we’ve got the lowdown on is Back Strands, a reef setup, but you’ll be waiting a long time for anything worth paddling out for.
The overall picture is poor. We’re looking at a stretch of flat, weak, or messy conditions that’s gonna drag on for nearly two weeks. The water temp is sitting at about 61°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be shivering while you stare at flat water.
For the first week, from Thursday the 6th right through to the weekend of the 16th, it’s a total write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly wrong, and the energy is pathetic. We’re talking wave heights of 1ft to 4ft, often with short periods around 6 to 9 seconds, and the combined energy is barely a whisper, hitting figures like 36 and 27. It’s cross-on, choppy, and just plain frustrating. There’s a brief moment around Saturday the 8th with a bit of energy (302) and clean conditions, but the waves are still too small and weak to get excited about. The whole first week is a blank run.
Things start to pulse a little towards the end of the second week. The session to actually circle on your calendar is the Wednesday morning of the 19th. That’s the standout. The swell is set to push up to 5ft out of the WNW, with a period of 11 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps to 595, which is a welcome change. And the wind is a clean offshore from the SE, which will have this reef looking glassy. This is the only time in the whole forecast that the stars align for decent surf. The waves will have some shape and power, and the conditions should be clean. However, because it’s still over a week away, treat it as a promising potential, not a guarantee. The swell is solid enough that it’ll be a bit much for beginners, but for the rest of us, it’s the one to aim for.
Before that, the morning of the 14th and the 15th offer some tiny, clean waves, but they’re weak and barely surfable with energy around 70-79. The 16th picks up a bit, but the energy is still low. After the 19th, it drops back off into poor, lumpy cross-on junk.
So, the long and short of it: you’ve got a long, dry spell until the 19th. If you can wait, that Wednesday morning is your best bet. Otherwise, it’s a time for fixing dings and watching the horizon.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 28 | 20 | 25 | 144 | 499 | 414 | 302 | 293 | 207 | 203 | 194 | 115 | 67 | 42 | 27 | 15 | 8 | 21 | 32 | 31 | 8 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:45AM2.69m | 00:08AM2.80m | 12:58PM2.63m | 1:30AM2.67m | 2:23PM2.69m | 3:01AM2.68m | 3:43PM2.92m | 4:18AM2.84m | 4:48PM3.24m | 5:19AM3.04m | 5:41PM3.57m | 6:10AM3.21m | 6:28PM3.84m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:39PM0.97m | 6:27AM0.90m | 7:03PM1.08m | 7:52AM0.97m | 8:42PM1.01m | 9:16AM0.88m | 10:04PM0.77m | 10:22AM0.67m | 11:06PM0.47m | 11:16AM0.43m | 11:58PM0.19m | 12:02PM0.22m | 00:44AM-0.01m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:13 |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | W 4 |
| kJ | 8 | 7 | 7 | 144 | 499 | 414 | 302 | 293 | 207 | 203 | 194 | 115 | 67 | 42 | 27 | 15 | 8 | 21 | 32 | 31 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 11 | NW 11 | NNW 10 | NW 8 | NW 7 | W 6 | NW 6 | N 6 | W 10 |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 29 | 29 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 4 | — | — | S 3 | SSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | — |
| kJ | 28 | 20 | 25 | 11 | — | — | 6 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 83 | 268 | 48 | 53 | 145 | 10 | 13 | 53 | 27 | 22 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 33 | 33 | 7 | 53 | 36 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Back Strands Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Back Strands provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Back Strands can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Back Strands surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Back Strands) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Back Strands may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Sligo? If you are looking for accommodation near Back Strands, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Sligo, consider staying in Sligo which is 19 km (12 miles) away. Other places in and around Sligo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Killybegs which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Enniskillen, Ballina and Letterkenny.
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