
Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s period, WNW swell with 1,338 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 2.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Right, let’s have a proper look at what’s on the table for Back Strands over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but there’s a real gem hiding in the second week if you can hold your nerve.
For the first week, honestly, it’s a bit of a frustrating watch. The swell is hanging around, but the wind just won’t play ball. We’ve got small to moderate WNW swells, with wave heights mostly sitting between 3 ft and 7 ft, and the combined energy is often in the low to moderate range (between 99 and 1236). The trouble is, we’re dealing with cross-onshore and onshore winds for most of it, making things choppy and messy. You’ll get a cleaner look here and there, like Thursday morning with a clean cross-off breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3 ft, so it’s barely worth the paddle. Even Saturday the 12th sees a proper jump in size with a 6 ft to 7 ft WNW groundswell (12-13 second period) and strong wave energy, but the winds are all wrong—cross-off then onshore—so it’s a write-off.
There’s a decent gap of poor conditions here. After that Saturday, the surf drops back to small, unexciting waves until the real action shows up.
Now, if you can wait, the standout window is Wednesday the 23rd of September. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We get a solid 8 ft WNW groundswell rolling in, with a period of 12 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 1881. The best part? The wind goes light offshore from the ESE in the morning, cleaning things up beautifully. By the afternoon, it goes glassy. This is prime Back Strands. For experienced surfers, this will be the session of the forecast. The swell direction (WNW) is a good match for the break’s preferred W direction, and the long period will give it some real power, though at a beach-reef setup like this, watch for it to stand up a bit straight.
Before that, Monday the 21st of September morning offers a decent little tune-up. A 3 ft WNW swell with a 12-second period and light offshore cross-off wind from the east gives clean, workable waves. Nothing huge, but a nice, clean option to get a few.
Don’t bother with the first week unless you’re desperate for a paddle in bumpy, onshore conditions. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no dramas there. The real call is that Wednesday the 23rd. Be patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu morning, light winds from the WSW by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Sat morning, light winds from the S by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 9 | WSW 11 | W 10 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
213 | 119 | 75 | 99 | 350 | 284 | 200 | 217 | 960 | 1230 | 1236 | 603 | 366 | 223 | 94 | 69 | 205 | 277 | 244 | 192 | 161 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:13AM3.02m | 5:27PM3.64m | 5:57AM3.22m | 6:09PM3.85m | 6:36AM3.37m | 6:48PM3.94m | 7:12AM3.45m | 7:25PM3.90m | 7:47AM3.46m | 8:00PM3.74m | 8:20AM3.39m | 8:34PM3.49m | 8:53AM3.26m | 9:08PM3.19m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:05AM0.45m | 11:47PM0.12m | 11:47AM0.23m | 00:25AM-0.05m | 12:26PM0.09m | 1:01AM-0.11m | 1:03PM0.03m | 1:34AM-0.07m | 1:39PM0.07m | 2:06AM0.07m | 2:15PM0.19m | 2:37AM0.27m | 2:50PM0.39m | 3:07AM0.52m | |||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | |
— | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 13 | — | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
213 | 119 | 75 | 99 | — | — | — | 217 | 960 | — | 1236 | 603 | 366 | 223 | 94 | 69 | 205 | 277 | 244 | 192 | 161 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 13 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | WNW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 13 | W 11 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | NW 11 | — |
— | 4 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 3 | S 4 | WSW 11 | W 10 | W 8 | — | S 3 | WNW 13 | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSW 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | W 3 |
— | — | 3 | 28 | 350 | 284 | 200 | — | 5 | 1230 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 5 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 37 | 0 | 27 | 61 | 530 | 268 | 61 | 27 | 129 | 129 | 552 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 53 | 117 | 7 |
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.










